How do you love your meditation practice, solo or in a group? If you’re like most people, you like being all by yourself most of the time.
So, you’ll naturally find solo meditation effective and enjoyable. However, you only know how much you enjoy group meditation once you try it.
Group meditation is one of the most exciting ways to relieve stress and anxiety while improving social skills.
In a group meditation session, interested participants meet at a predetermined time at one person’s home or public place. Next, they draw up basic guidelines for structure and organisation.
Everyone will also agree on the number of participants and the frequency of the sessions.
Participants often start a group meditation with guided or silent sitting meditation. Next, members check in on each other and dedicate time to sharing experiences and asking questions.
This gives them a chance to truly listen to one another while also taking notice of what is happening within themselves.
The bottom line is that group meditation offers numerous benefits that solo meditation can’t. We’ll discuss this in detail subsequently.
Why Should I Join a Meditation Group?
Everything’s better when shared, and meditation is no exception. Here’s why group meditation is worth a try:
1. Meditation Groups Offer an Enhanced Experience
One of the advantages of group meditation is the structure it provides to enhance your experience.
Unlike solo meditation, group meditation gives you access to expert guidance from an experienced teacher. This makes it more effective than attempting it alone.
Your teacher will reassure you and provide essential personalised tips to get the best out of meditation.
Meditation teachers also have suitable instruments and techniques to enhance your experience.
They’ll ensure that the environment is perfect and calm enough for you to truly relax. For example, your teacher may select appropriate music or scents to ease you into meditation.
You’ll also enjoy the structure that group meditation offers. Meditating in a group makes it difficult, no matter how busy your mind is or how much you want to quit in the middle of a session.
Group meditation motivates you to give it a shot no matter the challenges to enjoy all its benefits.
2. Meditation Groups Help to Develop a Habit
If you want to get the best out of meditation, you must be consistent with it to the point it becomes a habit.
This means that you’ll no longer need external motivation to practice it. Unfortunately, turning meditation into a routine is challenging if you do it alone and at home, where you’ll always have excuses.
The good news, however, is that signing up for group meditation is like scheduling happy hour with your friends.
There’s an element of excitement that meeting up with like-minded individuals brings. This motivates you to get out of bed or let go of flimsy excuses to meditate and make a habit out of it.
Habits are developed when triggers, routines, and rewards are present. When you have group meditation scheduled at regular intervals, the time becomes a cue for your meditation.
Commuting to the venue, meeting other participants, etc., forms the routine, while the reward is the “feel good” hormones you get from the activity.
As time passes, you’ll find yourself participating in a group meditation for years without realising it.
3. Meditation Groups will Increase Your Empathy
Empathy is one of the essential virtues everyone should develop. It’s what enables you to relate to friends, loved ones, coworkers, and strangers on a deeper level and be compassionate towards them. Empathy also has a significant positive effect on the world as it motivates people to help others during significant disasters.
While some people are naturally more empathetic than others, you can improve or lose your capacity for empathy.
Fortunately, one of the most effective ways to be more empathetic is to participate in group meditation.
You’ll be more inclined to feel empathy for people when you engage in a shared activity with them.
By meditating together, you’ll be able to sense and understand other group members’ experiences, especially their frustrations, interests, goals, etc.
This makes it easy for you to put yourself in their shoes and feel compassionate toward whatever they’re going through.
4. Meditation Groups Help You Connect to Others
As a social being, forming social connections is essential for your overall well-being. Positive relationships give you the strength to face whatever challenges life throws at you.
Also, encouragement from your social network can help you feel more purposeful and meaningful in life. All these make you more resilient, and the more resilient you are, the more your social network grows.
Unfortunately, your social circle will naturally shrink as you get older. Plus, you’ll frequently choose your friends and associates more carefully as you age.
Luckily, meditation groups expand your social network and bring you close to people who are just like you. That’s a win-win.
By joining a meditation group, you can connect to others who share your interests and sense of community.
Group meditation is also a terrific method to make new acquaintances in your neighbourhood and allows you to find shared interests outside of your career.
5. Meditation Groups Make You a Part of a Larger Picture
The people who participate in meditation groups are typically mature, wise, and conscious of the bigger picture.
Joining such a group gives you a sense of belonging to something bigger than yourself. It helps to demonstrate the value of your effort, no matter how little you think it is.
Most of the time, group meditation participants have a shared intention for transformation, peace, healing, sending love into the world, etc.
Meanwhile, numerous studies have shown how powerful it is for a group of people to be united in pursuing a single admirable goal.
According to the research, there’s something called the “Maharishi Effect.”
The term was coined after a community’s average crime rate decreased by 16% when 1% of the population participated in the Transcendental Meditation (TM®) program.
This is because individual consciousness has an impact on group consciousness. Meanwhile, group consciousness is one of the drivers of corrective action.
So, do you want to change the world? Are you a proponent of social justice, fairness, and equity? You can find fellow crusaders and effect the change you seek by joining a meditation group.
6. Meditation Groups Opens You Up to New Experiences and Ways of Thinking
You can only achieve growth in any area of your life or learn more about the world with open-mindedness.
Open-mindedness is one positive character trait that keeps you receptive to new ideas and experiences.
It broadens your mind, enhances creative thinking, and ensures that you consider other opinions to make well-informed decisions.
Without open-mindedness, you’ll be stuck in the same way of thinking that has always produced the same results you wish to change.
Open-mindedness is also essential in fostering positive relationships because it helps you recognise, understand, and respect your friends’ practices and beliefs.
One cannot underestimate the importance of having an open mind to overcome our differences and work together for collective advancement as a society and as individuals.
As you can expect, open-mindedness comes from your interaction with people who may have different ways of life and perspectives from yours.
That’s precisely what you’ll find in a meditation group. Group meditation allows you to receive guidance from a teacher while sitting, learning, and sharing experiences with others.
You’ll be more enlightened and empowered as participants ask questions and share their concerns.
7. You’ll Feel Peaceful Energy and a Sense of Safety in a Meditation Group
Have you ever wondered why being around a calm person can improve your mood almost immediately?
Do you remember that infectious smile that got you forgetting about your problems and smiling back? That’s the power for energy fields and frequencies.
The truth is that our brains can act as mirrors to reflect the thoughts and feelings of people around us.
So, when the people around you are stressed and anxious, you’ll likely absorb that energy too.
It’s the same when you’re around peaceful, vibrant, and happy people. You’ll have no choice but to catch the vibes too. Fortunately, group meditation creates an environment of peace and calm.
A group meditation class can produce a very calming and comfortable experience for you just because you’re in the same space as people in deep meditation.
The good news is that this effect also works for Zoom meditation groups, as your brain can’t tell the difference. So, if you need a quick mood boost, you know where to be at.
8. Meditation Groups Can Pull You Away from Technology and Handheld Devices
If you’ve ever tried to meditate at home, you already know how much your kids, spouses, food, etc., can distract you from having a practical session.
But have you also considered that your mobile devices (even the phone you use for guided meditation) could be a distraction too?
From the notifications to low battery, application navigation, and everything in between, you can quickly lose focus when meditating with handheld devices and other technology.
Fortunately, group meditation eliminates those concerns. You won’t have to worry about your screen’s blue light if you’re in a meditation session with the help and direction of a trained teacher.
So, if you’re addicted to your smartphones, group meditation is one of the best ways to fight it.
9. Meditation Groups Keep You Accountable to Your Goals
Meditation groups allow you to put community around your goals. They help you achieve objectives you’ll find challenging to complete independently.
As we mentioned above, group meditation triggers you to meditate even when you don’t feel like it.
This learned behaviour of sticking to a goal, regardless of how challenging it may be, will develop into a habit that influences every other area of your life.
As such, you’ll be able to set schedules and stick with them and do every other necessary activity to lead a more accountable and productive life.
10. You Get to Leverage the Power of Numbers
There’s power in numbers, and a group of people will always have more power over one person. Fortunately, this is also the case regarding the effects of meditating with others.
Think about the benefits or reasons behind your meditation practice. Do you want to feel less anxious, lonely, or troubled?
Are you meditating to form deeper relationships, deal with stress, or find empathy? Regardless of your reason for meditating, group meditation amplifies that experience.
It keeps you more creative, improves relationships, helps you focus better, etc.
Final Thoughts
While all types of meditation are effective when done well, group meditation offers numerous vital benefits over solo meditation.
For example, it improves your social life by connecting you with like-minded individuals and provides a solid structure that enhances your overall experience.
Group meditation can help you eliminate distractions, fight smartphone addiction and facilitate social change. It’s something worth trying.
FAQs
What are the benefits of group meditation?
The benefits of group meditation are too numerous to mention. Group meditations give you a sense of community while keeping you more accountable to your goals.
They keep you away from distractions, help you fight certain addictions, rewire your brain positively, etc.
Can I use Zoom for group meditations?
Of course, you can have a zoom group meditation if scheduling a physical group meditation is impossible for you and your friends.
People who are physically apart from one another can yet be together through Zoom mindfulness exercises.
It equips participants with the skills to ignore unpleasant distractions while increasing productivity and attention even with technology.
How do you meditate in a group?
How you meditate in a group depends on numerous factors, including the objectives and laid down rules.
However, many group meditations include room preparation, discussions, progressive relaxation, time for reflection, etc.
