Fall Classes

The other day I made the decision to do a series of one-time meditation classes in September and October. In the past I have always offered them on Monday or Tuesday night, but many people have told me those nights don't work for them, so they've never signed up. This time I am doing five separate classes over five weeks, the first on Monday, the second on Tuesday and so on. Hopefully this will give everyone interested a chance to attend.

The classes will be at Trinity United Church here in Listowel, where I've been teaching Qigong for the past seven years. The Parlour there is such an excellent venue with its wall-to-wall carpet, subdued lighting, comfortable chairs and sofas.

Another reason I like teaching there are the people. The minister, Reverend Steven Cox, and the office administrator, Norma MacDonald, always welcome me as an old friend whenever I drop by. Steven has a background in Asian martial arts, so he is very supportive of what I do, and Norma is just one of the nicest people you will ever meet. Even though I am not a member of the church, nor ever attended service there, the two of them make me feel as though I belong, making the church a perfect home for my classes.

Yesterday when I went to work out the dates for my classes with Norma, I had my usual brief but profound exchange with Steven, bringing him up to date with my life and my plans for the fall classes. I have never attended church with any sort of regularity, but Steven's energy and outlook have me thinking it's time I did. Maybe, one of these days...

Norma was her usual cheery self, and when I started telling her about teaching meditation at the high school, she told me she had heard all about it from her son. He was in the class for my first visit last fall, and had apparently come home impressed and inspired by my presentation.

It was tremendously gratifying to hear her words, to know that my hard work is having the desired impact on the community. It is rare that I get that kind of feedback and it inspires me to continue in this direction. Even though it is months away, I find myself looking forward to the fall when I will have a chance to introduce another group of students to the art and science of meditation.