LEWISTON — The Community Meditation Group meets for a monthly meditation class from noon to 1 p.m. on the second Sunday of every month at Chill Yoga’s tranquil, open space at 178 Lisbon St. The next meeting will be Sunday, Feb. 12.

This is a free, donation-based group practicing open, interpretable meditation. The group, which meets for an hour, happens mostly in silence, with participants free to break as they choose. There are many mats, cushions and blankets to make it a comfy experience. You can meditate lying down. Straight-backed chairs are available if requested beforehand. Anyone is welcome to contribute information and insight regarding meditation practice.

People who come to meditation group have different religious faiths, follow different spiritual traditions or teachers, or have different paths of practice and opinions. Through the practice of meditation the capacity to be fully open to our experience is cultivated, as is the ability to respond to everyday life situations with greater clarity and respect.

Facilitator Jessy Kendall says, “The process of constantly trying to remember your true, quiet self within your surroundings is multi-layered. It is the single most relaxing action you can commit to, but people often shy away from groups sits. I did at first, but I realized that meditating with others is a powerful focus; a true reminder of why we sit in the first place.”

Meditation practice can increase blood flow and slow the heart rate, which can lead to a deeper level of relaxation. It is good for people with high blood pressure as it has been shown to bring the B.P. to normal, decreases muscle tension and headaches, as well as increases serotonin production which influences mood and behaviour. Research suggests that meditation improves memory and increases activity of ‘natural-killer cells,’ which fight bacteria and cancer cells. It can also reduce activity of viruses and emotional distress.

Kendall said, “Meditation can be more restorative than sleep. Practice shows our ego-based internal dialogue to be simply passing memory; real, but not the only force that guides our lives.”

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