Meditating With Monks

So I found out that Wat Lanka, the temple behind my house (home to the chanting monks of Pchum Ben), hold weekly meditation sessions. I've been in real need of meditation lately, with my brain spinning with questions about where I want to take my life and how I should deal with the inefficient processes (and often negative attitudes) at the university.

Let me just say, I'm no good at meditating. I'm fidgety. My mind wonders. My foot falls asleep. You are supposed to keep your eyes closed, but I peek. Yes, I'm a bad student, but this could be good for me. I'm not so much into the "holding Buddha as the center of my consciousness" ideology, but the notion that everything in this world - every thought, action, feeling - is fleeting is interesting to me.

For now, I'm going to work on the focusing part. The monk taught me to sit a certain way that facilitates good breathing and to focus on the rising and falling of the abdomen during the breathe. I hope this might help in my everyday concentration. (I have become so ADD lately.) Maybe later I can move into the whole acknowledging every aspect of movement part. I started reading the "training manual" the monk gave me and during a day of meditation, you are supposed to note everything you think or do, from the intention to move your foot, to the actual moving of your foot, to the pain that is in your foot, etc. For now, the breathing is challenging enough.

On a side note, I just realized that the video of the Military March (or whatever song it is) from the Independence Day celebration never posted. I'll retry it so hopefully you can have a listen.