Meditative Shortcuts and Lessons from My Cat About Life…

Toulousse, My Relaxed Cat

Tonite, it took every ounce of will power to sit in meditation for 30 minutes. I spent so much time today working up close and personal with my laptop without taking decent breaks that I gave myself a tension headache. Which got worse as the day went on, until at meditation time it was shooting pain into my temple.

Talk about distracting. So, for the last 7 minutes, I let my cat curl up on my lap and did the quietest, most meditative thing I was capable of right then. I scratched her fuzzy little chin and thought of nothing else but her soft, smooth, warm fur and her soothing purrrrrr under my fingers.

I believe some of the benefit of meditation comes from just ‘being’. Being quiet. Being still. And ultimately, being happy. Well, my shortcut taught me this: pets are great tension-relievers. My headache vanished. As far as I’m concerned, mission accomplished.

My cat and I were happy for seven straight minutes. That’s what I call bliss.