What happens at Meditation Club?

Meditation Club is primarily an opportunity to practice meditation with a group of like-minded people. Each event will start with a short check in from each participant, then a 20-30 minute meditation lightly guided by Jess. The event will close with shares from participants about their meditation experience.

Who can come to Meditation Club?

All genders, ages, identities, and bodies are welcome at Meditation Club. It is strongly recommended to have at least a small amount of experience with meditation before coming to Meditation Club. Guided meditation apps like Happier, Calm, and Balance have free trials and a vast library of guided meditations to try. You can also search for guided meditations on Youtube to get some experience with practicing on your own.

What kind of meditation are we practicing?

Jess will be leading meditation inspired by Buddhist philosophy. While there are dozens of different meditative styles and techniques just within Buddhism, they can be broadly categorized into two primary attentional strategies. Concentration meditation (samatha) is when the meditator focuses on a fixed mental object (an image, a mantra, the breath, an abstract idea). Insight meditation (vipassana) is when the meditator focuses on the actual workings of their own mind. Both strategies have a lot to offer. Jess will be offering simple guided meditations that incorporate both strategies.

Western interpretations of Buddhist meditation were pioneered in the US by great teachers such as Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg, and Joseph Goldstein. Other teachers of this style that Jess recommends are Jon Kabat-Zinn, Jeff Warren, Cara Lai, Matthew Brensilver, Oren Jay Sofer, and Sebene Selassie.

Is meditation religious?

The Western lineage of meditation that is the focus of Meditation Club is a secular practice. This lineage is deeply inspired by Buddhism however, and some of the teachers Jess is influenced by do identify as Buddhists. For this reason there may be a bias toward Buddhist philosophy in how Jess leads Meditation Club. You do not need to identify as a Buddhist to come to Meditation Club. You may also have your own religious faith and wish to explore how meditation is a complement to your faith. That is totally welcome. Meditation Club is accepting of all faith traditions and aims to uncover the intersection of different faith traditions in a balanced and curious manner.

If you want it to be, meditation can be a deeply spiritual practice. Mystical experiences, or “spiritual special effects”, while meditating are relatively common. You can read Jeff Warren’s primer on the spiritual terrains and challenges in meditation if you are feeling curious. At Meditation Club, we openly welcome and encourage meditation as a spiritual practice.

Why should I meditate? What are the specific benefits?

Meditation has been intensely studied by research scientists in recent years. There are physical and psychological benefits to meditation that have been well documented. Dan Harris has famously quipped that meditation has made him “10% Happier” (and wrote a book with that title). Anecdotally, Jess has found that meditation practice calms her nervous system, inspires insights that help her live a more fulfilling life, improves patience and her ability to focus, and provides a way to resource herself with more energy and vitality.