The Practice of Meditation Quiets Minds and Opens Hearts

The Buddhist Center of Pittsburgh

The practice of meditation as a tool to help unwind the mind and cope with everyday worries or concerns has long been recommended by doctors and therapists. Meditation is an art that improves with consistent practice and takes a lifetime to perfect. There are many types of meditation, and it can take many forms. The key is to find a style or practice that can become a regular part of a daily or weekly routine. Pittsburgh has several opportunities for people to learn about and try different types of meditation.

The Buddhist Center of Pittsburgh

The Buddhist Center of Pittsburgh in Allison Park offers many ways to begin. They lead weekly guided meditation sessions in person and online. Beginners are encouraged to come early to receive private instruction from one of the resident Bhantes (monks). “During the pandemic, the need for meditation became apparent, and so we added Zoom classes for children and adults,” said Bhante Pemaratana, the chief monk at the center. “So many of our attendees have a positive attitude and are open to our practice of loving-kindness meditation. Children’s Zoom classes are designed to be fun and simple and are shorter than adult classes.”

Loving-kindness is a meditation that focuses on breathing and repeating positive thoughts about the world around us. It teaches people how to cultivate feelings of goodwill, compassion, and kindness for oneself and others in the world.

The center also holds free weekly sessions, year-round, at public libraries throughout Allegheny County. They have regular attendance of 30–40 guests each week. Tina Whitehead works at the Carnegie Library in Oakmont. For months, she noticed that everyone who attended the weekly meditation session with the Bhantes appeared to have a weight lifted from their shoulders as they exited the library. She began attending weekly and said, “I am grateful for a dedicated time of quiet to focus on.”

Another longtime attendee, Mary Sprajcar, said, “I have been coming for years with a group of friends. I feel a peaceful calm and a sense of optimism by the end of the hour.” Bhante Pemaratana said his students report many benefits of regular meditation, such as better quality of sleep, feeling less anger and negativity, and even an overall sense of calm when dealing with emergencies. “The mind can be like a fish out of water, flopping in many directions. Meditation allows us to empty the mind and develop a feeling of calm,” said Bhante. “Being in a group meditation has been shown to have measurable benefits as well.”

The center is located alongside a wooded creek, and there are benches and a path that are open to the public. They hope to grow their center and add cottages and more places for private meditation. Please visit the website pittsburghbuddhistcenter.org for specific times and programs.

The Kearns Spirituality Center is on the La Roche University campus in the North Hills. Kearns provides a place where you can find time to pray, reflect, and rest outdoors in the beauty of nature at their permanent labyrinth, which was constructed in 2003. They welcome individuals to walk the labyrinth as a form of meditation and prayer. Reach out to Tish Donze at 412-366-1124 before you go to make sure there is not a group using the labyrinth.

Walking a labyrinth can release patterned behavior of various sorts. As you walk, there is a sense of unwinding, and the moving meditation forces your focus upon each step as you follow the patterned walk. At the Kearns Center for Spirituality, you begin by ringing a toned bell before entering the labyrinth. At a slow pace, it takes about 20 minutes to complete the labyrinth and ring the bell again. The labyrinth is a metaphor for a journey, and you can pause when you reach the center or continue on to exit. There is only one way in and one way out of any labyrinth, and the key is to self-reflect as you walk at your own pace. “Walking the labyrinth is more about the journey of life than the destination. It is about being rather than doing,” said Sr. Marian Senish, CDP, who offers spiritual direction and programs on prayer at Kearns Spirituality Center.

At the Zen Center of Pittsburgh, Deep Spring Temple in Sewickley, there are multiple programs to learn the practice of Soto Zen meditation. Kotoku Roshi is the abbot of the Deep Spring Temple, which opened in 1999. Soto meditation, also known as zazen, is a Japanese Zen Buddhist traditional practice of seated meditation, where the goal is to cultivate mindfulness and presence while sitting on a cushion in the lotus or upright position. As you focus on breathing, thoughts arise and pass while the mind tries to remain present.

The Zen Center offers yoga, Qigong, chanting services, and meditation classes. Sessions are by appointment only, and there is a monthly orientation class, which is required. The orientation covers how to “do zazen” as well as what to expect when you attend a formal meditation class. “While Soto meditation is practiced while seated on a cushion, we encourage our students to put the practice into action off the cushions,” said John Ott, an orientation instructor. For more information and to sign up for an orientation class, visit deepspringzen.org.