Converging Paths Meditation at OWY

Have you met Larry and Ann Smith? This Huron couple is such an inspiration to me. I love how they look around and see what they would like more of in the world and then work to create it. Ann has her PhD in nursing and taught nursing at the Medical College in Toledo for 18 years; she had her own practie as a psychiatric mental health clinical nurse specialist, providing counseling & reiki; she is well known and loved by many in our commnity. Larry taught English and Creative Writing at Firelands for 35 years before he retired, he is a writer, founded and directed Bottom Dog Press a local publishing company now in its 34th year, and hosts monthly writing workshops and poetry readings at Mr. Smiths (2nd Saturdays in Sandusky). Meditation is a big part of Ann and Larry's lives and they have attended retreats with Thich Nhat Hanh and Tara Brach. They have been hosting Converging Paths Meditation at different locations for 11 years. We are happy they have found a home with us at Open Way - they meet Tuesday evenings at the Huron Studio!

-Shannon Leigh

Converging Paths Meditation Overview

Imagine sitting quietly feeling safe and comfortable. Your breath is calm and slow. All of your muscles slowly relax. You feel the air on your skin and the cushion or chair beneath you; you are aware of any sensations in your body. Thoughts about the future or worries about the past float automatically into your mind and you notice but you don’t become attached to each one or start a worrying cycle. Instead, over and over you bring your attention back to the sensations of breathing. 

In this state of relaxed awareness, breathing becomes slower and deeper sending oxygen into the blood. Your blood vessels dilate and oxygenated blood flows freely into each cell, tissue and organ of your body. When breathing slows down, it automatically slows the heartbeat and decreases blood pressure. The brain calms down to slower brain waves and the mind is relaxed and alert. Muscles can loosen and relax thus decreasing tightness and pain. All of these physical changes have been proven through much research.

This slowing down gives the body and mind a pause, a chance to rest and renew. Learning to pause can affect how we respond to and deal with difficult situations. We learn to take a pause and give ourselves space to think before we say or do something that is regretful. We learn to live in the moment noticing what is around us and who we are within the moment rather than ruminating over the past which is over or obsessing over the future. The best way to deal with the future is to live in the now. 

There are many physical and emotional problems that can be positively affected by meditating regularly. Some of these include lowered blood pressure, decreased anxiety, improved sleep, decreased jaw clenching, decreased neck and head pain, higher brain function, Improved immune function, increased attention and focus, increased clarity in thinking and perception, experience of being calm and internally still.

If this experience appeals to you, please join us for quiet group meditation every Tuesday evening at 7:30 – 8:45 at Open Way Yoga in Huron. We are an eclectic group of people who enjoy sitting together. Each session begins with guided meditation for a few minutes helping us to settle in and find our quiet to meditate, followed by slow walking meditation, calming yoga stretches typically led by Sharon, and we end with silent meditation pulling the mind and body together.  –Ann Smith

This is a poem by co-founder Larry Smith, it presents some of the intention and broad acceptance of the group as we converge each session.

Converging Paths  

Is our name for it
a center where we come
to stretch and sit
breathe silence together.

We’ve chosen the labyrinth
as symbol, the one from Chartres 
that slowly winds into itself 
in darkness and light.

And so we come from diverse ways
into one, a union of acceptance, 
unforced but found, 
as though we’ve all arrived
at the same anonymous station.

Not destination, but paths
we find within ourselves.

May you be well…