It's hard to meditate when your tranquil space is temporarily home to visitors, especially when those visitors are reptiles. When my mental state was ready to explode, I was desperate for a quiet, peaceful place to revitalize—or at least to repress the desire to scream and throw things. I found the perfect spot while driving around Sacramento between errands.
The Sacramento City Cemetery, oldest one in the city, is thirty-one acres of quiet, serene, beautiful scenery. I setled down on a low cement plot wall, much like the one in the foreground of this picture from the cemetery website, and closed my eyes. I was immediately surrounded by a deep sense of peace, and felt all the tension in my body and spirit drain away. It was like being a child again, cradled in loving arms and the knowledge that I was safe and loved. I didn't stay long, maybe twenty minutes, but enjoyed the best meditation I've experienced in months.
If you live in Sacramento and need to refresh your spirit, put this lovely place at the top of your list. If you live in another part of the state or country, check out the old cemeteries in your area and see if you can find one with the same feeling. And as for my meditation room visitors? I can handle them much better now that I have a new peaceful place until they move on to their new home.