No Meditation Allowed

In the process of setting up a meditation program at a certain biomedical research university on the upper east side of Manhattan, I was politely told, “Unfortunately I need to ask that you cancel your meditation class… since your stated usage violates the University Policy on Use of University Premises and Facilities…”, etc., etc. The funny thing is, just months ago, the same university spent money creating special canopied areas with benches designated for smoking. But no meditation allowed.

Is this really where we are as a society? Meditation is, in short, the practice of being present, aware and awake. How interesting–what a statement about our society–that to be such a thing as awake would be against somone’s policy. But so be it. No sitting, no breathing, no clearing your mind. Got it. I wonder how many organizations and other companies actually have a policy that administrators could use–would use–to prevent people from meditating. Most companies (and this society in general really) already have a culture that is anti peace of mind. People work longer hours. Their minds are divided into many different pieces trying to multitask an extraordinary number of things. Some people never leave their desk–not even to take a proper lunch hour. Some people never go on vacation. Some people never have a moment’s peace all day and are so accustomed to living that way that they wouldn’t know how to enjoy a moment of peace if they were given one.

No meditation allowed at the university reminded me of an episode of Wife Swap I watched that Monday. On this show, two families exchange mothers. One of the mothers on Monday practiced Feng Shui, martial arts, and things like that. One morning, when it came time for the family to follow the new mother’s rules, she had them doing tai chi and breathing. “Who breathes?” The teenage daughter complained–and she wasn’t joking.

So in continuing to teach meditation classes, establish meditation programs and help others to do the same, I’ll keep this all in mind. It gives me a new perspective on what really needs to be done. And it will be interesting to see what, if anything, develops once the twenty or so people signed up for the on-campus meditation practice learn that it is forbidden.