I finally did it. Got my butt in gear and set the alarm for Saturday morning. Drove to the local sauna (for the first time in years) at 8 A.M. only to discover that they now open at 9 A.M. Oops.
Ok - I took a walk along the shore and through the woods and simultaneously listened to the birds chirping and my thoughts flying about like popcorn being popped. Once in the sauna I was surprised that it wasn't as easy as it used to be. First of all there were 9 other women cackling like hens confined in a pen, and as the temperature in the furnace increased so did my heartrate.
This is not at all unlike my attempts at meditation. I no sooner sit down and close my eyes when I suddenly become aware of how uncomfortable I am, and how uneasy and restless and stressed out I am feeling.
But I stuck it out. Started drinking my water. When I felt warm enough I went out to the dock (the one in the picture) and climbed down the ladder into the 40 degree water (Farenheit). God, it was cold! Tried to count to five, but didn't make it past four (The second time I made it to ten.) Climbed back into the sauna.
Eventually the talkative ladies started to drop off. At last I was alone. In the silence, although I was sweating profusely, I felt much more comfortable. I watched two swans gliding just over the surface of the water. I noticed the windmill on the island across the sound. A gray-haired woman had sat down on the dock and produced a thermos. She poured herself a cup of what I believed to be coffee and lifted her face towards the sun.
It was as though we were in parallel universes, and yet we were somehow enjoying the same inner experience. In the end, it was worth all the effort, and I promised myself to come back again as soon as I could.
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