This meeting is for everyone who wants to learn how to meditate, especially those who think they can't meditate because they can't stop their mind from thinking--a common misconception. If you're willing to be open and aware, you can meditate, regardless of how much or how little you're thinking.
I will emphasize a simple awareness method, but I'll also describe the other two common techniques, mantra and breath watching, in case you feel more comfortable with those.
We will start with a short 10 minute meditation, then progress to longer sessions. In between we will discuss our experiences and any questions that may arise.
COST: Free.
LOCATION: After meeting outside Central Park, we will walk about 5 minutes to a quiet patio with chairs overlooking a pond:
CLOTHING: Check the hourly forecast on weather.com and dress warmly enough to sit outside comfortably until 8:30.
TRANSPORTATION: 6 train to 77th St, then walk west on 77th, then walk 3 blocks west to Fifth Avenue.
MY QUALIFICATIONS: I have been meditating daily for about fifty years. I attended a weekly Sufi meditation group for 24 years and a Buddhist one for 3.years, àlthough my approach will be primarily secular. And I wrote an article for the Berkley Wellness Letter about myths that discourage people from meditating.
