Three Pros and Cons of Group Meditation

I used to meditate. It was powerful for a while. It's time to do it again. This is an experiment for love. I will meditate every day and write. We'll see what happens. Sometimes, I won't post what I write for reasons you can guess but I promise I will meditate every day.

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July 09, day 11. Deep release, opening heart. The feeling of the body, the sound of the wind in the maple just outside the window: more interesting than thought. The moment is an astonishing gift. Desire for something better is a betrayal of the gift of what actually exists.

"I can't meditate. My mind wanders and I get restless." That's what everyone says. It's like saying, "I can't exercise. My muscles get tired and I lose my breath."

In our culture the idea of scheduling a time to do nothing is daunting. There are endless "guided meditations" and instructions for how to meditate available online and in centres. Some is good but most of the material is actually hypnosis. Initially, having a guide can help but any method followed will slow the process.

That being said, group meditation may benefit the beginner if you find a good place. Find a centre that holds free meditations instead of paying a "guru." I suggest avoiding the talks but it's up to you of course.

Here are three pros and three cons of group meditation:

Cons:

1. Shiny happy people - While this can be really annoying, don't be disrespectful. Synthetic enthusiasm can result from feeling uncomfortable. Some people may feel pressure to be "evolved" or super happy in this environment. Just relax and be yourself. Everyone's in the same boat.

2. Body sounds and smells - "Excuse me lady sitting in front of me, would you be so kind as to stop releasing your flatulence in my general direction? Thanks." People cough, fart, sneeze, sniffle, and de-phlegm. A room full of silent people can be not so silent.

3. Darth Vader breathers - Occasionally someone will confuse yogic breathing techniques with meditation and for the entire session breath like a frickin' Sith lord. If you're in a good mood, it's not a problem. Otherwise, it might drive you nuts.

Pros:

1. Accountability - It's a lot harder to quit before the session is over if you have to walk out of a room full of people. The group dynamic can give support and it's a great way to meet like-minded people.

2. Encouraging atmosphere - Assuming it's like the place I've been to, the atmosphere is actually very laid back with a diverse range of people. There are close to no expectations of anyone. Come early, come late, leave whenever, sit on a chair or the floor, stay for tea or not, but for the love of Vishnu don't forget to take off your shoes.

3. Being part of a group - If meditation is pursued, eventually your desire to be part of a group will have to be faced and understood. In the mean time, meditating with a group of people is better than not meditating at all and gives a sense of community and belonging which helps to cement meditation into your routine.

Ultimately, whatever gets you meditating is the best option. If you follow a Deepak and Oprah hypnosis, or pay a monk to teach you to breathe, as long as it gets you sitting once a day. Find what works for you but remember that at the end of the day, your body learns naturally. To have someone else teach you about yourself becomes detrimental pretty fast, so you'll want to move away from the instructors once the habit is formed.

Some tips:

Experiment and continually ask yourself, "why am I meditating?" If it is done to relax, then do yogic breathing techniques or listen to an audio hypnosis, but if it is done in a passionate attempt to overcome trauma, anxiety, depression, all sorrow, then observation is enough. Simple but not easy.

Be patient. Progress is not linear. The body naturally learns and improves effortlessly over time, usually in unexpected leaps of progress.

If a meditation session is particularly revealing, relaxing, profound, or restless and uneasy, pay attention to what you did during the day. You'll start to notice patterns. To progress deeper, start altering your lifestyle according to the feedback meditation provides.

Results are up to you. If you undertake meditation as a casual activity to relieve some tension, then that's probably what you will get. If you are determined to find absolute and unconditional peace and love, then it can't be done casually but it can be done.

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Personally, I don't like group meditation. Sometimes, I will start to sigh uncontrollably and begin to weep, or burst into laughter and jump up and start dancing.

Meditation is like taking a bath to wash off the dirt from the day. It's very personal. Group meditation always feels like bathing with strangers. I end up keeping my shorts on and refrain from washing the darker regions.

Good luck and please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.

"I maintain that Truth is a pathless land, and you cannot approach it by any path whatsoever, by any religion, by any sect. That is my point of view, and I adhere to that absolutely and unconditionally. Truth, being limitless, unconditioned, unapproachable by any path whatsoever, cannot be organized; nor should any organization be formed to lead or to coerce people along any particular path" -Jiddu Krishnamurti

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by @skypal