Sleep

**Sahaja Yoga teaches a unique method of meditation, rooted in ancient spiritual knowledge.** We follow a format of continuous integration of topics in our classes so that no two classes are same and so we are able to accommodate new meditators along with experienced ones. **Through Sahaja Yoga, you can achieve a state of meditation known as thoughtless awareness. In this state, you experience and enjoy the present moment without any distractions from the past or future. Your consciousness works in flow with your inner energy ([Kundalini](https://us.sahajayoga.org/the-kundalini/)).** Some of the things we go over with in our programs are how to awaken your dormant Mother energy called Kundalini. Meditation with Mantras using power of very basic mantra to bring peace within! Meditation with music, what are Chakras, how to take affirmations, what is Thoughtless Awareness and how to find the state of your Chakras. *Meditation sessions led by an experienced fellow meditator.* **Please join us to awaken the dormant energy within you and re-balance your emotional, physical and mental state of being!** **Sahaja Yoga was founded in 1970 by Shri Mataji**. She envisioned a world where people would be transformed, and lead more balanced lives. She has worked tirelessly to help people meditate and achieve greater spiritual heights through this meditation. **Cost**: Free **Parking**: Paid parking in garages and on street. Garage-40 Cordell-St.Elmo Garage, Saint Elmo Avenue, Bethesda, MD is 2 mins walking distance from meditation center. **How to reach us?** We are at **Sahaja Yoga Meditation Center** on **4901 Saint Elmo Avenue** **Bethesda, MD 20814**, *walking distance from Bethesda Metro Center* **You can learn more about this meditation** from [us.sahajayoga.org](https://us.sahajayoga.org)

Join us for conversations that go beyond small talk, diving into topics like the shifting nature of spirituality, the challenges and joys of midlife transitions, the impact of culture and capitalism, and the search for meaning in art, travel, and daily life. Our gatherings are about genuine, thought-provoking dialogue, with no set leader or strict agenda—just an open space to share ideas, perspectives, and experiences that matter to us. The direction of the discussion is shaped by everyone who shows up, making each event unique and enriching. Come ready to share, reflect, and connect with others who are also seeking deeper conversations. Let the conversation flow from topic to topic. Optional questions are listed below.
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Optional Questions: Life Stages & Transitions
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1. What did you think you'd have figured out by now that you're still completely winging?
2. When did you realize your parents' advice was for a world that no longer exists?
3. What are you finally old enough to stop pretending to care about?
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Optional Questions: Identity After the Roles
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4. Who are you when nobody needs anything from you?
5. What dream keeps resurfacing even though the "practical" time has passed?
6. How do you handle having the freedom you always said you wanted?
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Optional Questions: AI & Being Human
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7. What human experiences will AI never truly understand?
8. If machines handled all your have-to's, what would you actually do?
9. What becomes more precious as everything becomes automated?
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Optional Questions: Belief & Meaning
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10. What certainties have you given up, and what rushed in to fill that space?
11. How has knowing someone who died changed how you live?
12. What do you believe now that would shock your younger self?
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Optional Questions: The Modern Psyche
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13. What anxiety do you carry that previous generations didn't have?
14. Which of your survival strategies are you ready to retire?
15. What uncomfortable truth about happiness did it take you years to accept?
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Optional Questions: Work & Purpose
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16. When did you stop believing that your job would complete you?
17. What would you do for work if money and status weren't factors?
18. How has your definition of "making it" changed over the years?
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Optional Questions: Relationships & Connection
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19. What relationship dynamic do you keep recreating, and why?
20. When did you realize your parents were just people trying their best?
21. What kind of loneliness doesn't go away even when you're with others?
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Optional Questions: Time & Mortality
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22. What are you running out of time to say or do?
23. How differently do you spend your time knowing it's finite?
24. What will you regret not trying, even if you fail?
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Optional Questions: Society & Culture
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25. What social convention do you follow even though it makes no sense?
26. Which generation do you understand least, and what might you be missing?
27. What aspect of how we live now will seem insane in 20 years?
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Optional Questions: Personal Philosophy
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28. What rule for life did you create after learning something the hard way?
29. When did you stop believing that everyone else had it figured out
30. What paradox about life have you learned to live with?

