Start Your Solo Meditation With a One-Time Session
I have meditated maybe four times in my life: once on a therapy couch, once on a bench in Central Park , once in bed trying to sleep. I am one of those people who have been saying for years, “I really should try meditation.” And maybe I will do it, after the fourth meditation of my life, on a bus in midtown Manhattan. I haven’t learned anything new for experienced meditators, but if you are another one of those people who “must try,” read on.
Be Time is a brand new meditation studio housed in a specially equipped bus that travels to a new area of New York every day. For $ 22 ($ 10 for beginners), they offer a half-hour guided meditation session on topics such as creativity, presence, or “intent.” During the session, we allow the golden light to fill our bodies from head to toe, relaxing us in everything. (We also did a weird thing when we rubbed our hands together and imagined them pulling each other. Maybe a less meditative and more sleepy party body trick, but whatever it was, it was fun.)
Participants sit on the tufu-like zafu pictured above and throw weighted blankets over their knees – a fairly typical setup from my understanding. If you, like me, find that you cannot sit comfortably cross-legged without back support, you can ask for a chair. And if, like me, your mind wanders easily, you will enjoy verbal guidance.
For someone (me) who has never gone to the gym or paid for a class, $ 22 seems too much for half an hour of sitting. But the real benefit is to take whatever you’ve learned — the techniques of a particular teacher, the memories of a particularly enjoyable session — and apply them when you meditate on your own.
If you want to meditate but never get to it, or if you’re out of the habit, even if you think guided meditation is a waste of time and money , schedule only one session at your nearest meditation studio or gym. Pay up front if you can. You are more likely to actually come in and get the job done, and if the teacher is in the room, you are more likely to continue with the class.
Then, to truly meditate at home, make a rule: every week when you are not meditating at home, you need to go to guided meditation. If you can, schedule a few activities ahead of time, which you can cancel if you manage to meditate at home first. (Leave enough time so you don’t screw up with the studio.)
The idea is to create a barrier against completely abandoning meditation. As much as you can without being a jerk, plan your canceled activities well in advance. Any week that you haven’t reached your personal goal – meditating at home every day, twice a week, or whatever – you go for a guided session. This is not a punishment, it is just an amendment. But if the cost and time add up, it’s your motivation to meditate more at home. At the end of the day, your long-term goal should be to do it yourself, whether you get on the bus or not.