Meditation: 'You're never too busy.'

Like exercise, there are many forms of meditation and many places to try them out in the Lower Hudson Valley. We found four places that practice various forms of meditation — Mindfulness, Mindfulness Awareness, Transcendental, and a Meditation Combo — and while they all have their own missions and techniques, they all offer guided sessions and promise great physical and emotional rewards.

Combination Meditation, Willow Tree Yoga, Bardonia

Bardonia resident Beatrice Mattaway laughs when she hears people complain, “I’m too busy to meditate.” That’s like saying, “I’m too hungry to eat,” she says. “Being too busy is exactly why we need meditation.”

Mattaway is no secret to meditation herself. Unlike for some who discover meditation as adults, meditation has always been part of Mattaway’s life. She spent part of her childhood in Japan, where her parents found Zen Buddhism and would meditate every Saturday. “We were little kids, but they let us come.”

Later on as an adult, she lived in India, where she grew an appreciation for meditating in the early morning — at 4 a.m. “There’s a magic in the air at that time of day when no one else is up,” she says.

Today, Mattaway is the owner of Willow Tree Yoga, a yoga studio in the basement of her home — and in warmer weather, outside in the yard, under a towering old willow tree — where she teaches Hatha yoga including Vinyasa flow. Along with yoga, she offers meditation classes once a month, and this January, she’s introducing her first “10-day meditation challenge.” She’s inviting students to get up and come to the studio at 4:30 a.m. for a guided meditation for 10 straight days.

“They can come in their pajamas if they want. Any habit takes 10 times,” she says. If the early morning game time is deterring, give it a chance. According to Mattaway, it’s the best time to meditate. “The mind coming from sleep is the most conducive time,” she says.

Mattaway’s studio is a fully equipped with yoga mats, blocks, straps, bolsters, pillows, and bands. Meditation classes are separate from yoga classes, and you’ll find comfortable chairs, yoga mats, blankets, and cushions for meditation. “It quiets the body when you have a blanket wrapped over you,” says Mattaway.

With such a breadth of mediation experience behind her, Mattaway incorporates a blend of meditation styles into her classes. “I guide people through forms of transcendental meditation, Buddhist zazen meditation, and mindfulness meditation. We’ll do one for five minutes, one for 10 minutes. We always end in Savasana meditation, a lying down meditation. You get to completely relax and let your body feel all that you’ve done during the class,” she says.

Zazen meditation is a seated meditation with a focus on controlling the mind with the breath. Breath is vital in meditation, according to Mattaway. Her meditation classes start with getting everyone to breathe properly.

“The practice of learning to deep breathe into the belly helps us get into the state that’s necessary for meditation. I always start by making sure everyone can breathe properly,” says Mattaway. Next, she gets their bodies set up and aligned and helps students focus on the anchor. “If your mind has wandered, I steer people back to the breath, or the candle, or the mantra.”

But no matter which technique Mattaway happens to be teaching, the goal of her meditation is always the same: to quiet the mind. “We have so many distractions in this world. I like to offer different types of mediation so you can find the one that works for you.”

The benefits are endless. Meditation lowers blood pressure, relaxes brain waves, and helps you release stress.

“Meditation has kept me sane,” she laughs. “By the practice of quieting all the chitchat, you learn to detach the busyness of the mind. We can’t change what happens outside ourselves but mediation allows you to change your reaction to it.”

Details: The Meditation Challenge starts on Jan. 11 through 22. It costs $100 — if you complete the 10 days, you get $50 back. Meditation is offered once a month and is also incorporated into Mattaway’s yoga classes. 17 Whispering Court, Bardonia; 845-624-0341; willowtreeyoga.net

FIND MORE OPTIONS FOR MEDITATION HERE