I hadn’t planned on participating at the Canadian Christian Meditation Community’s June 2009 biennial national conference in Toronto. It just sort of happened, and it started with a phone call, out of the blue, from someone I had only met once before. The next thing I knew, I was registered as a youth delegate, thanks to a generous young-meditator’s scholarship. As I had only recently begun the practice of Christian meditation the year before, I considered myself a novice and not a very good meditator. I had been looking for a quiet activity that would bring some peace to my hectic life. I started attending a Monday night, downtown Ottawa group, but not as regularly as I would have liked—work and life is always busy and getting in the way. I knew some of the background and history around John Main and the practice of Christian meditation, but my knowledge of the tradition and practice wasn’t very deep. I had no idea what to expect from the weekend conference.
I started the weekend as an unsure novice, but I left a self-confident meditator with new and interesting friendships. The theme of the conference, “Roots of our Tradition,“ couldn’t have been better as I received a full and meaningful education on the tradition and practice of Christian meditation. The choice of keynote speakers, Fr. Laurence and Isabelle Glover, brought a richness and depth to the overall experience in their reflections, teachings and stories. I was fortunate enough to have two lengthy conversations with Fr. Laurence, and his genuine connection and interest were both refreshing and uplifting. I was also fortunate to meet fellow “younger” meditators, and the chance to become friends and speak of our own journeys down the path of meditation was very exciting and meaningful.
Since returning to Ottawa I’ve become much more disciplined, and I try to follow the teachings of John Main in keeping a twice daily meditation practice. I’ve also begun to talk to friends and family about Christian meditation. Life is still hectic, and work continues to be as busy as ever, but throughout it all, the peace and tranquillity that Christian meditation is bringing to me is priceless.