There was this guy.

Wait. What? How did you start to meditate?

Why did you first begin to meditate?

There was this guy.

On one of our early dates, he asked, “Wanna sit?” I shrugged. He set the microwave timer for five minutes and said, “Close your eyes. Notice your breath. Try not to fidget.”

I did as he instructed, peeking at the microwave clock every few seconds.

Five minutes felt like an hour. My mind raced. My breath disappeared.

I fidgeted.

While I continued to “sit” with him on a regular basis (I really liked him), I didn’t like to meditate. It felt weird, boring, and a little scary. It seemed like a waste of time. And it was sometimes uncomfortable. I wasn’t big on discomfort.

A few months later, I reached down to dry my feet after showering and my back went out. My back had been “going out” for years. I was in elementary school when I saw my first chiropractor. Untreated scoliosis, falling off horses, bad posture, and poor core stability made me the perfect candidate for back surgery. I wanted to avoid that.

While I continued to “sit” with him on a regular basis (I really liked him), I didn’t like to meditate.

I strengthened my core, aligned my spine, and tried to keep my back from going out…