A Spiritual Exercise
Now I see mindfulness meditation is featured on 60 minutes with Anderson Cooper. In the report, a congressman from Minnesota is running meditation classes with Capital staffers, crying he found the salvation of this country. Just what taxpayers need to see when there is work to be done, everyone sitting and meditating. Suddenly, as far as CBS is concerned, America has "Woken Up". It's times like these that makes me most queasy about how I spend my time.
Jon Kabat-Zinn was featured and his definition of 'awareness' seemed to fit into the 'more thoughtful living' mode, which I can appreciate. Just 'being' in the 'now' rhetoric, The issue of workplace stress and digital leashes was skimmed over as just another fact of life we must tolerate. What is the need to highlight Google, Inc in this segment as the epitome of workplace design? A person working for that person (Google, according to the Supreme Court) spends a lot more time at His/Hers home than their own. They are mandated to be there and meditate there also. My bullshit detectors are going off, Code Red.
I am a living example of how meditation and yoga helped keep the wheels on the bus. I recommend it highly to those in need of solace from this psychopathic death loving culture. It works, given time. I don't fall into the 'pray privately' framework because I enjoy doing yoga outdoors and in community settings. It is even relaxing to see someone meditating in the park. People who think about thinking intrigue me. Developing a more thoughtful world, with yourself first, is a worthy goal. But seeing it shilled by Anderson Cooper and corporate America gives me the willies.
There must have been an uproar at the first yoga teacher who took money for lessons. Yoga existed before capitalism, now it's corrupted and co-opted from the original, as Mammon is wont to do to about everything. My first yoga studio of instruction was a national chain staffed by nice people. I'm sure a huge rush of people with the time and money will attend Kabat-Zinn's workshops after this broadcast. People are searching and they are finding. Now how many of those people being shown at Google meditating are just flat out getting out of work, sloughing? More power to them. A 14 hour day is excruciatingly dull and a time card must be filled and accounted for, a huge problem for Worker Joe. Taking His/Hers time to meditate seems like a perfect filler, except it is Google's meditation, not yours. Or the same meditation as an inmate in the penitentiary. Where ever your mind wants to go is fine, but your body stays right here.
Everything gets com modified and corporatized in this society. Even meditation is becoming the chains between the ball and ankle. Soon meditation will be run by a state licensed practitioner, with the same script read everywhere. It will begin the workday. It will be mandatory and you will be missed if you sleep in. And there will be repercussions if you do not attend. You are on the clock, after all. Meditation will be/is used to quiet the slaves, as usual, they will do all the work.
Podcast 0f Interest - http://www.gnosticmedia.com/bill-joslin-meditation-202/
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