By Summer Crawford

news editor

@summercrawfordd

Sitting cross-legged, palms resting open on the knees and eyes closed, one cannot help but feel a soothing calmness roll over their body. There is a soft hum of birds and inner peace is reached.

This is what Coppell residents were able to experience on Tuesday night through a Meditation workshop as a part of Living Well in Coppell’s Personal Wellness initiative. Volunteers from the Isha Foundation, a non-profit public service organization that aids human well-being, lead the insightful seminar on going outside the body and mind.

A main aspect of the seminar was teaching participants how to meditate using Isha Kriya, a meditation created by yogi and humanitarian Sadhguru Vasudev. Vasudev is the founder of the Isha Foundation, and the idea for Isha Kriya is for it to enhance clarity, improve health, heighten focus and energy and create a state of peacefulness. The event began with a short video about raising human consciousness, and half of the seminar was dedicated to one of his videos showing the steps to Isha Kriya.

Gomathi Swamy, yoga teacher and full time volunteer for 17 years, traveled all the way to Coppell from her home in Tennessee for the workshop. She lead the event from beginning to end, giving detailed explanations of the benefits to Isha Kriya.

“We have volunteers here [in Coppell] and we wanted to offer this to the community,” Swamy said. “One thing is people are stressed these days and don’t know how to take care of their mind, body and emotions. They can [now] take charge  of their body [through Isha Kriya] and be peaceful and joyful.”

Throughout the meditation period, Coppell residents were able to practice regular breathing and sit in comfortable positions to enhance the benefits of this type of relaxation of the mind. With every inhale, they were taught to think ‘I am not the body,’ and with every exhale they were taught ‘I am not even the mind.’ Vasudev explained in his video that in order to live a full life, we must not have a fear of suffering and the mind and body must be separate, which is the purpose of Isha Kriya.

Coppell resident and life coach Mackie Schaars attended to gain another method of meditation for her clients and found the class to be highly beneficial.

“I like meditation, it’s part of my business as a life coach,” Schaars said. “[Meditation] contributes to being a healthier person. It is critical to learn how to center and ground yourself without the chatter of the mind, to drop into that wordlessness.”

Swamy would like to spread the word of Isha Kriya, and hopefully offer more seminars in Coppell. Her goal is to positively transform everyday life for people through the ways of meditation.

“We would like to do more. We have trained volunteers, and one is in Coppell. We [do this] on a voluntary basis, and would like to do it at schools and hospitals,” Swamy said.