The Dublin Centre....on Ice!

Christmas came early for the Dublin Sri Chinmoy Centre this year as we strapped our skates on and headed to the ice rink.  Two of the centre came originally from countries where the children are practically born with skates on, but for some of the rest of us it was our first time on the ice and quite a learning experience, as can be deduced from the photographs.

The more advanced among us happily skated and glided their way around, but for the rest it was a good exercise in concentration and perseverence....we started out clutching the railing and dragging the skates along awkwardly, and it was only after practice that we could trust ourselves enough to push the skates out and let the movement of the skates on the ice do the work for us. Once that was done, all we had to learn then was how to stop! There were a few tumbles, of course, but most of us spent the majority of the hour in an upright position. The time passed very quickly and we all felt it was too soon when the horn blew for the end of the session.

Sri Chinmoy encourages his students to bring out the childlike qualities in their nature; this is certainly one occasion where those qualities didn't need too much persuasion to come to the fore.