My meditation journey

Benefits of Meditation:

Focused attention inward on a specific subject or object without following thoughts allows the mind to settle. It breaks the usually continuous flow of thoughts and emotions. This causes such thoughts to subside moment to moment. Thus, by occupying the mind with open awareness and concentration we cleanse it of all positive and negative conceptual thoughts and thus remain in a neutral and calm state of mind.

Because an unspecified state of mind like this is unburdened and supple, it is relatively easy to generate it into a constructive state. After some time in this settled state we are able to focus on an inner clarity that leads to a place within which we have not yet discovered. It is a state of mind totally rested, peaceful and fully awakened to experience the truth at each moment. The longer one can remain in this state of mind without distraction during meditation, one can experience their true peace of mind and carry that into their daily life experiences.

*Excerpt from a Middlebury College student's final paper from a semester meditation course I taught:

"If you were to survey college students around the world and ask them what their favorite
day of the week is, the most likely response would be either Friday or Saturday. If their answer were Friday, the emphasis would be on Friday afternoon (and night, obviously.) While I cannot say they were my favorite part of the week, our Friday afternoons spent in Axinn challenged my identity, pushed me in ways I did not know were possible, and taught me just how difficult mindfulness meditation could be, especially when practiced with intent. From our first meditation session, Chessy Kelley immediately served as an inspiration to me. Hearing her talk about her experiences, from a discontent with her college lifestyle to packing up her life and living in Nepal, resonated with my identity as a transfer student. Her calming and wise presence, fitting for her profession as a yogi, made me feel safe and secure in a setting where I was not always at ease. The fifty minutes spent together were split into two different meditation segments, both facilitated by Chessy, with time left at the end for reflection. These sessions were not only the longest I had ever meditated, but over time, I realized they were also the longest periods during the week in which I sat alone with my thoughts, with no other stimulation present than my own brain. This then brought me to another haunting realization: I am extremely uncomfortable being alone with myself.​"