I went to the meeting. I entered a small room with just a few people. I sat in a chair and let it happen. There was a gentleman surrounded by bowls and other instruments, including a couple of gongs. I closed my eyes. I didn’t know what was happening or where the sounds were coming from. It sounded like several people playing multiple instruments, and the sound seemed to come from all around the room.

My mind is always racing, and it took a while to settle into what was happening. I’m not sure how deep I went that first time, but I knew I was hooked. I adjusted my schedule to attend that meeting every week. Each time I went, I let go more and more, to the point where the chair or floor disappeared, and I felt like I was floating. I had never experienced anything like this before. I came to realize this may have been what I was searching for when consuming copious amounts of alcohol and marijuana. Now I was hooked on meditation. I began exploring meditation in many ways and found that it can happen anywhere, anytime. It’s as simple as breathing. Although my introduction to meditation was through a somewhat involved sound healing with multiple instruments,

I discovered that meditation doesn’t require elaborate setups

— just being is enough.