Practice together
I’ve been sitting alone for most of forty years. That was the right thing for a long time. But something has shifted in recent years, and I’ve started offering group meditation sessions, both online and in person in California.
The impulse is older than it looks. On the merchant ships where I spent my early twenties, I watched two Hindu pump men show up for their morning meditation practice every day, in storms, in rain, in seas rough enough that everyone else was holding on to something bolted down. I watched a Muslim friend pray on the bridge wings facing open water. They never discussed it. They never compared notes. They just did it, with a regularity that made the weather irrelevant. I didn’t have a practice then, but I understood something watching them: the form was not the thing. The turning was the thing. And the turning held better when others were turning beside you.
These sessions draw on the two contemplative traditions I’ve practiced in, Advaita Vedānta and Nyingma Dzogchen, but they’re designed to be accessible regardless of your background. If you’ve never meditated before, you’ll have enough guidance to begin. If you’ve been practicing for decades, you’ll find a space to sit deeply without the usual introductory scaffolding.
I also draw on what the research literature has confirmed about mindfulness practice: that consistent meditation measurably reduces stress and anxiety, that it changes the structure and function of the brain over time, and that group practice tends to strengthen individual commitment. None of this was news to the contemplative traditions, but it’s useful to know the science agrees.
What the sessions look like
Each session runs about 60 minutes. We begin with a short period of settling, then move into guided meditation. The guidance is light. I’m not narrating your experience or telling you what to feel. I offer a direction of inquiry or attention, and then we sit together in silence. Toward the end, there’s time for questions and conversation if people want it. Some weeks the conversation is the best part. Other weeks the silence is.
The approach varies. Some sessions lean more toward self-inquiry in the Vedāntic style. Others are closer to the Dzogchen practice of resting in natural awareness. I don’t announce which in advance because I’ve found the most honest practice responds to what’s actually in the room rather than following a script. If you’re new to both traditions, that’s fine. The instructions are always given in plain language, not jargon.
Beginners are welcome and don’t need to do anything to prepare. If you want context, How to Start a Meditation Practice covers the basics. Experienced practitioners are equally welcome. There’s no lowest common denominator here. The sessions go as deep as the people in them.
Online (Zoom)
Weekly group meditation
April 11 – May 2, 2026 (4 weeks)
Saturdays, 10:00–11:00 AM Pacific
Via Zoom (link sent after signup)
The online sessions follow the same format as in-person: settling, guided meditation, silence, and optional conversation. Camera on or off is your choice. I’ve found the Zoom format works better than I expected. The shared silence comes through even over a screen.
Drop-in: $15 per session
Monthly (4 sessions): $45
In person (Fullerton, CA)
Weekly group meditation
Wednesdays, 2:00–3:00 PM
Fullerton, CA (address provided after signup)
The in-person sessions have a slightly different quality. There’s something about sharing a physical space that the screen can’t replicate. The format is the same, but the silence tends to deepen faster when you can feel the presence of others in the room. Small group, usually 6–12 people.
Drop-in: $20 per session
Monthly (4 sessions): $60
If cost is a barrier, reach out. I don’t want money to be the reason someone doesn’t sit.
The foundation
I should say a word about what these sessions are rooted in, because there’s a lot of meditation instruction out there that floats free of any tradition, and I think that matters.
The practice I teach comes from forty years of daily meditation in two traditions. Advaita Vedānta, which works through self-inquiry, asking “Who am I?” and tracing attention back to its source. And Nyingma Dzogchen, which works through direct recognition of the nature of awareness. These are rigorous contemplative paths with centuries of accumulated wisdom about how the mind works and what lies beyond it.
At the same time, I’m aware that most people coming to meditation today aren’t looking for a tradition. They’re looking for relief from stress, or clarity, or a way to be more present in their lives. The science supports all of this. Research from institutions like Harvard, Stanford, and the University of Wisconsin has demonstrated that meditation practice reduces cortisol levels, improves attention and emotional regulation, and produces measurable changes in brain regions associated with self-awareness and compassion. Programs like MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) have brought these findings into clinical practice with strong results.
My sessions draw from both. The practice is grounded in tradition. The benefits are confirmed by science. And the door is open to anyone, regardless of where they’re starting from.
Sign up
Leave your email below and I’ll send you the details, including the Zoom link and in-person location. You’ll also receive the preface of Nothing in the Way as a PDF.
Questions? rbhaskar2@gmail.com