Forming a Meditation Group
by Rodney Groves
When creating a meditation group these guidelines will help to structure your group, keeping it focused on the objectives of fellowship and of enhancing your mutual meditation practices.
1. Limit the sessions to one hour, with one half hour being for fellowship before the meditation and one half hour for the meditation practice itself. Meeting times can be held as often as the group can assemble but should be a minimum of once a week. Meditation is something that is practiced frequently and should be practiced at least twice daily for the individual. The best times for group meetings are early in the morning or in the early afternoon. Fellowship prior to meditation and fellowship after meditation can be flexible.
2. Since meditation is a mental discipline the individuals attending the session should be punctual and not be using mind altering substances. A good session structure adds to the discipline. The start of the meditation session should begin on the hour or half hour to create a disciplined environment for the meditation. The end of the meditation should also be punctual and end on the half hour.
3. The fellowship part of the meeting is for the purpose of supporting each other in your meditation practices and in general to support each other's spiritual journey. There is also the social aspect of the fellowship that bonds people together that have a common interest, however, use the time wisely. The meditation session is the heart of the group meeting. Everything should be focused on beginning the meditation session on time and in setting a tone of reverence for the session.
4. Review the meditation guidelines on the website before beginning the meditation practice. The fellowship time prior to the meditation session is a good time to review these guidelines. Some meditators are less experienced than others so it is helpful to review these points. The facilitator can share with the group a review of the meditation guidelines and can take questions from the group and discuss as a group any issues individuals may be having with their meditation practice.
5. Use a bell or chime to signal the beginning and end of the meditation session.This formalizes the session beginning and ending. If a timer is used it should be one that is not distracting, that does not tick. The facilitator needs to be aware of the session time while the individuals of the meditation group should be oblivious to the time. Sometimes a few minutes will seem like an hour and at other times a half hour will pass rapidly. It is important that the meditators loose their attention to time when meditating and focus on their practice.
6. Remember: there is no bad meditation. Everything incrementally leads to the enhancement of your practice. Even what seems like a difficult session for you will benefit you the next time you practice.
7. Encourage each other and share with each other books or other media that the individuals have found helpful in enhancing their meditation experience. It is helpful to have newsletters, for instance, from meditation centers and retreats that have been visited or books that someone found particularly enlightening. It is also beneficial to have spiritual or religious books that new meditators may use to find passages or a mantra that they connect to. This is particularly helpful when practicing passage meditation. Avoid discussing dogma, however. The meditation/ fellowship session is not the place to be converting or proselytizing. It's purpose is for meditation enhancement and fellowship.
8. Share with each other the triumphs of meditation. How has it enhanced each of your lives? Has it made you more patient? Has it made you more accepting of the differences of others? More accepting of your own shortcomings and more forgiving? There are times when you will have meditation sessions where you will have difficulty focusing on your mantra and your thoughts will want to do battle with your desire to meditate. There are other times when you will slip into a meditative mind set and you will emerge from the session refreshed and renewed with new insights. Most meditation results, however, are subtle and you will only notice them because you will notice yourself growing more patient and you will begin to have a renewed appreciation for the little special moments of your life. Share these moments with the group. We all need motivation as meditation, like exercise, is a difficult discipline.
9. Feel free to add scented candles as the group agrees to it. The idea here is to create a natural aromatic environment, similar to aroma therapy, to enhance the meditation.This helps to create an ambience of relaxation and peacefulness. Some people have allergies to some aromas so it will be important to check with the individuals of the group and get a consensus about the use of scented candles. Incense can be used in place of candles. Some may prefer not to have it at all. You may also wish to add some soft music to your environment. There are many meditation cd's available. The music used should be instrumental and not contemporary melodies. Pick music that is produced specifically for meditating.
10. Meet in a neutral, spiritually enhancing place such as a serene setting in nature, or a church, away from typical every day personal objects that may be distracting to the individuals meditating in the session. When a neutral place such as a church or nature setting is used it enhances the meditation practice and makes it more psychologically impactful. It is best to meet in a quiet environment that has few distractions. The ultimate goal of meditation, however, is not to avoid distractions but rather to experience them without attaching thought to them. It is said that the experienced meditator can meditate in the noisiest environment. That is because they are not avoiding, but rather objectively experiencing, the noises without attaching attention to them. Not all members of your group will be that experienced, however, and to give them the best advantage to getting a good meditation session it is best to choose a place that is quiet and serene. A natural setting with flowing water and songbirds is ideal but not absolutely necessary.
Feel free to contact us with suggestions, comments or questions. We are here to help you with your meditation practice and to learn from your experiences as well.