I like beer. I especially like microbrews, including America's finest microbrew, which is, of course, the Blackfoot River Brewing Company's Single Malt IPA. I also like scotch. I tell you all of this so that you know I'm not a teetotaler (not that there is anything wrong with being one in the first place).
While a couple of drinks may not get you drunk and leave you with a hangover, even a small amount of alcohol has a powerful, but subtle effect on our minds. That simple fact became a realization for me a couple of weeks ago while I was meditating.
I usually try to sit and meditate before the evening. However, a couple of weeks ago, I went and had a beer with a friend of mine after work. When I got home, I sat to meditate. I wasn't drunk. I wasn't even a little buzzed, but as I sat there I learned something: alcohol fuels my monkey mind.
I attempted to count my breathes during a simple ten minute meditation, but the monkey went swinging from tree to tree and an impressive pace. Obviously, I've had "difficult" meditation sessions before. In fact, most sessions are a labor of love and dedication. However, that one beer was like a red bull for my already restless mind.
I came away from my first and (so far) only post-beer meditation believing two things. First, having even one beer before sitting is like eating a cheeseburger before running a mile. More importantly, I came away with an even stronger appreciation for the power of mindfulness. What else could enable me to become so much more fully aware of the constant ebb and flow of my mind?