Meditation with Sushi (Sushi the cat, that is)

I don’t  usually close the door when I sit down to meditate in the morning. The house is empty except for the cats. A low altar sits in a corner of my bedroom. Facing the altar are two flat green cushions and a green shawl to cover my knees. (I’m rather obsessive about color coordination. It helps in my work.)

My meditation corner feels good to me, inviting. That’s important. We find so many reasons to avoid the simple pleasure of sitting down with ourselves. The more inviting and comfortable my space feels, the more likely I am to use it.

I light incense. I prefer an earthy Tibetan incense but don’t have any, so I accept the flowery perfume of an Indian incense or of the handmade incense I picked up at my local farmers’ market last week.

I sit down. Fidget a bit until my legs and back are comfortable. Adjust my clothing, the shawl. And rest my attention on my breath.

Then comes Sushi.

Now, Sushi (Sushila for long) is the younger and more rambunctious of my two cats. The older one, Crusca, sits with me often while I meditate. She melts in my lap, like a cushion on my legs, her breathing almost synchronizing with my own. No problem.

Sushi, however, is a different animal altogether! Sitting still is not in her repertoire… And here she is.

Walking across my knees, sitting down, standing up, turning around. Nudging my wrists and fingers, seeking a reaction (stroking or scratching her just results in more nudging). Stretching her body up to touch my chin with her wet nose.

I practice.

Present. Nonreactive. Letting her be a metaphor for my monkey mind (maybe I should call it my rambunctious-cat mind or my Sushi mind…) I let her do what she does, and I sit. Still amidst movement.

Gradually, receiving no reaction to her promptings, Sushi settles down. She curls up on my lap and rests.

All calm, right?

Fat chance!

Without her movements to predominate, my thoughts run rampant. Itches arise and move about.

Again, I sit. Nonreactive. Calm.

Let the thoughts run as they will. Don’t pick them up. Don’t follow them. Without preference. They are simply thoughts, the natural, spontaneous activity of the mind. How fascinating. Itches just itch. Until they don’t. Let go. Let be. Calm.

Then what?

My mind is relatively calm, my breath soft. Sushi is curled on my lap, unperturbed.

I move my hand to pet her (who knows why!)

Uh oh! I’ve reached out and activated her.

And the cycle starts again.

Isn’t meditation fascinating?!