The club started out slowly last November as an informal and occasional gathering of Zimbalist, Gately, and a few other friends. Zimbalist even admits to being the only participant at a few of the club s earliest meetings. Although meditation does not require a group, most club members said they enjoy sharing the experience. Any calm that one person feels adds to the calm of the room. And it brings motivation.
Most members seem to participate largely because of their busy schedules.
Indeed the guided meditation that takes place every Monday night makes it almost impossible to worry about anything but breathing. One type of guided meditation the group uses, called Anapanasati, focuses on the effect of breathing on different parts of the body. By using the act of breathing as a way of becoming aware of those different body parts, participants can then relax and balance themselves piece by piece. Such guided meditations will occur on Monday nights all semester. But Zimbalist, taking into account the different levels of experience and varying interests of the members, has organized two additional meetings on Wednesdays and Fridays for advanced and silent meditations, respectively.