Meditation at the JCC: Welcome Yourself as You Are

What if there is a way to guide yourself out of repetitive, stressful mind patterns, and find your way home to the body and peace? What would it be like to create a sacred time in your day to connect with yourself and connect with community? What if everything that happens to you could be your teacher? What if there is a different way to approach all aspects of yourself, that leads to calm and healing, rather than shame and suffering?

If you are wondering about any of these questions, the Boulder JCC daily morning Meditation Sit might provide some pathways to explore.

With all that is swirling around in the world today it could be helpful to learn tools to approach yourself and the world in a kind and patient way, without pressure, expectation or agenda.

The group meets on zoom each week day from 9 to 9:30 a.m. The group is lead by trained meditation facilitators on Tuesday, Wednesdays and Thursdays. On Mondays and Fridays volunteers from the group serve as leaders. The group meets in person at the Boulder JCC on the third Thursday of each month.

How does it work? After introducing a contemplation for the day, the group sits quietly for about 18 minutes, followed by an opportunity for sharing. Every Sit includes the Mi Shebeirach (Healing Prayers) and ends with the Mourner’s Kaddish. We finish at 9:30. All our welcome, no meditation experience is necessary, only curiosity.

The Boulder JCC meditation Sit has been growing and evolving since it started more than 4 years ago. What started during the pandemic as a way to offer community and a bit of calm and mindfulness to all of us in isolation, still remains a morning ritual for many. For others, the morning Sits have given them the tools to establish their own personal meditation practice.

“I consider myself a meditator now, and that is a surprise to me,” says Julie Shaffer. “I started attending the daily zoom meditation sits at the Boulder JCC during the pandemic. At the time I had a lot of flexibility in my mornings and it was helpful to try meditation to bring some calm to my day during that stressful time. I don’t come to the JCC sits anymore because of my schedule, but I still practice the meditation skills I learned in that group on my own on a regular basis. Becoming a meditator was definitely one of silver linings of COVID for me.”

Here’s what some of the regulars of the Boulder JCC morning meditation Sit had to say about why they mediate.

“Because it helps me grow my mindfulness muscle.”

“To quiet myself in the morning.”

“I meditate to bring myself back to center.”

“It reduces my reactivity to life’s adversities, and lets me see them in a new light.”

“I know I need to practice this and now I need our group.”

“To be in touch with the best part of myself.”

“For a moment of quiet and reflection in my day.”

“To accelerate out of my worries.”

“I meditate for community and grounding.”

To attend the Boulder JCC meditation Sits register and get the zoom link.