Rasa Spa Meditation Group in Ithaca: The Answers Are in Present Moment Awareness

10/09/2011

The Answers Are in Present Moment Awareness

Last Tuesday evening, following our meditation practice, we discussed more of Sharon Salzberg's book Lovingkindess. In the chapter about generosity, Salzberg writes: "If we are always looking for some object, person, or place to create a sense of completion for ourselves, we miss entirely the degree to which we are whole and complete in every moment."
This one sentence sums up present moment thinking. The past and future thoughts rob us of the present moment. This is to say that rehearsing thoughts about the past and the future, over and over in our minds, takes us away from what is really in front of us.
There is clarity in the present moment. The present moment is everything around you. The present moment is pure and not complicated. The labels and judgements that we place on the present moment are what complicates things.
Have you ever experienced the present moment? If you believe you have, ask yourself that question again. What does the present moment really feel like? And how can your experience of the present moment help you live each day, each moment more fully?
Being in the present moment is like our meditation practice, a constant letting go of the distractions in the mind. Explore present moment being and free your hearts and minds. The answers to many of the questions we ponder, by thinking about the past and the future, are in present moment awareness.

Current Meditation Book for Tuesdays Class

We recently finished reading and discussing Loving-Kindness by Sharon Salzberg. Now we are reading Calming Your Anxious Mind, by Jeffrey Brantley, MD. This book offers you a powerful and profound approach to overcoming anxiety, fear, and panic. From the evidence-based tradition of Western medicine, learn the role your thoughts and emotions play in anxiety. And, from the tradition of meditation and the inquiry into meaning and purpose, discover your own potential for presence and stillness, kindness and compassion - and the tremendous power these states give you to hear and transform your life.

GROUP & PRIVATE MEDITATION COUNSELING

GROUP MEDITATION
Shamatha Meditation (meaning peaceful abiding) is taught every Tuesday evening at Rasa Spa from 7:45 until 8:45 p.m. Sign-in and then head down the hall to the serene tranquility room. The hour-long class begins with a guided relaxation exercise, followed by formal seated meditation practice. This is followed by a discussion and reading from the meditation book being studied at the time. ALL LEVELS ARE WELCOME!

PRIVATE MEDITATION
We offer 30, 45-minute, and one hour private meditation sessions. Please call to make your appointment: 607.273.1740.

TESTIMONIALS

"Anne Marie has empathy and a large understanding of the person(s) with whom she is working as a teacher. She has assuredly made my life better and more whole in the 18-20 months I have been working with her."
Jerome M. Ziegler
Private client

"I definitely notice a shift in my level of mindfulness when I am attending meditation on a regular basis. If I am having a stressful or overwhelming week, I always feel centered again after attending a meditation class."
Parry Barker
Tuesday group meditation

"Through Anne Marie's open mindedness and willigness to share her own experiences, I have become more accepting of the views and experiences of others and I have gained a deeper understanding of how I can incorporate mindfulness practice into my everday life. Anne Marie has helped me to establish a meditation practice that I look foward to daily and has given me guidance for applying the practice to many personal and professional challenges."
Wendy Williams
Private client

"Your class is dreamy. It is the best class I've ever attended. You are a natural teacher. Bravo."
Marjorie Olds
Tuesday group meditation

"I'm so thankful for the meditation class. Meditation is a necessary break from the busy pace of life. The readings and group discussions are a chance to reflect and learn in a welcoming environment."
Ethan Ash
Tuesday group meditation

"Thank you very much for my first meditation session. My mind stayed open for the rest of the evening and it was a wonderful experience to be present."
Clinnette Minnis
Private client

"I find that coming to the meditation group and learning the technique helps bring a calmness to my day. I can take a deep breath and find a spot of peace. All kind of good things come from that peace - strength, creativity, and hopefulness. Thank you for that contribution."
Susan Boutros
Tuesday group meditation

"I have found that the regular practice of meditation, coupled with group and private meditation sessions, helps me understand myself and my experiences on a deeper, more intimate level. This has had positive consequences in my everyday activities both personal and professional, such as increased abilities to relax and to focus."
Lucian
Private client

"Since I've started coming to meditation, the one thing I've noticed is that it's forced me to be more conscious of how I'm reacting to situations around me. I take more time when choosing how to react and feel about things which I've noticed has helped me just feel better throughout every day."
Tyler Barker
Tuesday group meditation

"Thank you so much for your meditation guidance and yoga classes. Together they were exactly what I needed during a tough period in my life. Not only did they provide me with a type of regiment, but they gave me the tools I needed to find beauty, peace, and light in daily life."
Evelyn Stanley
Tuesday group meditation

About the Meditation Instructor

Anne Marie Cummings teaches Shamatha Meditation (Peaceful Abiding) once a week at Rasa Spa. Her understanding of meditation comes from 25 years of being a yoga and meditation teacher. As the youngest American to be trained by the founder of "Hot Yoga," Bikram Choudhury, Anne Marie was certified when she was seventeen by the Yoga College of India in Calcutta. She has taught yoga and meditation at schools in Seattle, Beverly Hills, Ft. Lauderdale, and New York City. One of her favorite quotes for the practice of yoga and meditation comes from Silva, Mira, and Shyam Mehta, in their book Yoga The Iyengar Way: "Yoga uses the body to exercise and control the mind so that at a later stage the body and the mind harmonize with the soul."

Yoga Before Tuesdays Meditation Class