Meditations fail time!
I’ve gotten more into the practice regularly again. Not that I fell out of it for long, but there were times when I simply wouldn’t over the weekend, or if I missed it in the morning before going to work, I wouldn’t. I’m getting back into doing it on weekends, and in the evenings if I must.
I’ve become more accepting of a “fail” I’ve exhibited, which is simply: if my cat comes into my lap while meditating, I will pet the cat.
Monks don’t do this. Monks just let the cat be.
I cannot. I must pet the cat. I must follow the cat with my hands, my eyes closed – but I am still relaxed. I am very much in the moment, when I pet the cat, so I wondered – is this a kind of meditation?
Apparently, it is: petitation is the terminology, though how “legit” it is may be debatable.
Did I mostly look it up to make myself feel better about perceived failure? Yes.
Are there still notable benefits to this failure? Also, yes.
In sum, the benefits are these: it gives you something concrete to focus on, it still keeps you “in the moment”, it’s calming, it might also help your pet(s), and if nothing else, it’s improving the bond you have with your pets.
And here’s just a cute, short video, to cheer you up today: