A Public Display of Meditation
Adam Elenbaas
This week New Yorkers can “Get Self Centered” and feel great about it. SelfCentered is a meditation inspired for "authenticity seekers." Supported by the Chopra Center, its vision is to inspire one million people to enjoy meditation on a regular basis. This week in New York City, SelfCentered is holding several events, including a public display of meditation in Manhattan.
In anticipation of the events I interviewed SelfCentered founder, Max Simon. I asked Max to explain the SelfCentered vision and the nature of the upcoming events in New York.
AE: What is Self Centered? What is its vision and how did it begin?
The SelfCentered Tour is a new-school consciousness movement designed to bring a fresh vibe to meditation, breath styles, and other awareness tools. Unlike the old interpretation of ‘self-centered’ (perhaps egotistical, crazy stressed, constantly struggling, and totally overwhelmed), a modern day selfcentered person is authentic, grounded, balanced, and awake.
Our vision is to inspire one million people to get selfcentered by using the tools daily.
The selfcentered Tour was born as a grassroots campaign to teach the tools. I have been surrounded by consciousness, spirituality, and mind/body medicine my entire life. At 22, I became the youngest yoga and meditation teacher in the history of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing, where I spent several years touring the country, teaching these tools to thousands of people. However, I rarely saw people my age attending these events. I took a chance that maybe there’s another way of presenting the information that would be more appealing to people like me. I had met a number of people interested in developing deeper connections to their inner selves, but in a fresh, proactive way, without dogma or doctrine.
Explain the nature of the events that are happening in New York next week. What's going to happen?
“I believe that this era is full of new-school leaders of consciousness. A new-school leaders of consciousness is an ‘awareness rockstar’ who understands the knowledge, lives the lifestyle, and is ready to put their understanding into action. Our events are about experiencing what it feels like to step into this role.
We lead signature experiences, like the Public Display of Meditation (PDM), that lets participants put their selfcentered vibe into action. In our Pleasure Loves Company gatherings, like these in New York June 28 and 29, we dive deep into relevant content where everyone contributes to the conversation. But most importantly, we facilitate connection within the community so that the energy of the event carries through well beyond the close of the night. “
Some people believe that meditation and "turning inward" fosters indifference. The world seems like its in rough shape right now -- economic distress, global warming, violence, war, and poverty are rampant. How does meditation make a practical difference?
A lot of people want to make a change in the world because it’s both timely and the right thing to do. Yet many are still searching for their authentic voice and energy in that conversation. Our movement gives people an experience of tapping into that authentic space so that they can do anything and everything better. People always say change comes from within. When we are able to get clear, and connect with our core values, our silent inner-selves, I think we’ll see a shift
As you use the tools and shift into a selfcentered zone, the natural next step is to give back. But to be genuine and effective, that desire has to come from within. Get selfcentered and it happens organically.
For a complete schedule of events in New York this week, click here.
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training people to meditate?
"Meditation is one of the greatest arts in life - perhaps the greatest, and one cannot possibly learn it from anybody, that is the beauty of it. It has no technique and therefore no authority." —J. Krishnamurti
When someone becomes trained to meditate what they are actually doing results in thinking about what they imagine not-thinking, self-centering would be like. This continues further illusory practices when the clarity of mind and the effects achieved result from images created by thought in response to imposed images created by the thought of others. Even saying something like "Our movement gives people an experience of tapping into that authentic space so that they can do anything and everything better." provides a goal to achieve through meditation that an individual did not discover for themselves. These types of goals become psychological authorities. Instead, a valuable technique comes from a simple observation of the movement of one's own thoughts. This might reveal the flow of conscious and unconscious (outside of attention) conditioning.
"You should really forget the word meditation. That word has been corrupted. The ordinary meaning of that word - to ponder over, to consider, to think about - is rather trivial and ordinary. If you want to understand the nature of meditation you should really forget the word because you cannot possibly measure with words that which is not measurable, that which is beyond all measure." -J. Krishnamurti
hmmm
Would you call this response of yours authoritative, meditative, or speculative...perhaps something else?
Why do you offer your advice here, and what do you suppose people should learn from it?
Have you ever been to an event?
SelfCentered, in my experience, is not a jellybelly, look I tied my shoes and learned how to meditate, type of deal. They don't offer ultimate solutions or prescriptions; they offer some really solid help for people looking to grow.
Check out an event and while you're at the event, if you feel that something is not "authentic" or "helpful," then speak out. Selfcentered events are remarkable in their ability to hold space for any kind of conversation you'd like to have.
The funny thing is that SelfCentered often refers to the same idea that you're articulating here, dismissing commonly held myths about "methodological" meditation.
Language and perceptions are funny things. There's paradox and irony everywhere. It's not hard to point out. And the more we're surprised or shocked by it, the more or less we're surprised or shocked by it.
Adam Elenbaas