🌸 This month, we will have a joint hangout with the [DMV Korean Language & Culture Meetup Group](https://www.meetup.com/dmv-koreaphiles/)! 🌸 If there is a waitlist, feel free to sign up for the [crosslisted event](https://www.meetup.com/dmv-koreaphiles/events/313476692). **FOR BEGINNERS** If you've ever seen Korean movies or K-dramas, you may have seen characters play with small red cards decorated with flowers and animals. Those cards are called "hwatu" or flower cards. The most popular game played with hwatu is "Go-Stop". Come to this next Hwatu Hangout (Cherry Blossom Edition!), and learn how to play Go-Stop. It can take some time to orient yourself with the cards and rules, but once you do, there's no turning back. It's major fun. **FOR EXPERIENCED PLAYERS** No Tazza-style deck rigging or hand chopping. Most importantly, *no gambling*. We will play with plastic chips to raise the faux stakes, but that's it! If you'd like to skip the lesson/demo, then please arrive at 2p for game play. **THE PLAN** • **1:00p - 1:40p**: Learn how to play • **1:40p - 2:00p**: Demo Game • **2:00p - 3:30p**: Game play • **3:30p - 4:00p:** Socialize **THE LOCATION** **The Board Room VA** \| Game Bar & Brewery 925 N. Garfield Street, Arlington VA **Parking:** Street parking; Colonial Parking Garage under the building ($4 flat rate on weekends) **Public Transportation:** Clarendon (Orange & Silver lines); 6 minute walk to the Board Room **BEFORE ATTENDING** If you haven't already, please complete [this interest form](https://forms.gle/BNyZuZSZBzmDKQNA7). Questions? Send an email to hwatuhangout (at) gmail (dot) com Hope to see you there! Eunice

**​This is a relaxed but intentional Saturday hangout for young entrepreneurs.** ***Note:*** *Only 10 spots are available to RSVP on Meetup, but the event capacity is **40 people total**. Please join the waitlist and I will approve additional attendees until we reach the 40-person limit.* ​We’ll meet at MLK Library for donuts, co-working, and structured conversations. ​Instead of sharing in front of the whole group, we’ll rotate through casual chats where you can: • Talk through a business blocker or something you want to improve • Get perspective and ideas from others on how to move forward (whether that’s getting through the blocker or executing the improvement) We won’t just leave with ideas - we’ll actually start working on the thing you discussed, using the perspective and ideas you received to begin moving through the blocker or executing the improvement. ​Whether that’s: – Fixing your landing page – Outlining your launch – Sending the email you’ve been avoiding – Or clarifying the path forward on something you’ve been stuck on **​You’ll leave having made real progress.** No pressure. Just entrepreneurs helping each other move forward - and then actually putting in the work. ​Bring: • Your laptop • One thing you’re ready to improve • An open mind ​I’ll bring the donuts ;) **​If you want to build things with people - not alone - this is for you.**

Join us for a gentle, honest conversation for those navigating the aftermath of job losses, especially **current and former federal employees and contractors**, whose careers of public service can make this kind of transition feel uniquely personal. This session addresses the full spectrum of emotions, from shock and betrayal to fear and grief, while offering spiritual perspectives on unexpected life changes. **We’ll also address the collective grief of losing professional communities and how to build new sources of connection and meaning.** We'll explore practices for processing grief, managing identity shifts when your career suddenly changes, and discovering meaning beyond your professional role. Join the [Meditation Museum](https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.meditationmuseum.org&d=DwMFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=wZBKb3MO6q52I1tqr9OcmFjaUGh53wNNH_P_kDBMDrQ&m=Mmd3moeOh5cQePHuNoYT0OgL2u9nW3RTNXgtKZ_dkkJR03xjxX4JdpmPxoWehj2J&s=Ss2J9pcjHRfD98ZXVtKhH7lOYmcicFXsY3OltVy4__8&e=), a remarkable nonprofit dedicated to saving lives and strengthening communities rooted in resilience and perseverance, as we partner with [RIF2RISE](https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__rif2rise.org_&d=DwMFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=wZBKb3MO6q52I1tqr9OcmFjaUGh53wNNH_P_kDBMDrQ&m=Mmd3moeOh5cQePHuNoYT0OgL2u9nW3RTNXgtKZ_dkkJR03xjxX4JdpmPxoWehj2J&s=_mXbkb9oPwWvQKYMcGRzcS-PZ3DLv2dtmI_rd4lkj4U&e=) for this special gathering. [RIF2RISE](https://rif2rise.org/) is a non-partisan, action-oriented organization founded in 2025 by federal employees and contractors directly affected by the unprecedented 2025 reduction in force actions and furloughs. Their mission is to restore visibility, support resilience, and help individuals rebuild purpose, confidence, and connection after career disruption. **This program is non-partisan and focused entirely on well being, healing, and community care. It will be a meaningful experience not to be missed and will offer genuine support to all who attend. Come as you are and leave renewed.** \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* ***Dr. Kanu Kogod*** *is an anthropologist, master certified coach, mindfulness meditation teacher, and lifelong student of spirituality. For more than five decades, she's explored how awareness, compassion, and embodied presence can help people meet change with courage and grace.* *Dr. Kogod’s work integrates mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and somatic practices to support deep personal and collective transformation.* *Whether guiding individuals or groups, Dr. Kogod helps people come home to themselves, finding steadiness, clarity, and connection even in uncertain times. Her gentle, grounded approach invites each person to rediscover their natural resilience and inner wisdom.* **Saturday, March 28th, 4:30pm - 6:00pm. Meditation Museum, 9525 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, MD. FREE EVENT - Registration Required at** [https://shorturl.at/gaulG](https://shorturl.at/gaulG)

