For those who have not ventured to the Edinburgh Buddhist Centre before, its location on the edge of the Meadows makes it very convenient for the weary Fringe-goer. The centre has been running these meditation classes for years during the mornings throughout the Fringe. Whether you are looking for a calming start to your day -or an antidote to the night before- all are welcome to come along and try out some basic Buddhist meditation techniques.
In some ways ‘Buddhist Meditation’ is a misnomer. Yes, the techniques used during this session are used by Buddhists, but they are also universal skills of mindfulness and well being. Don’t worry about this being some sort of covert conversion tactic – there is no religion here if you don’t want there to be. Rather, this is a sharing of the skills that Buddhists use to centre their lives. If sharing that with non-Buddhists makes the world a better place, then they are happy to have you here.
The session was led by our teacher, who went by his Buddhist name of Dhiraka. His jocular style and self-deprecating demeanour put everyone at their ease within minutes. The first part of the session dealt with posture. Whether participants chose to kneel, sit on the floor, lie down or sit on a chair, he explained the best ways to support your body and promote mindfulness. Next, he led us through two extended meditation tasks, focusing on body awareness and breathing. Stillness can be a very powerful thing and all of the group were struck by their initial faltering attempts to ‘tune out’ the city’s ambient noise but it didn’t take long before we were all deeply immersed in our own thoughts, gently guided by Dhiraka’s soft tones.
As an introduction to Buddhism or to meditation, this class is an excellent way of trying out something new in an entirely non-threatening environment. You will leave at peace with yourself and with the world. You might even find yourself skipping across the Meadows without a care in the world. But this is Edinburgh in August, after all, so don’t expect it to last long.
