What to Expect
How do I attend online meditation classes at Be Meditation?
Be Meditation uses Zoom for all classes and events. When you sign up, you will receive a Zoom link for your class, in your email.
Is meditation a spiritual thing people do, or a scientific process?
Both. Meditation is a process of placing your attention, where you choose, in the moment (instead of letting your mind make that decision for you), and focusing and relaxing your body, on purpose.
There are many types of meditation and some are spiritual, while some are secular.
Spiritual meditation: A process of relaxing the body and mind and focusing on a part of the self that feels a connection with every other thing in the universe. This process transcends religion and seeks the experience of something greater than just experiencing the self.
Secular meditation: Just as you exercise your body, meditation is exercise for your mind and brain. You train your mind/brain to focus and relax when you choose so that when you are under stress, you can more easily return to a focused and relaxed state of being. You make better decisions and react more quickly when you are focused and relaxed at the same time. Tension causes constriction in the body (limiting movement and blood flow and draining your muscles of energy) and limits the mind by keeping you stuck in a fight or flight, reactive state. When you release tension in the body and the mind, you can access your creativity, the executive function of the brain, and create a feeling of centered calm between stimulus and response (giving you more control over your response).
There’s a meditation class I want to try, but it’s scheduled during a time that I’m busy. What do I do?
As a member at Be Meditation, you have access to our video library. Log in, and select My Videos to check out your favorite classes and teachers, or discover a new meditation style.
How often should I meditate?
You benefit from every meditation class or individual mediation you do. The benefit is cumulative, so the more you meditate, the greater the benefit.
Aim for meditating daily.
You could attend one meditation per day, or you could attend multiple meditations per day, to get yourself back on track. Think about a stressful day at work, and find classes that fit between your meetings, to bring yourself back into a calm and centered space.
You can also attend classes just on nights or weekends. Every class is unique and beneficial to your body, your mind, and your soul.
What is it like to attend a Be Meditation class?
When you arrive in your Zoom room on time, your teacher/facilitator will greet or welcome you and other participants. Your meditation teacher will give a short talk, then lead you in a guided meditation. Some classes are more guided (more teacher talking) and some classes are more solo practice (teacher gives instruction on meditation and meditates with you silently for a longer time).
At the end of class, the teacher will tell everyone that the meditation is over, ask if there are any questions or if anyone has anything to share, and wish you a lovely day. You are welcome to ask questions, share an experience or remain quiet. We check-in at the end because we care about your experience and your growth as a meditator.
Can I meditate at my desk, in bed or in my car?
Yes, yes and yes! You can meditate anywhere you have an internet connection. You can attend via computer, laptop, tablet, or phone, via our Zoom link. Please don’t meditate and drive. <3
Do I have to have my video on during the meditation class or event?
No, you do not. We love to see your face, but your experience is your own. You may turn on your video and leave it on while you meditate, you may say hello with the video on at the beginning and end of the class, and turn off your video during the meditation, or you may leave your camera off during the entire class. We will ask you to say hello at the beginning of the class (voice only) to make sure you can hear and see us.
General
1. How can meditation help me with stress?
A regular meditation practice helps you reduce stress, focus and calm the mind, and feel more in control of your own wellbeing. See our blog article about COVID and mental health.
2. How do I meditate at home?
It is a good time to establish a meditation practice at home! You don’t need special supplies, although many things help. See our Meditation 101 blog and Meditation for Working from Home for more tips.
3. How can mediation help me deal with loneliness?
Feeling separated from others can bring feelings of isolation and loneliness. At Be Meditation, we understand and value social relationships, as well as the relationship you have with yourself. Join us for meditation classes and events.
4. How does meditation help me with feelings of restlessness?
Become aware that you are not alone in having these feelings. Meditation can act like a mirror to your inner world, and show you the tension, restlessness and racing thoughts that have been causing you stress. As your focus and concentration deepens, you can begin to notice the thoughts and body sensations that are the cause of the restlessness, tension and stress, and see them as signals of something that needs to change or be accepted. Peace of mind and body are within your control through meditation. Try some of these examples from our Meditation for Working from Home blog to help with feelings of restlessness.
