Since my “monkey brain” is more like a monkey on steroids brain, I was surprised by how much I was actually able to clear my head during the meditation. This morning was a very rough morning for me, so I did end up taking a little nap. When I first got up, I felt more tired but now as I am typing this I’m realizing it helped we calm down and stop stressing out. That being said, my brain did wander some, but not as much as I thought it would. I’m an over thinker, I’m constantly worrying and thinking about things that need to get done and stress myself out for no reason. This nap (I mean meditation) did help me chill out and calm down ,which I really needed to do after stressing out so much last night and this morning. It also made me realize I need to take a nap when I get back to my dorm room after class.
Breath In, Breath Out
When I think of meditation, I think of silence. I think of peace and tranquility, of becoming one with myself and clearing my head. There are many different ways to mediate, and many different cultures have their own version of meditation. The most proponent countries that I think of are China and other Asian countries, especially those with a big Buddhist following. Meditation can be done in your home, or somewhere out in nature like near a waterfall or a mountain. My friend has these meditation balls that are made of steel and make noise when you move them around. Meditation does not always have to be silent. You could mediate with quiet music, or you can “meditate” and clear your mind by blasting music. Meditation doesn’t always mean meditating in the normal, stereotypical way, it could be just thinking about your life and where you are going and where you want to end up. Yoga could also be a form of meditation, as many people focus on balance and try to clear their head when they do yoga.
Meditation is peace with oneself. Anything that helps you clear your mind or helps you deeply think about your life or other situations could be considered meditation. Meditation doesn’t always mean you are looking for answers, but rather you are trying to get your priorities straight and figure out what is going on in your life. Sometimes meditation can be good and will help you get a clear perspective on where you are going, while other times meditation can cause you to overthink situations and get upset over something that isn’t worth getting upset over. Meditation can help make you, or break you, it all depends where you let your mind wander while you meditate.
Rain Rain Go Away
In this section of Ceremony, Tayo talking about the drought in his town and how much they need rain. Tayo describes the dry conditions, how sand is blowing around everywhere how the animals are reacting to such little rain, and how the water wheel has run dry. The ironic thing about this is, while Tayo is talking about the drought, there is a flashback to when he was in the jungle in the war. It was constantly raining in the jungle, and all Tayo would do is pray that the rain would stop. The wet conditions in the jungle made it difficult for wounds to heal and made the air hot and muggy, making it hard to breath. The noise of the jungle rain stuck with Tayo; the rain sounds pound in Tayo’s head and make him remember things he would rather not remember. The war was obviously a hard time for Tayo, and the fact that even after he prayed the jungle rain never stopped (and now as he prays for rain it stays dry) shows some interesting things about how these elements represent Tayo’s background and how he was treated in society. As explained throughout the story, the Native Americans believed in a tale about Mother Nature, and how the Native Americans had to be nice to her or bad things would happen. I think the reason for the extreme weather conditions are meant to show how Mother Nature was not happy about the Native Americans going off to the war and how they were being treated like the white guys during the war, just to return to being treated awfully after the war. Mother Nature in this instance may also represent how many of the Native Americans felt during this time. “Mother Nature” may have purposely not listened to Tayo’s prayers to try to teach him a lesson about conforming to societies standards instead of being true to himself and what he believes, or to show her disapproval for going off to war. Another reason for the extreme weather changes, and as to why it was always the opposite of what Tayo hoped the weather to be like, and show Tayo’s struggle for figuring out where he fit in and who exactly he was. By praying to what the Native Americans believed could change the weather, and having said weather changes not happen, could show how Tayo was a mixed breed, and how even though he grew up on the Reservation and with his full-Native American family, Tayo would never be fully one of them.
What is Equality?
Equality is treating everyone the same way and giving everyone the same rights. Equality is giving everyone a fair chance regardless of their age,sex,or cultural background. Equality is looking beyond cultural barriers and differences and seeing people for who they really are, almost as if being blind to the stereotypes the world puts on people. Equality is realizing everyone is the same, everyone is capable of being something more than what they are now, and everyone deserves the chance to show the world just what they can do. Equality is knowing that we are all one, we are all equal, no matter where we come from or how we live today. Equality is respecting different people’s opinions and giving them the same rights as everyone else. Equality is not oppressing people or making them feel bad. Equality does not judge anyone. Equality is what gives us freedom, what gives us rights, and what makes us feel accepted in this sometimes very cruel world.
pikachurawrz 