There is a diverse group of teachers and the support from a number of affinity sanghas. There are Buddhist based insight meditation classes and many different mindfulness based classes. It offers an in-depth approach to practice which is based on the original teachings of the Buddha. If you’ve decided that it’s time for you to try meditation, New York Insight may be the right place for you. An effective teacher needs to be adept at determining what works for a given student. Nothing has changed today except for marketing. The greatest meditation teacher was the historical Buddha and through his thousands of teachings it’s clear that he taught differently to different people. Meditation is good for almost everyone, but it’s important to find a teacher who understands the process and realize one-size doesn’t fit all. It’s important to ask this question of yourself and of course that which brings you in the door may change as the practices are learned. Some come for preventative measures, some for immediate gratification. Some come because they are facing a major trauma Some people come because they are dealing with a very stressful job or life situation. Some people come to meditation because they ‘ve heard it’s a way to calm the mind and want to incorporate this into their daily life. If a teacher hasn’t done their own work, it’s not possible to help a student through the challenging process of practice. It is through deep silence and inner work, where the learning happens. It is in this experience, that one learns to work with their own challenges. If someone is teaching meditation (particularly mindfulness meditation) and has had little or no silent retreat experience, there should be concern. What are the requirements for ongoing training at the institution where they teach. How long have the teachers themselves been practicing, how many weeks of silent retreat have they been on, who do they consider to be their root teachers and are they still studying. When determining where to go for your initial and follow-up training in meditation, it’s key to look at the background of the teachers who are offering this. Meditation instruction is extremely easy. It’s possible to learn to become a “meditation teacher” with very little practice experience. The problem these days, is that there is demand for meditation instruction and consequently there is now a market for meditation teacher training. Instruction and the Embodiment of the teacher is key! In fact there are literally “pop-up” meditation sites. There are opportunities to learn to meditate popping up all over, particularly in New York. Similar to the place the yoga world was in several decades ago, meditation, has now worked its way into the mainstream mindset and this is a good thing. This tyranny of choice has now seemingly hit the field of meditation. Sometimes my reaction is to freeze in confusion or perhaps I’ll purchase something I don’t really need or decide based on what is most pleasing to the eye. So many options of what I can buy which of course changes my perception of what I actually need. I walk into a supermarket or even a farmer’s market and I’m faced with the tyranny of choice.
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