5. Do you have corporate solutions to help with this pandemic?
Be Meditation is here to serve with corporate solutions for all sizes of organizations. Please visit our Corporate Programs page, our Corporate Culture page, and contact Katie at Katie@bemeditation.com for a meeting.
Meditation 101
1. What is meditation?
Meditation is a collection of practices that helps focus the mind, train our attention and awareness to create voluntary self-control, create clear thinking, foster general mental wellbeing, and emotional stability. By focusing the mind on one thing or on awareness instead of allowing the mind to run free, one can teach calm or teach the mind to come from a space of compassion, instead of division or stress.
There are many meditative practices, including the mental practice of focusing or placing attention on one thing (such as your breath), mindfulness, or becoming aware of thoughts, body sensations or reactions that arise.
There is a lot of research on meditation and on long-term meditators that shows the physical and psychological benefits of having a regular meditation practice. Some benefits, among many, include lowered blood pressure, decreased anxiety, better sleep (reduced insomnia), decreased depression and increased ability to handle stress. Plus, meditation is good for kids, by helping them deal with big feelings, impulse control and school stress. See our blog about Kids and Meditation.
2. What’s the difference between meditation and mindfulness?
Mindfulness is one meditation technique, of many. There are many meditation techniques to help address specific concerns (anxiety, sleeplessness, stress, feelings of isolation) or to help you gain mental resiliency, inner peace, and calm. You can practice mindfulness-awareness, a type of mindfulness, during your day, without closing your eyes or sitting in a chair or a cushion, or you can choose from other meditation techniques. Check out our blog Meditation 101, for simple meditation suggestions.
3. Can anyone meditate?
Anyone can meditate. If you’re under a doctor’s supervision for psychiatric conditions, please talk with your doctor before starting any new practice or any change to your routine.
See our Meditation 101 blog for more information on how to set up your at-home practice.
4. Is meditation good for children?
Children benefit just as much from meditation as adults. Benefits include increased generosity, increased focus and concentration, and increase academic performance. See our Kids and Meditation blog.
Corporate
1. How can corporate mediation help my team?
The Be Meditation Corporate Programs show leaders and teams how to harness the power of meditation and mindfulness to foster better work environments, improve performance, and create a stronger, more resilient workforce. Through group meditations, facilitated training, and one-on-one coaching, we help organizations step into the future and increase effectiveness, innovation, and workplace satisfaction. See our Corporate Programs page for more details.
2. How can I help my team in the current situation?
Meditation can help increase employee satisfaction, help them feel more connected with leadership by increasing alignment between leadership and teams and enhanced creative thinking at all levels. Consider participating in our corporate programs. Corporate programs focus on compassion, trust, and authenticity. These are the pillars of individual and team development.
- From within:
Through meditation and meditative practice, we support leaders and employees and guide them toward deepening their connection with themselves — developing authentic and stable leadership from within. - In relationship:
We take employees’ newfound sense of grounded connection into a relationship with their team, practicing maintaining a neutral and open lens in order to cultivate a higher-functioning team environment.
3. How many can attend?
For an online meditation, we can host up to 1000 sign on. In person sessions dependent on location restrictions.
4. What are the benefits of meditation for my employees?
Meditation is a practice that will help you have greater control over your thoughts and your mind. With time and practice, you can choose to stop the busy mind, or clear and focus it for productivity or a great game of trivia.
There is a lot of research on meditation and on long-term meditators that shows the physical and psychological benefits of having a regular meditation practice. Some benefits, among many, include lowered blood pressure, decreased anxiety, better sleep (reduced insomnia), decreased depression and increased ability to handle stress.
5. What packages do you offer? What is the cost?
We tailor all our services to meet your organization’s needs. From a single meditation engagement to a 6 months contract, to work with you to identify and custom design a program to meet your needs and your staff’s needs. Please send an email to katie@bemeditation.com, to request a meeting.