A group of like-minded individuals have pooled their resources to open a meditation center where the people of Seattle and the surrounding area can relax, meditate and renew their energy completely free of charge. The new Sahaja Meditation Center is located in the Northgate area at 12317 15th Ave NE at NE 125th St. Practitioners of Sahaja Meditation are able to experience the state of mental silence known as “thoughtless awareness”. In thoughtless awareness, your mind is calmed and gradually emptied of all distractions, excessive thoughts or negative feelings.  One can access the subtle inner energy that resides within everyone. As this energy flows, it imparts a healing and balancing effect on both our physical and mental health. Trust-Bolack, an instructor at the new center says, “Sahaja Meditation is an experience.  It is not a belief system, or a membership organization. It has really helped me to understand myself, to face issues, and to both accept and improve myself. When youmeditate you get the power to see your problems and correct them, but you have to want to correct them.  One of the most visible benefits is that a lot of junk has cleared out of my life- fear, anger, stress.” Speaking on why he and others offer to teach classes for free he says, “We volunteer to give back to the community.  Sahaja Meditation is a pleasure to experience and to offer to others.  This meditation has done so much for us; it is our pleasure to share it.  It actually gives us a lot of personal satisfaction when we see how relaxed and happy people become after meditating.” Sahaja meditation seems to do different things for different people, but each practicing meditator tells his/her own tale with passion. Deepti Munjal, a software engineer at Microsoft, tells of her experience with this meditation. “One evening when I left home for meditation, I had such a severe headache I could barely drive.  I went because I had a strong desire to meditate at the Crossroads Mall programthat night. In the beginning, I tried to meditate but couldn’t because of my headache. After a while I felt a cool energy, like a little breeze flowing through my hands and body, and then my headache completely vanished.  I started smiling. When we got up from meditation, I felt completely refreshed as if I had woken after a nice sleep. I thought, “Wow! This meditation is really great.” Maery DeWeese, mother of three, says “When I meditate regularly, I am aware that I’m not thinking about my past issues or mistakes as much.  I feel free to just be myself and not worry about others’ expectations of me. I notice that my children and husband are more joyful and respectful towards me because I am calmer.” Some teens in the area have also taken to Sahaja Meditation to relieve stress and live a more settled life. Leela Trumbo, age 16, relates “It gives me a sense of security and a feeling of belonging.  I always feel better when I meditate.  It relieves the stress I pick-up at school, andimproves my focus on my schoolwork.” Mikhail Zogorski, age 17, says “Sahaja Meditation improves my performance in sports because I can keep my attention completely on what I am doing without being distracted by random thoughts like the results, or pressure from my teammates. It really helps me focus.” The beauty of this particular practice is that it is ultimately very individualized and tailor-made to each person’s needs and desires. This is because our inner energy is our very own and as we deepen our connection, it serves as both guide and companion. For many, Sahaja Meditation becomes much more than just a temporary solution or quick relief. The classes themselves are conducted in a peaceful environment; music is sometimes used to promote a calm atmosphere. Meditations are guided by instructors and are designed to accommodate the group. Affirmations, gestures and simple attention exercises are used to enhance the experience. Individual assistance is always available, and studentsare encouraged and empowered to meditate at home. While the actual experience of meditation forms the core of these sessions, there may also be discussions of related topics.  There’s also plenty of opportunity to enjoy casual conversations and share experiences with others. Sessions are designed to last one hour, so that they are easy to fit into anyone’s busy schedule. Sahaja Meditation is a non-profit organization offering free meditation in more than 75 countries worldwide.  For years up until now, classes have been offered in the Seattle area by a core group of dedicated volunteers in libraries, community rooms, schools, community festivals, businesses, and by special invitation. Now, Sahaja Meditation has opened a center in the Northgate area.  They offer a variety of meditation programs from beginner to advanced level as well as specialty courses such as meditation for moms and babies, and classes given in Spanish and Russian, to name a few.  All classes are free of charge andno pre-registration is required. Everyone is welcome to explore the classes at their own pace.