Sometime in the late summer of this year, I felt pulled to
join an activity or class beyond fitness after work. I had heard about Stanford University’s continuing
education classes for members of the community, and looked at the many options. After some thought, I decided on
a class that seemed like it would leave an impact on my ways of thinking and
ability to handle stress – a meditation class!
The course, called Playful Mindfulness, engrained meditation
and improvisation and provided a closer view into how one's mind works. Also provided was guided meditation and ways to confront stress. Prior to beginning the class, I attended
guided meditation occasionally but the course opened up a new window of knowledge for me.
I loved learning about how our bodies and minds respond to stress.
It was helpful to learn how to ground my feet, focus my thoughts, and allow my
mind to wander when meditating, or to listen to every sound. It was fascinating too, to take notice of how our minds
react to prompts, sounds, and actions. Most of all though, learning alongside
other interested students was the best part of the class.
The class met weekly and I’d drive from work and spend time
in Palo Alto first, usually having a quick dinner and reading a book. When the
class ended at 9 p.m., I’d be tired and with a classmate or two, would walk across
Stanford’s grassy oval to find our cars. As I’d drive through Palo Alto heading toward the
highway, I remember the autumn darkness and stillness. Still being new to the
area, there is much about the Bay area and Silicon Valley that still feels foreign and new. The region is historic and intriguing and seeing it at night when much of the usual traffic has dissipated makes it feel smaller and less busy than it is. With the streetlights
illuminating portions of the road and quaint Palo Alto neighborhoods lining the stretch of road before the highway, I would think most weeks on this drive home about Christine
Blasey Ford, about her bravery, and how she still hadn’t returned to her home. I’d wonder if one of the dark houses passing by in a blur belonged to her.
