…or at least she tried to but I gave her short shrift and sent her on her way…
Let me explain: Tilly is my 7 year old black cat. She is gorgeous, shiny fur and an attitude that would make the biggest diva look like an amateur. Tilly is truly a beauty to behold. But she is also a rather nervous cat – whenever the doorbell rings, she scampers upstairs at full speed and ducks into the darkest place she can find, where she remains until the caller has left. Gifted with an uncanny sixth sense, no sooner has the door has closed behind the last guest after a party, she can be found sauntering down to her food bowl.
We had gathered for our first Guided Mindfulness Session at my home. There were about 7 strangers in the room. True to form she had disappeared with the first ringing of the doorbell. The room had a calm ambience with several scented candles. As we settled into our session, there was a scratch on the lounge door – there was Tilly asking to be let into a room full of strangers. She slipped in and walked up to some of the meditators, getting herself acquainted whilst I watched with gaping jaw, then placed herself in the middle of the room and curled up for the evening! Worried in case she decided to jump on someone’s lap I picked her up and put her into a bedroom. That she would venture forth like this was a surprise..
But it shouldn’t be: animals are extremely sensitive to energies around, unlike humans, the Planet’s most intelligent creatures, who ignoring this vital information, choose instead to live in their heads. The transference and reception of energetic information is now a recognised phenomenon in neuroscience. It has been called various names including Limbic Resonance and now the physical means by which this takes place has been found – they are called Mirror Neurons.
This is the reason why we see groups and communities working in unison. In Buddhism, group practice is a highly recommended – the creation of a sangha, a community, is considered an essential part to the development of one’s Mindfulness practice. It helps to foster an environment of compassion, respect and love. This is clearly evidenced during the Group Retreats at Gaia House. Though everything is conducted in total silence with no contact amongst Retreatants, an atmosphere of loving support prevails because everyone there has the same purpose – to get in touch with their Inner Self with loving kindness and compassion.
Meditators at our bi-monthly Guided Mindfulness Practice Sessions have had a similar experience. At our last session, one Meditator said she had ‘never felt so calm ever before’. To find a brief respite amongst the chaos that is our modern life is indeed a gift.
