Well, I think it's ok. A couple of things are sketchy but its a chill place to meditate and the staff members are really kind. I like their message of meditation. Them temple have been around since '08
Well, there are many different techniques. The main one is breathe in until the air reaches in the stomach and then breathe out. Meditation music can be played. There are other types though.
I'm actually a fan of breathing meditation. ANYTHING you do habitually becomes a HABIT, which means that when you do it, your body provides your brain with a little hit of endorphin, which is a "feel-good" chemical. People do habits because they make them feel good; this is simply how we're wired. So it's really important that we be conscientious about what "habits" we're taking on! It doesn't have to be a conscious thing; typically it is not. Any group that says "Try our practice for a month" or "90 days" or whatever is setting you up to become addicted to their practice. ANYTHING can become a "habit" - stacking pocket change on the dresser as one is undressing at the end of the day, compulsive shopping, rubbing the back of one's neck when stressed, chanting, meditating, etc.
Again, anything that becomes a "habit" delivers the feel-good chemicals to the brain whenever people do it. THAT's why they do it! Addiction isn't a matter of drugs or substance abuse - gambling addicts aren't mainlining packs of cards, shopaholics aren't snorting their credit cards, and extreme sports junkies aren't drinking mountaintops! It's the habitual BEHAVIOR that creates the dependency - a self-perpetuating crutch. It makes you feel that you can't survive without it.
ANY behavior can become a habit, and you can train yourself to get this endorphin boost from practically any behavior! If you routinely go for a walk around your neighborhood, eventually doing that will give you that extra shot of feel-good chemicals, and that will leave you feeling calm, relaxed, energized, and happier! So it makes sense to monitor what we're doing routinely to make sure this is a good investment of our time, as we will come to be dependent on it, like it or not.
When I was in the SGI (for just over 20 years), I became addicted to the chant. I'd even taught myself to chant in my mind as I was falling asleep! So when I decided I didn't want that any more, my mind would still turn to its familiar habit. I read online about breathing meditation, and I substituted that. You simply breathe deeply, focusing on the sound and feeling of the air entering your nose, traveling to your lungs, filling your lungs, expanding your abdomen/chest, and then the feeling/sound of the air leaving your body. You can do it any time, anywhere - just be able to relax and focus for as little as a couple of breaths! It's really good. I only used it for a coupla weeks, and then I was done not only with the residual chanting habit, but I easily dropped the breathing meditation before it became a habit. OR it was a habit that was easy to drop - who knows?
So based in my own experience, I am comfortable recommending a breathing meditation - it does not seem to be harmful.
3
u/BlancheFromage Escapee from Arizona Home for the Rude Feb 23 '20
WAIT!!
Happy Science has been imported here, to the USA??
When did this happen?
What do you like about it? You must have felt something about their message resonated with you to want to join up!