*The Old Ones ruled the earth aeons before the rise of humanity. Traces of their cyclopean cities can still be found on remote islands, buried amid the shifting desert sands, and in the frozen wastes of the polar extremes. Originally they came to this world from the stars. They sleep now, some deep within the earth or beneath the sea. When the stars are right they shall again walk the earth.* The Call of Cthulhu Roleplaying game is a horror-themed RPG set in the late 1920s using elements from the works of H.P. Lovecraft. Interested in learning how to play or are already familiar with the system and want to dive into a new adventure? Join us for a bi-weekly one-shot! Players of any experience level are welcome to join! I will go over how to play this system at the start of the adventure. What to bring: \- Standard RPG dice set will work for Call of Cthulhu \- Pen and paper for note\-taking

Join Us for Simple Tools to Start Meditating Today! If you have ever wanted to meditate but did not know how to begin, this class is for you. People meditate for all sorts of reasons: to relax; calm down; relieve stress; improve relationships; understand themselves; tap into their potential; find meaning and purpose in life and awaken their spirituality. What if the calm, clarity, and inner strength you’re seeking could begin with one simple practice...meditation? Join us to begin incorporating meditation into your daily life. Free Event - Donations Appreciated.

**THE POWER OF THE SUBCONSCIOUS OVER YOU** You are welcome to arrive 15 minutes early for refreshments! At the lecture "The Power of the Subconscious", the speaker will clearly and understandably explain topics such as: * What is the exact definition of the Subconscious Mind? * How does it inflict unwanted feelings and anxiety in you? * What determines how much pressure it exerts on a person? * What exactly is the goal of the subconscious? This is not just a lecture where you sit quietly and listen. It's interactive and LIVE, so you can ask questions at any time. And the most important topic: **HOW DO YOU TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR SUBCOUNSCIOUS!** This group is sponsored by the Dianetics Life Improvement Center.

Learn to manage stress and achieve self-growth through simple relaxation and Meditation. Heartfulness Meditation is a simple, modern, methodical approach to meditation. Rather than homing in on your breath or repeating a mantra, you simply focus inward, on your heart, to cultivate inner strength and serenity. Heartfulness meditation is gaining traction in recent years. It focuses on the heart, allowing individuals to connect with themselves on a deeper level, and ultimately achieve peace, relaxation, and clarity. It is a practice that encourages patience, self-compassion, and acceptance, helping cultivate a deeper appreciation for the present moment. This practice is offered with love and at no cost

