The calm serenity of the temple felt familiar and nostalgic. How it been so long since I last felt so calm? Walking inside I was engulfed by the silence. The temple was beautiful; miniature Buddhas along the wall, the faint scent of incense, and the soft chanting of the monks in the private chanting hall. Meditating was quite difficult for us, at first.  When was the last time I meditated? Why is my neck hurting? Are my parents still mad? But eventually, my brain cleared and I was able to focus on my breathing. In through the nose, breathing deep down into the diaphragm, back up, breathing out. The 10 minutes felt like 2 seconds. We didn’t want to leave, but we had to. It was time to go back to our hectic lives filled with obligations and stress.
It was nice feeling peaceful, if only for an hour…