Members of the Richmond Mindfulness and Meditation Meetup Group convene regularly at Maymont. (Photo by Jay Paul)
Meditation — the practice of focusing the mind on a specific thought, image or sound — is found in cultures worldwide. While its origins cannot be pinpointed, renderings of people sitting in meditative poses have been discovered on the Indian subcontinent and dated between 5000 B.C. and 3000 B.C.
Greg Kelley, who serves on Ekoji Buddhist Sangha’s board of directors and leads the Ligmincha Richmond meditation group, says meditation is useful in responding to stress to break through the anger, fear and avoidance that are typical coping mechanisms. “We want to form a connection to the real part of ourselves that doesn’t ever change,” he says.
Local organizations reflect the variety of meditative practices and offer opportunities to learn about meditation and practice it with the support of a group.
The Innerwork Center
Meditation is at the core of the center’s offerings, says Executive Director Rachel Douglas.
“When we are able to focus our attention, we enhance our ability to gain clarity and act with intention and reduce stress,” she says. “It doesn’t make our life perfect, but we can embrace what is.”
The center offers free Zoom drop-in sessions — attendance has “definitely” increased during the pandemic, Douglas says — as well as monthly memberships. “In the future, I think we will view meditation as just as relevant to our well-being as brushing our teeth,” she says. innerworkcenter.org
Richmond Mindfulness & Meditation Meetup Group
This free and open Meetup group is “for anybody to come and meditate without feeling like they have to be in a specific form of meditation,” says organizer David Johnson. The group’s signature sit usually takes place Sunday mornings at Maymont, but the pandemic has added Zoom gatherings. “Meditation starts with an instinct to return to what does it mean to be alive, to touch this precious life in a way that’s not about function or performance,” Johnson says. “It’s not about improving oneself, although it naturally happens.” meetup.com/richmond-mindfulness-meditation
Ekoji Buddhist Sangha
Ekoji is home to seven different meditation groups, each following its own Buddhist tradition or teacher. Lois Lommel, who has been practicing meditation for 50 years and currently participates with the Insight Meditation group, says people participate from all over the country via Zoom. “If you’re trying to establish a new habit, it helps to have a support group,” she says. “You learn to live in the present moment — regret is the past, and worry is the future.” ekojirichmond.org
Photo courtesy Lucid Living/Katie Yuen
Lucid Living
Founder Natasha Freeman often uses Himalayan singing bowls in her meditation practice. “In my own healing journey, I really connected to sound,” she says. While individual sessions are available, with COVID-safe precautions, online public sound sessions have been popular. “The mind wants to take us out of the present moment,” she says. The work is to find the anchor, so that when a thought comes in, [you] can acknowledge it and then let it drift away like the clouds.” lucidlivingrva.com
Transcendental Meditation Technique-Richmond
Certified TM instructor Andrew Wilks describes transcendental meditation as a “simple, effortless mental technique to develop the full potential for mind and body.” Through a seven-step course, with an income-based sliding fee scale, students first work with Wilks independently and then in small group classes, either in person or online. The goal is to reach a state of “restful alertness,” Wilks says, in which blood is pumped to the prefrontal cortex of the brain, leading to relaxation. “When you’re not as stressed, you appreciate more, and you’re not as fatigued. There’s always going to be stress, so why not have a nervous system that can bounce back faster?” tm.org/transcendental-meditation-richmond
Illustration by Victoria Borges
Getting Started
A quiet place. It’s useful to have a designated location where you can meditate, agree several local group leaders. “There’s something to be said about the energy of a space,” says Greg Kelley, who heads the Ligmincha Richmond meditation group. “The energy becomes a support.”
Start small. Lois Lommel, who practices with the Insight Meditation group, says it’s best if you can be undisturbed “for whatever amount of time you decide.” Start small, with perhaps just five minutes, gradually increasing to what feels comfortable.
A place to be still. This can be a cushion or a chair, or even a bed, if that will foster relaxation — but not sleep. “You can meditate standing up; you can meditate lying down,” Kelley says.
A focal point or altar. In Buddhist meditation, this could be a picture of your teacher or a statue of Buddha. For secular practice, it’s common to use a candle, flower or beautiful object. “You want something that naturally makes you feel peaceful,” says David Johnson, organizer of the Richmond Mindfulness & Meditation Meetup group.
Sound. While not required, sound can provide another way to keep unwanted thoughts at bay. YouTube videos and phone apps provide free access to soothing tones, which can range from running water to the Himalayan singing bowls used by Natasha Freeman, founder of Lucid Living.
