Shared by Chris.
I reviewed my “pitch” to convince my son to come to the beginners’ session:
- Many benefits from mindfulness practice, but for my pitch, I’m focusing on the pragmatic benefits.
- To make a metaphor–for good oral hygiene and to keep our mouths and teeth healthy for our whole lives, we begin brushing when we’re young and we never stop. Ever. For our whole lives.
- Longevity is somewhat similar (Chris recommended Peter Attia MD’s Podcast): we should adopt a practice of training for strength, flexibility, and endurance–and never stop. Ever.
- Meditation is like brushing the mind–it’s a practice that creates a habit of avoiding the illusion of being the same as your thoughts, and for finding greater joy in life, and for being more resilient to adversity. It also can be very useful for improving effectiveness in many things, including sports.
- And to really experience the power of this practice, it’s something that is best maintained and never stop.
Hakone Zendo 