​​**Let's discuss a ted talk video while taking a walk at Capital Crescent Trail Near Bethesda.** **To receive future event updates, register on Luma:** [https://luma.com/tv3fhasq](https://luma.com/tv3fhasq) Have you had your daily dose of fun? It's not just enjoyable, it's also essential for your health and happiness, says science journalist Catherine Price. She proposes a new definition of fun -- what she calls "true fun" -- and shares easy, evidence-backed ways to weave playfulness, flow and connection into your everyday life. ​​​​Here is how it works: * ​​​​​​​Prior to the event: **Please watch this YouTube video:** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMBJrvEwv8s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMBJrvEwv8s) * ​During the event: * ​​3:30pm-3:45pm: meet outside of [Chopt Salad](https://maps.app.goo.gl/ThxMNixG2TG4T32X6) (Bethesda Row end of Capital Crescent Trail) for group introduction. * ​3:45pm-4:45pm: Take a walk at Capital Crescent Trail (laps between Bethesda Row and Little Falls Parkway) and Discuss. * ​(Walking Route Link: [https://scenic-walk.com/#/b712c5fa ](https://scenic-walk.com/#/b712c5fa)(During the hike, the organizer will live broadcast current location, so that people who arrive late can catch up via the [Scenic Walk Link](https://scenic-walk.com/#/b712c5fa)). * ​4:45pm - 5pm: Group Conclusion outside of Chopt Salad. *** ​​​​Discussion Questions During Walk: \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- 1. **True fun is a visceral feeling of being illuminated from within rather than just a leisure activity. How can we better distinguish between activities that merely pass the time and those that truly make us feel radiant?** 2. **Playfulness involves a lighthearted attitude of doing things for their own sake without worrying about the outcome. How might our community change if we collectively lowered our guards and let go of the need for perfection?** 3. **Most peak fun memories involve a shared experience that helps us feel united with others. In a polarized world, how can the pursuit of fun serve as a bridge to connect us as human beings?** 4. **Fun requires a state of flow where we are so engaged that we lose track of time. What environments can we create together that naturally encourage us to be fully present and focused on the moment?** 5. **Prioritizing fun acts as a legitimate health intervention by reducing stress and promoting social bonding. How would we shift our schedules if we viewed joyful moments as essential to our physical and mental well-being?** 6. **Constant digital distractions interrupt our flow and prevent us from forming real-world connections. What boundaries can we set with our devices to ensure we remain available for spontaneous moments of joy?** \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- To provide an enjoyable experience for fellow participants, here are three ground rules during discussion events: 1. Step up and step back. (If you feel that you’ve been talking too much, step back to listen more. If you feel that you’ve been relatively quiet, step up to share your perspective or ask a question) 2. Listen to understand, not to respond. 3. Be open-minded and value differences.

This is the sign you've been waiting for. Come write with us Sunday at 7:30 am at Kaldi's Social House in Arlington. Kaldi's opens at 7. Grab a coffee and join the group! We generally have 10 to 14 writers attend each week, and new folks are welcome to drop in anytime. Intros start at 7:30 am. We will write for one hour. After writing, feel free to debrief, share thoughts or get advice. Our meetups are a safe space for writers to work on their craft. No one will read or critique your writing. Kaldi's Social House website: https://www.kaldissocialhouse.net/ \* Resource \* Many thanks to Justin for putting together a shared file of resource discussed at the meetings. Feel free to add to it! [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13LONNjZvsO5hEXM7NsBnWCgy3GgPgjAbQxE0lPxp7hc/edit?usp=sharing](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13LONNjZvsO5hEXM7NsBnWCgy3GgPgjAbQxE0lPxp7hc/edit?usp=sharing)

