Meditation and Group Energy

About 8 years ago I realized that I wanted and needed to get rid of some of the noise of my overactive brain. Life was overwhelming, every decision took on massive proportion and I was generally left with a sense of less than-ness. So I learned how to meditate. The goal was to quiet the thoughts at the outset and later become a process of not attaching to them. 

But what I really was learning was to show compassion for myself in my process. To lessen the judgement and inner dialogue that was so filled with how I was not ________ enough - you can fill in the blanks if this resonates for you.

I've been practicing meditation now for over 8 years. Mostly alone, sometimes when I'm lucky, on a multi day retreat, and lately in a new setting for me.

There's a Meditation center in my neighborhood called Shambhala Meditation Center of Chicago. I wandered in after being told by a friend that she had visited it and thought I'd like it. And was she right. There is something about sitting silently in a group that provides an entirely different experience to the meditation journey. You are doing it yourself, but you are not alone. When you stand you see others, and you realize that you are not alone in your desire to find that peacefulness and help repair the world, one mind at a time.