It’s a weekday morning and I find myself seated on comfy, round cushion at Metta Mindfulness + Meditation Center with a group of meditators, both novices and experienced om-ers. We're sitting in a circle, waiting to be guided by Becca Peters, proprietress of Metta, veteran meditator, and sharer of wisdom. She begins by making us aware of our breath...how we can experience it. Before know it, we've spent 15 minutes contemplating nothing more than oxygen intake. There is an immediate calm. The peaceful vibes are tangible.
Becca has an inner light and ethereal beauty. She exudes kindness and a presence in the moment--a rare gift in these speedy times. A dedicated student and practitioner of meditation for well over 20 years, she guides the group with calm confidence. With an undergraduate degree in Psychology, a Masters in Clinical Social Work, and post graduate training from Stanford's School of Medicine and UCLA's School of Neuroscience, Becca's knowledge of her craft is self-evident. But, she explains, there is no such thing as an "expert" in meditation, and one should be wary of any who claim otherwise. Rather, it is a practice...no one place to "get to" and nothing to perfect.
Sure, Becca's got credentials up the wazoo, but more importantly, she's still learning from illuminaries and thought leaders in the fields of mindfulness and meditation across the globe...then she brings it all back to our salty city (not a bad return in exchange for sitting down to listen to our breath for a short while). Check her website to find details on her weekly drop-in classes, or dive in a little deeper and take one of her eight-week courses on Mindfulness, Compassion, or Self-Compassion...we could all use a bit of that. You can also book a private class for you or a group of up to 10 people (sounds like a novel way to kick-off a birthday weekend with your close ones). For Becca, it's not about changing the world, but about changing our reaction to it, and in the process making room for boundless joy. Metta means loving-kindness in Sanskrit, and Becca's brand new soul-seeking spot is an oasis of calm in the middle of downtown.
Metta Mindfulness + Meditation Center | 316 W 200 S, #108
