The greatest ally anyone can have is a mind that's clear, quiet, and able to perceive the best in the world. The ancient practice of sitting meditation is the greatest means to become friends with your mind. Banyan is proud to offer an array of meditation classes, retreats, and institutional training programs that help people to be as clear and free as can they be.

Meditation is the ancient practice of relaxing, centering oneself, and turning one's attention deep inside. Tremendous peace, freedom and healing power lives inside every person- just beyond the anxieties of the mind. Meditation teaches us how to work with our minds, take our awareness into our hearts, access our inner power, and bring that power to bear in our daily lives.

The practice itself is simple- but it has profound effects. Meditation has now been proven to affect measurable changes in our brains and in our health- helping us to have greater access to inner contentment and lasting experiences of well-being.

In New York we offer one-on-one meditation instruction and host regular group meditation retreats and learning events. Our teachers are the best. We bring decades of experience to help you learn how to go deep into meditation and sustain a regular, joyful practice.

Personal meditation training

Meditation is a very individual and private experience. No two meditators meditate in the same way. Each meditation student faces unique challenges in their practice. We specialize in one-on-one lesson packages custom fit to each student's needs. If you are serious about learning meditation and establishing a regular practice, private lessons are the best way to learn. Our lesson packages are designed to firmly establish new meditators in a fabulous meditation practice. The packages include private lessons, weekly readings, meditation space consultation, and plenty of support. Sessions can also be conducted over the phone for students not residing in New York. Call or email us for more information.

Prenatal meditation

Parents-to-be report tremendous benefits from the practice of meditation. Pregnant moms (and dads) who meditate regularly during the pregnancy report a deep connection with each other, with their baby, and a much more easeful experience of birth.

Meditation is the perfect way to relax your body, quiet your senses, and deepen your ability to "tune in to" the energy of your unborn baby. Meditating parents can "get to know" their child months before delivery.

Meditative relaxation and breathing exercises are perfect compliments to your birth preparation regimen. Meditating as a couple is a soothing and powerful way to spend quality time together and bond as you prepare for your big day.

We offer private instruction sessions for expectant mothers in our comfortable and convenient Uptown and Downtown locations in New York City. Glowing references available on request. Call or email now to schedule an intro session.

Recent War Veterans

The men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan face challenges we can only imagine. Banyan is committed to providing meditation as a means for vets to unwind and decompress from their experience overseas. Combat vets are known to have high rates of stress related illness, depression, and problems with anger. We teach simple and powerful techniques to give returning veterans the inner support they need. Meditation is an excellent and natural treatment for stress, insomnia, anger, anxiety, and depression.

Our teachers are professional and discreet and our results are guaranteed. We're currently offering no-cost meditation training for recent vets. No strings attached. Just contact us for more details.

If you are a vet (even if you don't want to learn meditation right now) we would love to speak with you. We are always learning better ways to serve different groups of people. As a person with real experience, your input is most valuable to us.

In April 2009 (date TBA) we will be hosting a weekend retreat for vets somewhere in the NYC area. Let us know if you are interested in donating funds for the retreat or if you want to attend.

High School Programs

Meditation is a crucial skill for teens to learn. The practice provides them with a self generated and healthy means for handling stress and navigating the sometimes trecherous highschool years. Banyan's non-religious, no nonsense approach fits well with public and private educational models.

Banyan offers an array of meditation programs for High Schools. In New York City, Banyan works in partnership with The New Design Highschool and offers a year-round stress management curriculum for all students. During the Summer, Banyan custom-creates wilderness meditation retreats for highschools and offers on-going support for students and staff throughout the school year.

Contact us to find out more or how your school can include meditation and stress management training. We'll take the time to get to know your students needs and your institution's approach and then design curriculum that supports everyone involved.

Hospital and hospice programs

The hospital experience is one that is difficult, stressful and often painful. Meditation is a powerful tool to help patients and the families of patients cope with the strains of their hospital stay. Terminally ill patients can find deep peace and respite having guidance into their inner experience of letting go.

Since 2003, Banyan has been conducting a pilot program at Mt. Sinai Children's Hospital offering meditation, visualization, and deep relaxation sessions for patients, their parents, and hospital staff. We are now expanding the program to other area hospitals and hospice services.

Meditation as an intervention is versatile and easily adapted to patients and family member's special needs. For kids, we refer to what we do as mind-play meditation therapy. Our mind-play sessions help kids cope with the stress, pain, and emotional turbulence of the hospital experience -plus, the sessions are fun. We custom fit the exercises depending on the age, temperament and condition of the child. For teens and adults, we emphasize the deep relaxation aspect of meditation. What we do goes beyond the usual "sit still and watch your breath" approach. We do interactive visualizations and really help people enter into deep states of meditative absorption. Most of our sessions are now done by the bedside and often include the patient's family members.