What is MEDITATION?

Meditation is simply a willingness to witness. It is an invitation to watch yourself -your mind, your emotions, your body and environment - without reacting to what you observe. It is an invitation to get to know yourself honestly and sincerely, to make friends with yourself.

Success and failure are not a part of meditation. Nothing special is supposed to happen! There is nothing to expect.

Before you scoff, ponder your life for a few seconds. Isn't there room in it for a few moments of quiet time, where you demand nothing of yourself except attention to the moment? Couldn't you welcome a pause in your busy day to open up to life - to experience a respite from judgment and criticism? Of course there is...and more importantly, you deserve it!

What is Vipassana Meditation?

Vipassana is one of India's most ancient meditation techniques. Long lost to humanity, it was rediscovered by Buddha more than 2500 years ago. The word Vipassana means seeing things as they really are. It is the process of self- purification by self-observation. One begins by observing the natural breath to concentrate the mind. With a sharpened awareness one proceeds to observe the changing nature of body and mind and experiences the universal truths of impermanence, suffering and egolessness. This truth-realization by
direct experience is the process of purification. The entire path (Dhamma) is a universal remedy for universal problems and has nothing to do with any organized religion or sectarianism. For this reason, it can be freely practiced by everyone, at any time, in any place, without conflict due to race, community or religion, and will prove equally beneficial to one and all.

Vipassana meditation aims at the highest spiritual goals of total liberation and full enlightenment. Its purpose is never simply to cure physical disease. However, as a by-product of mental purification, many psychosomatic diseases are eradicated. In fact, Vipassana eliminates the three causes of all unhappiness: craving, aversion and ignorance. With continued practice, the meditation releases the tensions developed in everyday life, opening the knots tied by the old habit of reacting in an unbalanced way to pleasant and unpleasant situations. Although the Buddha developed Vipassana as a technique, its practice is not limited to Buddhists. There is absolutely no question of conversion.
The technique works on the simple basis that all human beings share the same problems and a technique which can eradicate these problems will have a universal application. People from many religious denominations have experienced the benefits of Vipassana meditation, and have found no conflict with their profession of faith.

What Vipassana Meditation is:

• It is a method of mental purification, which allows one to face life's tensions and problems in a calm, balanced way.
• It is a technique that will eradicate suffering.
• It is an art of living that one can use to make positive contributions to society.

What Vipassana is not:

• It is not a rite or ritual based on blind faith.
• It is neither an intellectual nor a philosophical entertainment.
• It is not a rest cure, a holiday, or an opportunity for socializing.
• It is not an escape from the trials and tribulations of everyday life.

Go ahead, dare to do something for yourself. Not because you should. Not because of what you might receive, but simply to live in the moment.

PLEASE remember, meditation isn't a skill to be mastered. It is an awareness that already exists inside you. You'll find it with your heart, not your head.

Guided Meditation Schedule:
Monday-Friday: 12:15PM at Synergy South Beach Yoga Studio and on
Fridays 6:30PM at North Beach Yoga Studio. 8701 Collins Ave. (Inside Nirvana Spa) Tel. 305-866-1650.

Meditation at the Beach:
Monday-Friday: 7:00AM Meditation at the Beach. (14th. St. on South Beach)

All meditations are by donation.