Tuesday Meditation

This Tuesday evening meditation is a three-hour group meditation with kirtan at the Self-Realization Fellowship Hollywood Temple in Los Angeles, California. It is open to newcomers and experienced meditators alike, and it is one of a series of Tuesday gatherings held through the Christmas season. The practice follows the Self-Realization Fellowship tradition and the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda.

What to Expect

The evening begins at 7:00 p.m. with a group practice of the Energization Exercises outside the temple. From there the meditation continues inside the temple until 10:00 p.m., combining devotional kirtan chanting with silent group meditation.

Three hours is a long sitting, and the schedule allows for that. The doors reopen at 8:00 p.m. and again at 9:00 p.m., so you can arrive or leave at those points and take part in only a portion of the evening. Someone coming after work, or trying a group meditation for the first time, can join at 8:00 or 9:00 and still share in the chanting and the stillness.

The Setting

The gathering takes place in the temple itself, with the Energization Exercises practiced outdoors before everyone goes inside. The Hollywood Temple holds many weekly meditations and services, and this Tuesday session is a longer evening offering within that rhythm of temple life.

Before You Go

No prior experience is required. If this is your first group meditation, the temple asks that you look over its Group Meditation Guidelines beforehand, which explain how the group sits together and how people enter and leave.

What the evening includes:

- Group practice of the Energization Exercises outside the temple
- Kirtan chanting inside the temple
- Silent group meditation for the rest of the session
- Re-entry at 8:00 and 9:00 p.m. for those attending part of the evening

Refreshments and meals are not part of this session, so you may want to eat beforehand if you plan to stay the full three hours. Beyond the published guidelines, there is no separate instruction or materials; the evening is simply a chance to practice together in the temple.