A couple of weeks ago I convinced my husband to go to a meditation introductory session. It was free and I thought it wouldn’t hurt if he just tried it out and see if it would help his constantly high stress levels. Initially, I wanted to come with him. Not because I was particularly interested in getting into meditation but simply to do this with him together. I didn’t end up going because something else came up and so he went alone. When he returned home he told me that he was going to sign up for the 4-day course to learn Vedic meditation. I was surprised to say the least, that he would actually wanted to do this. First, it was more on the expensive side and second, I doubted that he would actually follow through and stick with it – that the course would be a success for him. But he did it and has been practicing Vedic meditation ever since. Twice a day for 20 minutes. And he says it’s helping him calm down and get more energy. Not a bad thing for someone who’s constantly on the go, travels a whole lot and has a hard time to relax and decompress.
Should I Meditate?
I think I haven’t been intrigued to try out meditation since I don’t consider myself as “stressed out” since I left my job. Although I have kept myself busy the ensuing months with travel, personal projects and more, I think I couldn’t “justify” to get into a meditation practice. Isn’t meditation for all the people who are overwhelmed and in constant go-go-go mode to be able to sit back, find some calm and peace within themselves? Apparently, it can also help you to work more effectively and make better decisions. All good things, but I still could not justify taking up a meditation practice. I also did not feel like I “needed” it. Don’t you have to have the longing or craving for something like that?
Inscape – A Meditation Center In Boutique Style
Apart from all that, a friend of mine told me that she wanted to try out a meditation class somewhere in the city. We didn’t pursue this idea any further at the time. But when I walked by the fairly new Inscape studio after acupuncture the other day, I snapped a picture and texted her if this was the studio she meant to try out. It wasn’t but we made it a date and went one Friday afternoon to check it out.
Meditation Experience
We took a Mantra class (other classes offered are Mindfulness, Focus and Visualization) that was 33 minutes long. It was held in a beautiful space – which they call “The Dome” – that is equipped with bean bags, pillows and blankets. There was a girl, the “facilitator”, who instructed newbies before entering the room but she wasn’t the one who led the meditation. It was actually led by a female voice coming from tape (which was a little surprising and a tiny bit weird) in addition to sounds. It started with some introductory breathing and movement techniques until we were given our mantra and meditated in silence for what felt like 10-15 minutes. After that, we were brought back by the voice and sounds and it was over.
We were encouraged to take our time to leave the room and then talked a little bit with the facilitator who told us that she had personally been practicing (Vedic) meditation for three years and that it had changed her life dramatically. She said it had helped her tremendously with her anxiety, her coffee addiction and overall in recognizing the patterns she applies in her life. She was a real sweetheart, very open and super nice.
Relaxation Experience
The studio also houses a second room in which several different relaxation classes are held. Since we were already there and we had bought a 2-weeks unlimited pass, we decided to sign up for the Deep Sound class starting shortly after. In the meantime we checked out the little store they had in the front with products ranging from Ayurvedic chocolate, eye masks and candles to the Moon Juice cookbook, which I had read a few weeks ago, and Moon dusts. My friend started talking to the two men who were chatting on the sofa and one of them turned out to be the founder of Inscape. I learned that the tape voices were intentional to make the classes not based on an instructor’s voice, personality and mannerism. This actually makes a lot of sense and is very smart when I started to think about it more.
Then it was time for our class in “The Alcove”, a room where we could lay down and cover ourselves with blankets. The ceiling was covered with some knotted rope artwork which was beautiful in combination with the ceiling’s color and reminded me of Roberi’s rope look on Project Runway season 15. Later on I learned that the artwork displayed throughout the studio would change on a regular basis. The class was some breathing techniques in the beginning and then just lying still and listening to the different sounds.
The Verdict
All in all, I really liked the space. It’s beautifully designed and the people working there are super friendly and welcoming. The concept is very well thought out and for someone who prefers to have an aesthetically pleasing boutique experience for their meditation practice, I’d definitely recommend it. I, on the other hand, I’m still not so sure if meditation is really something for me. If I decided it was, I would, however, prefer to learn Transcendental or Vedic meditation so that I can practice wherever and whenever I please.
Although this meditation experience has not “convinced” me (yet), it provided another piece to my experience and knowledge with meditation to make me curious and find out more about it.
Are you meditating and if yes what kind of meditation? How do you feel meditation helps you?
