The shift

As I entered into meditation this morning in the early dawn before sun rise, a feeling came over me as I bent my legs into siddhasana, and straightened my back. I remembered Wendy leading us in meditation early in the mornings at Villa Lina. She would tell us to imagine a thin string pulling the back of our heads up toward the sky. This morning, as I imagined that tiny piece of string pulling the back of my head toward the sky once more, I felt my back stretch and straighten, and I breathed in and out deeply. A peaceful feeling came over me, and I experienced a shift happening inside my brain. It felt different. A new sensation that I could not understand completely. Almost like a shift in gears. Just not as sharp or definite. Amorphous like a gentle vibration. As the mantra floated away I thought to myself, "Is there a change in chemistry happening in my brain since my perceptions and attitudes are changing?" It was a fleeting thought - a mili-mili second of a reflection until I coaxed the mantra back. But it stayed with me nevertheless, and when I came to the end of the meditation and breathing exercises, I opened my eyes and the sun was shining right at me through the window.