Meditation Through Simple OrigamiMy friend Niall practices meditation. He tells me that he is more relaxed than heused to be because of this practice. He's always been relaxed as far i'mconcerned. I'm not sure for all the time i've known him whether he's meditated,but he has given up smoking! It occurred to me that simple origami has traits ofmeditation about it. The way the art of paper folding works, is by using predetermined creases and folds. Which are then applied to a set of instructions. Ifyou understand the folding and creasing techniques before following theinstructions then your ability to follow the instructions is increased. The goodthing about the pre determined folds is that these are the building blocks of allorigami designs. So once you have mastered the elements the designs follow.Whether it be simple origami or more complex forms like folding money origami orminiature origami.Many cultural influences from the orient involve mediation as an aspect oflearning. Martial artists practice repeatedly the components of their specificart. Once they have got the measure of kicking so they move on to chops orpunches. Once they have reached a point when their teacher is satisfied with theirprogress then the combination work begins. The similarity between martial artspractice and simple origami folding is strong. Two very different hobbies broughttogether by the concept of meditation. By Practicing your inside folds and squashfolds over again, you improve. Become calm, relaxed and let your mind go. Youcan't just expect to achieve this peace of mind immediately. In the same way youwon't become a black belt in half an hour! The folds become second nature to youafter you make a habit of creasing and folding. This is the preparation requiredfor when faced with a series of instructions on how to make that hopping frog ortropical fish.How well you do anything is determined by preparation. Meditation is the state ofmind where the repetition of the folds and creases of simple origami are bestundertaken. Of course I am not saying you need to give up your material lifestlyeand live on a mountain side! Its a lifestyle or cultural decision to try toachieve some inner peace. Step away from the rat race for a while and let yourpersonality shine! Personally i've always bent towards spiritually. Not on a grandscale but i enjoy reading around the subject and exploring. This sense may wellstem from the fact that I grow up in South East Asia and was surrounded by manyspiritual influences. I get a huge sense of satisfaction from sitting on the sofa,usually with some tea and getting to grips with a new design. It was only recentlythat i realized that simple origami has this association with meditation.Meditation is the zenith. Monks and gurus spend years trying to find inner self orhigher understand. Our aim is more straight forward. Taking the edge of the dayand relaxing is a great start! Whatever has been bugging you. If you keep strivingtowards your outcome of an origami flower for example then by the time you havecompleted it, you ought to be more relaxed and positive! Because your mind andhands are occupied on a task, this allows your sub conscience to deal with whatever was bothering you.If you are relaxed then you can take greater contentment. Think about the foldsyou are making! Be that mountain or valley as you create them! That sounds a bitwacky, however your sense of self awareness will be enhanced as a result. Selfawareness is part of meditation. This mind state will leave you feeling warm andcosy inside! The long term benefits are profound. Meditation helps with bloodpressure, depression and longevity. So your approach to simple origami is a factoras much as the paper that you use. Finding a sense of well being after a difficultday can be tough. However it becomes easier the more you try! Also you won't findyourself getting so worked up about things if you keep up the practice!