Why Meditating Together Is Better Than Meditating Alone
by WITHIN Cofounder Hannah Knapp
When I ask people why they start coming to classes at WITHIN, most of the time I get one of two answers:
They're struggling with anxiety or stress, and have heard meditation can help; or,
They're struggling with anxiety or stress, they tried meditating with an app, and it just didn't stick.
They've shown up to class because they have a hunch that sitting with other students, guided by a teacher, will help them get a lot more out of meditating, than doing it alone.
They're pretty much right on the money. Meditating together gives you the encouragement, accountability, and guidance you need to start and keep your new meditation habit. Here's how:
Especially when you're first starting out, meditating with other people gives you encouragement: you see that other people are experiencing the same challenges and discoveries that you're experiencing.
Sitting with other people gives you accountability: if other people are going to be there meditating, you're much more likely to show up than if you just make a date with yourself to sit alone.
Having a teacher you can check in with as you're taking your first meditation steps gives you much-needed guidance. Being able to ask questions about what's going on, what you're aiming for, and how you can practice when you're not in class can help you over any initial hurdles you've encountered, and keep going.
We started WITHIN because we found meditating in groups so incredibly helpful to sticking with our own practice, and learned so much from our teachers. We wanted to make it super easy for anyone to slip away from work for half an hour and tap into that, leaving refreshed, focused, and calm. That's our goal with every class we offer in the studio. Come see for yourself!