The benefits of meditating in a group

11 Dec The benefits of meditating in a group

All meditation traditions agree on the extraordinary benefits of meditating in a group. In the Buddhist tradition it is said that there are three jewels to practising meditation :-

1/ An enlightened teacher
2/ The truth
3/ Practising in a group

According to the Jewish faith God listens when ten of His Faithful come together in prayer.

The benefits of practising together are –

enhancement of individual practice and acceleration of personal and spiritual growth.
a sense of belonging or connectedness with others
increases longevity (you live longer!)
increases the quality of your life by coming together socially
studies have shown that patients of open heart surgeries and metastatic breast cancer were 7 times more likely to survive than those who were not part of a mutual support group i.e those attending an equivalent once a week meditation class had increased longevity and recovery rate.
encouragement from others to continue your private practice
being able to discuss experiences with like minded people and having the opportunity to be corrected when going off the path
being able to discuss and solve problems encountered during private practice
on your own meditation may seem like a tedious pursuit but knowing others are meditating with you gives you social support.

Jesus put it elegantly ………..

“whenever two or more of you are gathered in my name, there is love”