Starting a Meditation Group

Interested in the power of a group meditation? Want to start your own group but don't know where to begin? Here are some things to consider.

Who do you want to have as part of the group?

• Friends, family or do you want to meet new people? If you are creating a group with friends and family make sure you have a planned session that includes time at the beginning and end of your meditation for visiting and socializing. It is very easy to get caught up in visiting and chatting and then forgetting about the meditation. If you are putting together a group of strangers you may want to meet for coffee before the initial group meeting to introduce the format, style and expectations. This way no one will be in for any surprises!
• Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced? Gear the group around your level of experience only if you are planning on regularly hosting and leading the group. If your goal is to have different people lead the sessions you may want beginners mixed in with advanced. Just make sure you let everyone know so expectations are clear.
• Consider the intention of your group? Are you intending on focusing your meditation on world peace or individual healing? It may seem odd to have to consider this but you would be amazed at the variety of motivations people have for meditating. Get clear about your intentions, especially if your group theme is individual healing and attract people on similar paths.
• How do I find members? Depending on the level of experience you are gearing the group towards, consider putting up flyers at local health food stores, naturopathic offices, religious centers, chiropractor offices, nutritionists and other health care providers. Make sure you list the level of experience and type of meditation practice you will practicing. You may also go to our website and create your own group directory.

When do you want to host the meeting?

• Evening, morning or afternoon? The time of your meeting will depend a great deal on who you are attracting to your group. You may want to have a lunch group that meets for a quick 30 minute meditation once a week or an evening session that includes an hour of visiting and half an hour of meditation. Living in a democratic country I tend to suggest you leave it to the group to decide. However, in this case, to avoid trying to please everyone's schedule I would suggest choosing the time most convenient for the organizer or host and stick with it. Time of day is worth consideration as some people are sleepy in the morning or evening and may not be able to sustain a full session of meditation.
• Once a week or once a month? Meeting once a week is a great way to ensure you meditate often however, you may find some people can't make it that often. Once a month is easy to create a habit around and doesn't put too much pressure on any one person to lead or host. Our group meets once a month and in between practices and fine tunes their own technique.

What are you going to focus on?

• Do you or your members practice a specific religion? If you practice a specific religion you may want to consider using a text or guidebook. When beginning a meditation group it is best to begin by following a practice that reflects and enhances your belief system. For instance, consider using an inspirational reading or contemplative prayer. It is imperative that all your members have a clear understanding of what your Meditation Group will be focusing on.
• Are your members seeking connection with their inner wisdom? If you have a group of seekers looking for spiritual enlightenment and understanding then you may want to consider learning, as a group, about the chakra system.  Anodea Judith has an excellent book, Eastern Body, Western Mind that presents an in-depth analysis of how this system works.
• Perhaps your members are looking to activate their own Intuitive Healing System to work on individual healing. Depending on the depth of their need consider reading Jon Kabatt-Zinn's, Coming to Our Senses.  This book is based on his world renowned program on mindfulness.

How are you going to format the meetings?

• Keep it Simple! The meditation practice itself does not have to be too long depending on how and what you practice. A guided visualization of 30 minutes is wonderfully refreshing and doesn't push anyone to keep still too long. The format we use is as follows: 7:00-7:15 Socializing, getting settled, drinking a small cup of special herbal tea, 7:15 Singing bowl is rung to announce the beginning of the meditation session, 7:16-7:46 Meditation begins, 7:46-7:50 Chance to get grounded and come back to room, 7:50-8:00 Debrief, ask questions, share insights, etc.
• Consider having each member take a turn at leading or guiding the session. If you are going to rotate homes have the homeowner lead.

Meditation is a powerful tool we use to augment healing treatment protocols and everyone can learn to meditate whether alone or in a group.  We hope these suggestions prove helpful as you create your own group and focus your intention on healing yourselves, community and the world.