The Inspiration for Starting WITHIN Meditation
Hannah Knapp and Megan Parker, Co-Founders of WITHIN Meditation
By WITHIN Meditation Cofounder Hannah Knapp
I remember walking down the street in San Francisco, on the phone with my soon-to-be co-founder, Megan Parker, in November 2016. She was in New York, getting a new office set up there for her employer at the time - and trying to find a way to deal with the anxiety and overwhelm she was experiencing.
She had called me because she had discovered an oasis in the middle of the NYC madness - a meditation studio called MNDFL. It offered group meditation classes in a beautiful, serene setting, led by experienced teachers - and it was packed.
“Where’s our MNDFL, Hannah? I’m going to need one when I’m back in SF!” I remember her saying. I laughed. “There isn’t one, Megan. I’ve never seen a meditation studio in San Francisco.”
“Well then, maybe we should start one!” she said.
What started out as a playful suggestion turned into a mission for me and Megan. Six months later, both of us had quit our “day jobs” and thrown ourselves into creating WITHIN Meditation.
Making all of our classes accessible to everyone meant no prerequisites like you found in “serious” meditation establishments, no yearly contract memberships like you found in gyms, and most of all, a friendly atmosphere where anyone could feel comfortable right away.
Through these group meditation classes, we wanted to grow a community of students and teachers that supported each other, in their meditation practice, and in navigating daily life.
Over the years since we started WITHIN, I’ve kept asking new students why they started coming to meditation classes with us. 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 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.
That was the same hunch that Megan and I had, based on our own experience: meditating in community gives you the encouragement, accountability, and guidance you need to get over the hurdles that come up when you’re practicing meditation. And that means you stick with it long enough to begin to see the benefits in your daily life.
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.
In the Q&A that’s a part of all of our classes, it often happens that someone will ask a question, and another person will say, “I’m so glad you asked that! I was wondering the same thing.”
Knowing that you’re not alone in your confusion, or that you’re not the only one struggling with an aspect of meditation, is such a relief!
Sitting with other people – even if it’s on Zoom! – 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. And once you’ve built some trust with the teachers and the students in your classes you may even find that you’re excited to check in and sit with them regularly.
That sense of community helps turn your meditation practice from a “should” into something you truly look forward to doing.
Having a teacher you can check in with gives you much-needed guidance, both as you're taking your first meditation steps and years into your practice. 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 hurdles you’re encountering, and keep going.
That was my own personal experience when I started meditating, which planted one of the seeds for creating WITHIN years later. It was June 2012. I had just finished a 10-day silent meditation retreat, and came home exhilarated - and craving connection with other people who were as excited as I was about living a mindful life.
I reached out to a yoga teacher I knew, and asked her how I could find those people. She invited me to join her at Infinite Smile Sangha - a group that meditated together, with a teacher, once a week. I remember joining my first gathering there and feeling like I was coming home. The group’s teacher, Michael McAllister, offered encouragement and inspiration - and had a way of answering questions that was incredibly clarifying and helpful. The other people in the room were all at different life stages, and different stages in their meditation journeys, but they all supported each other, just by being there. I could feel it, and it nourished me as much as Michael’s words.
Megan and I started WITHIN because we found meditating in groups so helpful for sticking with our own practice, and learned so much from our teachers and fellow students. We wanted to make it easy for anyone to slip away for half an hour and tap into that, leaving refreshed, focused, and fully aware of what was going on for them – emotionally, physically, and mentally.
We envisioned it as a place where people could dip their toes into meditation, without having to sign up for an intimidating retreat or an 8-week course. We wanted anyone to be able to walk through our doors and take a class with a teacher who could help them take a breather from the craziness of daily life.
Today, on our 4th anniversary of opening our doors, I’m so proud of this community we’ve created at WITHIN.
With every class our teachers offer, our intention is to allow you to step into a space where you can tune into what’s going on beneath the surface level of your mind, supported by the other people meditating with you, and the teacher. There, you not only tap into your own inner knowing, but also gain so much wisdom from both the teacher and the other students.
In a world where we’re so accustomed to looking outside ourselves for happiness, WITHIN is a place where you’re encouraged to look within yourself instead. You’re already whole and complete, with a deep capacity for joy - you just need to pause long enough to see it. The collective energy and insight that comes from meditating with a group of people can be a powerful catalyst for seeing that for yourself.
That's what you can expect with every class we offer in our online studio. Come see for yourself!
Hannah teaches in our online studio first thing Monday mornings - join her for a class and start off your week with clarity and inspiration.