[Profs and Pints Northern Virginia](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Digital Device Detox,”** a guide to breaking free from the addictive and destructive powers of social media and apps, with Jillian Tucker, licensed clinical social worker in private practice, adjunct professor of clinical social work at Columbia University and New York University, and therapist with nearly 15 years of experience in addiction treatment and behavioral change. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/northern-virginia-digital-detox](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/northern-virginia-digital-detox) .] Many of us have had the same experience: We’re trying to get things done and stay focused on the positive in our lives, but we can’t stop looking at a cell phone that tells us that we live in troubled times, that everyone else is better looking and having more fun, and that escape awaits in the worlds of Candy Crush or Pokémon Go. Maybe it’s time to find effective ways to loosen the grip of that cell phone and rediscover the happiness that comes with using digital devices less. Join Jillian Tucker, who previously has given several excellent Profs and Pints talks related to mental health, for a crash course on how to restore balance in your relationship with digital devices to ensure they’re simply tools you use rather than instruments through which other people use you. She’ll start by discussing social and mental-health trends connected to the use of digital devices. We’ll delve into the specific ways that their overuse can be biologically and psychologically harmful and leads to division, depression, anxiety and anguish on an individual and societal level. Professor Tucker also will look at why digital habits are hard to break, citing neuroscience and what we know about behavioral addiction. You’ll learn the many ways in which devices and apps are deliberately designed to be hard to stop using. You won’t be urged to just chuck your cell phone, though. After all, such devices can keep you socially connected, be sources of joy and learning, and even save your life if you need to summon help in an emergency. Instead, we’ll look at effective strategies for reducing digital device use, considering approaches that treat the overuse of such devices as “addiction” but moving beyond them to consider more nuanced ones as well. We’ll explore how to find our core motivation to change and how to carry out a change plan. We’ll consider how those who failed in past attempts to reduce digital-device use can overcome impasses in their effort to change their behavior. We’ll discuss ways to minimize the feelings of inconvenience and withdrawal that might come with reducing digital-device use, and we’ll discuss strategies for regaining the social skills and reviving the in-person strategies that our device use had compromised. You’ll learn how the same conditioning and power of habit that got us using our devices so much more also can be harnessed to help us use them much less. You’ll learn how to curate and enhance the positive aspects of digital devices, to help maintain them as a source of connection, joy, humor and learning and keep them from causing you unhappiness or stress. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: Photo by Japanexperterna (Creative Commons).

So this month's prompt is more general. I think we can all agree that we are living in "unique" times that require coping skills. I think that one role and/or purpose of philosophy is to help us deal with our daily lives and our "unique" times. So, let's share our feelings and thoughts about which philosopher/philosophy we turn to in order to deal with our crazy events. Who/what helps you stay focused in your daily life and helps you sleep at night. I find that Stoicism with a little philosophical pessimism mixed in goes a long way in helping me deal with what I see as very destructive, fearful and mean spirited public policies at both the state and federal levels. Hope to see you on March 28th!

We'll meet at The Capital One Café, 167 Easton Town Center, Space A-103. This is in the main mall where the Microsoft store used to be, on your left if you're standing at the bottom of the AMC Theater escalator. Join us on Saturday for an hour of uninterrupted wordmaking! • What we'll do Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at 10AM on Saturday mornings. Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done. SCHEDULE: 10:00 - SESSION 1: quick intros. 10:10 - timer starts: write for 1 hour. 11:10 - chat / take off / keep writing. OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING happens at 11A-11:30ish. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing. BEING LATE IS OKAY: just show up and get settled, then check-in with me after the session. (I’ll be the person with the Shut Up & Write! sign.) If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing and I look forward to seeing you! • What to bring Whatever you need to be able to write! Bring earbuds/earplugs if you want to block noise or the occasional conversation by other patrons. Electrical outlets are limited, so charge your devices before whenever possible. See you at The Café on Saturday!

Sleep in on Sundays. When you've had your fill of pajama-time, roll out and have some tasty brunch with your fellow Humanists!

Greetings writers! Come down and join your fellow wordsmiths for one hour of uninterrupted writing time in the upper level of the Market District Supermarket in Upper Arlington. The main entrance of the shopping center opens onto stairs/elevator leading up to the 2nd floor cafe section where we will have a table displaying a sign with the Shut Up & Write logo. Writing is largely a solitary craft. Practicing with others in a community setting may be the thing you need to fire your own routine. We’ll meet on Wednesday evenings, starting the clock at 6:30, following a brief period of introductions. This is solid writing time and all inclusive. Any project is acceptable, be it fiction, non -fiction, work or homework assignment. All is welcome and will remain private to you. The market boasts a Starbucks, a full service bar and various affordable food options. Parking is plentiful, free Wifi is provided as well as outlets for charging your devices, though they are somewhat limited, so plan accordingly. Show up as early as you like, or stay late. This group tends to socialize some, both before and after the alloted time, but this is not mandatory to you. Feel free to come and go as you please and late arrivals are welcome. The cafe may be noisy on occasion so headphones/ earbuds are reccommended as you see fit. Please try to RSVP if possible so that we may grab enough seats for all—the venue can be busy at times. Feel free to message me privately wth any questions and/ or concerns you may have. Happy writing!