Meditation Class

I went for my first class in meditation at the Budhist Centre on Saturday. The entrance is painted a lovely vibrant yellow, very welcoming and I was greeted by a jolly looking elderly lady (not what I was expecting).There was four of us beginners and the instructor. The room was painted white which was calming. The windows looked out onto one of the main streets in town. The instructor lit candles either side of a large statue of budha and then she told us we would do some relaxation exercises. We then walked in a circle for 10 minutes and we were told to tune into the actual walking experience itself with no other thoughts. We then concentrated on our breathing for forty minutes and were to let any thoughts pass through. Our goal was to be completely focused on the breath and have no thoughts in our minds at all. I must say this was impossible for me and I really struggled. Strangely though, at one point I actually felt myself get deeper into the meditation but got a fright and didn't continue. After the session we all felt totally spaced out but really calm and relaxed. I'm looking forward to the next one which is a meditation involving love and compassion.