Meditating With My Mom

Max Raphael says:

May 21, 2012

Today was such a happy day. Somehow, I got my mother to meditate with me to a guided Peace Revolution mp3. I wasn't sure if I could get her to agree to do it—she is usually very skeptical of anything and everything, and seemed dubious about doing this. She agreed earlier in the week, but wanted to do it at her apartment. I encouraged her to come to my apartment, because I have a meditation room and she would have no distraction around. She agreed, fine, but asked, how loooong we would meditate, and I tried to ignore that question :)

Well, she came over today, we chatted before going into the meditation room, and we meditated to the Sabai guided session. We didn't move while sitting together facing the wall, closing our eyes. Her posture was straight, her breathing was quick, but soft and peaceful. She barely moved. When we came out of the session, I handed her an envelope with questions I wrote for her in advance. She asked if I wanted her to answer the questions immediately, and I said that was up to her. To my surprise, she got to writing. I left her in the room to finish. She approved me to post her journaling on this site, so I did below :)

I told her thanks and she thanked me, and we parted for the day. At the end of the day, I called her on the phone to thank her again for coming over. I was surprised at her ability to relax and find enjoyment of the session.

She said she had thought about the experience all day. Before meditating, she was anxious about all the errands she had to run during the day. After meditating, she said she went to do her errands and noticed how calm she was.

She thanked me very warmly for asking her to meditate, something she had never done. She said she very much enjoyed the monk's words, and said it was very easy to relax. She said "I just did what he told me. I was like a baby!" I thought it was funny to tell her that this is just what the monks tell us to do in other sessions, to be like a baby. She didn't know they stress this very idea!

I was also very warmed when she told me how proud she was of herself. She told me she wanted to do it again next week! I was delighted that she even came this one time! I am so proud of her and her openness, her ability to keep a beginner's mind. I told her that she made meditation look much easier than even experienced meditators can make it look.

She noted how special and different it was to share this time meditating, instead of meeting for dinner or watching TV together. It was a gift that we could share this time and do it so mindfully and comfortably. I feel so different talking with my mother now. I feel like we have entered into a new world of understanding together. Thanks for this opportunity.

Max Raphael says:

Feb 16

page 2.

Sunee Vongnoi says:

Feb 22

Wow Max you are so amazing and so is your mom ! You have given her the best time what mother & son could share together. I am absolutely so proud of both of you. I like to share this message on my facebook if it 's alright by you.

Thumps up !!!

Max Raphael says:

Feb 22

Thanks for your note Sunee. You are certainly welcome to share it :) and you are right, it was the best way we could share time together. I feel like we are so much closer and understand each other more just from that single hour. And I will see her tomorrow to meditate again :)
I will also tell her someone across the globe is proud of her too.

Anca says:

Feb 22

Max, I am speechless. You are so lucky to have gotten the chance to show your mother about meditation! You have shared the most beautiful and peaceful moments together, I am sure she will repeat the experience now. A monk once told me that the best gift one can give to their parents is to teach them to meditate. Max, you just gave your mom the best gift!

Kuldeep Singh says:

Feb 23

Max, I am proud of you & I appreciate you for doing things differently (I might have said the same thing many times in last 40 days, but believe me...I mean it every time).

I would say this is something that everyone must do, if they have the opportunity to so. You are the inspiration for many others …. Keep going :)

Truan Muhurah says:

Feb 23

max that was so creative and bbriliant of u to pul your mother to meditate with you ohh how i wish to do the same to mine too you have jst inspired me so happy for you for you are now so close with your mother!!!!!!!!!!

Max Raphael says:

Feb 23

Thanks Truan, and everyone else! I am right along with you proud and inspired and grateful. She came over today so we could meditate again together :) to another guided session from Peace Rev. We had a great time once again, and it felt so great to meditate with her during my last day of my self development program! I have meditated before but never thought I could or would be meditating with my loved ones. It has taught me a new sense of importance of what this is all about—not solely a solo pursuit. But something we can develop within and share with others :)

Sunee Vongnoi says:

Feb 24

Wonderful Peace Postion !!!

ABDELAZIZ BOUSSEKINE says:

Feb 25

Believe me Brother, I don't even know who you are; but I do respect you; thumbs up dude :)

FATMATA - SAMURA says:

Feb 25

So inspiring..just my first task when i get home. Keep it up.

Anna Oleshkevych says:

Feb 25

Wow! I love it!!!! Many many many likes!!!

Max Raphael says:

Feb 25

Thanks for all your beautiful comments everyone! Hopefully she will be at the next special ops :)

Tamira Marinho Lima says:

Mar 1

Hey Max, you inspired me a lot! For months I´ve been trying to do a meditation session with my mom, and I almost gave up. She is afraid to how boring meditate looks to her, but reading your text I´m encouraged to keep trying. And it remembered me how nice was do my special ops with my friends :) Share some moment of peace with someone we really care and love is a bless!

Max Raphael says:

Mar 1

Hi Tamira! That's so great to hear and I hope you do keep trying. I must admit i didn't expect her to like it so much, but we both sat down with an open mind. If she didn't like it, that would have been fine, and the same goes for my friends in special ops :) You're right: it is a special experience and a special type of experience that we don't often share even if we do find it on our own.
What I tell people is that this Peace Revolution community makes meditation more approachable and inviting than I have seen in other walks of life, and it's more about connection than direction.
My mom is attending my special ops tomorrow and I'm very excited :)
I wish you luck in getting your mom to meditate—we'll have to make a special wall for this topic :) You are trying to share with her the experience of connecting with your own inner peace and that is too special to give up on with anyone, trust me :)

Asif Zaheer Butt says:

Mar 2

hey max that's good buddy i m really happy to see this. i m on my second day well done thumbs up buddy

Max Raphael says:

Mar 22

3/22/12

Webmaster says:

Mar 23

Excellent! Loving it.

peacechange says:

Mar 24

Max, you are completely an inspiration to everyone and keep it up that way. Helping to change others in our lives, it is a challenge and it is never completed until we reach our goal, which you did with your mother. I applaud you for this excellent task and to let you know that this really inspires me.

PIPO!

Thomas P. Mitchell
Peace Agent
Liberia, West Africa

Max Raphael says:

Mar 24

Thanks dearly for your kind words, Thomas. I am thankful too for Peace Rev, for through it I have found such a deep capacity for growth, and a true sense of ability to make positive change. I am also inspired by all of you.

Suha M. Ayyash says:

Apr 27

Dear Max & all,

Reading this post and replies and everybody thoughts and reflections made me smile and I am so happy that we are able to make positive change even if it is small because look at this post, for us it is sooo huge... I am proud of all of us for believing in this and for doing it with love.

Warda Saleem says:

Apr 29

Max, You always make so plesant wonders:)
God bless you and your mom is lucky, having such a nice son.

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Meditating With My Mom

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