Benefits of Group Meditation
If you’ve ever experienced any of the benefits of meditation from your own personal practice, just think about the many benefits that may come with practicing in a group setting!
There is power in numbers and a power that comes with group meditations. Many of us are looking for connection – a deeper connection with ourselves and with others – and practicing with a group can strengthen those connections and it can also provide a support system. Coming together with a shared intention can create a powerful impact in our lives and within our communities.
Breathe Happy was founded out of this desire to build connections and community as well as strengthen our own practices.
Erica and I met in 2018 and became fast friends. We found out that we shared a lot of commonalities: being a mother (or in Erica’s case at the time, soon-to-be mother), our interest in wellness, and an affinity for meditation. We both had a strong personal meditation practice but craved the community and the benefits that comes from meditating with a group. Erica previously led a mindfulness meditation group in her hometown in Chicago and I gained so much value while taking in-person mindfulness meditation courses through the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center.
Meditation is usually practiced alone by most people as a way to draw your attention inward, find a sense of peace, and for self-discovery. However, when building a regular meditation practice, it helps to have the support of a community.
As we sit together in a group, we are able to share our experiences as well as learn from one another. There is so much power in a group of people who are attended to the same intentions of peace, compassion and joy. And the benefits of meditations can be amplified in a group setting.
“The experience of knowing that the silence I experience in my meditation is the same silence that the person sitting next to me is tapping into is quite moving.” -Mallika Chopra
Some of the benefits of group meditation include:
Increase Commitment to your Personal Practice: Consistent group meditations will help us to build and stay committed to our own daily practice. It helps to create a new habit by inspiring us to show up and gives us accountability, so you are more likely to keep going. Group practice also helps us stay focused and motivated, and provides us with a safe and comforting community where we can share our experiences. Many people find it challenging to maintain consistency with individual practice. However, when we meditate with others, there is a motivation to join the group on a specific time and day, and we cultivate the habit of dedicated daily practice.
Build Connection and Community: Brené Brown says that “connection is a core human need and it’s why we’re here”. Group meditations can help you cultivate compassion for yourself and others and thus make you feel more connected to other people. Becoming a part of a group can also be encouraging and inspiring. We can feel that we aren’t alone with our experiences and we can learn from one another. There is a deep sense of community and support when we show up together to sit and breathe. We feel more loved, connected, and accepted when we could listen to others and share with them.
“Connection is why we’re here; it is what gives purpose and meaning to our lives. The power that connection holds in our lives was confirmed when the main concern about connection emerged as the fear of disconnection; the fear that something we have done or failed to do, something about who we are or where we come from, has made us unlovable and unworthy of connection.” -Brené Brown
Help us overcome our Egos: Some of us have difficulty seeing the world beyond our personal concerns. This self-centeredness is the never-ending source of our suffering because the world will never fully comply with our wishes. Getting involved with helping others will help shift our frame of reference, and help us see how others suffer just as much as we do, if not more.
Creates a Ripple Effect: There are research studies that have shown that a ripple effect of peace can be experienced in the surrounding environment when a group of people meditate together and it’s based on the understanding that we are all connected. Energy and vibration can be felt and can spread from one person to the next, just like when a rock is thrown into a bay and it’s ripple effect spreads out into the ocean. The Inner peace, happiness and kindness that you experience from mediation can spread from one person and expand out to many others in the group and out into the world.
In group practice, we share our common experiences, our challenges and struggles and our joys. We learn to embrace and see all of ourselves and accept ourselves just as we are so we can live more fully and authentically. We also learn to be open to others in a non-judgmental, openhearted and compassionate way so that we can truly see each other just as we are, imperfections and all.
We would love for you to join our meditation group in Los Angeles, Chicago, or Online and experience for yourself the power of community practice! Check out our offerings here!
