After work, as the sun sets and the heat subsides, lay down your yoga mat and find peace of mind at Socrates Sculpture Park.
The park is hosting the Mindful Astoria free sunset meditation series every Tuesday through August 27, inviting guests from all walks of life and mental states.
Founded in 2013, Mindful Astoria is a community meditation group that aims to incorporate mindfulness practices into everyday life. Its collaboration with Socrates began four years ago when the park invited the group to participate in a summer program.
“We’re close, we’re in the neighborhood, Socrates is in the neighborhood, we’re connected, it’s wonderful,” said Carl Hansen, a teacher at Mindful Astoria.
He added that introducing sunset meditation to Long Island City parks has brought Mindful Astoria to new people who had never practiced mindfulness before.
The concept of mindfulness, which has become increasingly popular in the West in recent years, originates from the Buddhist teaching of paying attention to the present moment.
“Just sitting and knowing that I’m here, and being aware of the fact that we’re here and we’re alive and things are happening within us and around us, that’s what mindfulness is to me,” Hansen said. “It makes life easier for me and it makes life easier for a lot of people.”
Developing the ability to live in the present moment through mindfulness practices can have applications in everyday life and can even spark an interest in Buddhist teachings and ethical systems, he said.
Hansen hopes participants will not only find meditation useful, but also feel a closer connection to their neighbors.
“It’s the whole community aspect of it, neighbors coming together in the park and spending time together. It’s a very real thing, it’s a very important thing, it’s a human necessity,” he said.
It’s this sociability that drew Astoria resident Fahim Hamid to the Mindful Astoria event in 2017. After learning about meditation in a college class, he started teaching himself, but he also found common ground with his neighbors.
“I just wanted to find a community. I found a few other places in the city, but a lot of them just tried to get you to take classes, and I didn’t want that,” Hamid said. “This was pure community, a place where people could come together and do things. I thought that was great.”
Meditation also helps him relax and unwind from the stress of a busy office job.
“By making it a habit [meditation] “That’s definitely something I need,” Hamid said. “I just need to stop doing whatever I’m doing, be quiet, and be still for a little while. I feel like that definitely helps.”
The sessions involve small group discussions about things people can notice around them but often overlook.
Mindful Astoria meets on Wednesday evenings to engage in mindfulness practices and discuss their impact. Meetings will alternate between fully online and hybrid at the First Presbyterian Church of Astoria.
“For most people, some form of meditation is a good thing,” Hansen says. “Some people don’t need meditation, and some people need different types and degrees of meditation practice. But for most people, I think meditation is a really healthy and helpful thing to have in your life.”
Mindful Astoria will host its Spring Potluck Party at Socrates Sculpture Park on Sunday, June 9. For more information and to register, visit meetup.com/Mindful-Astoria/events/300584681.
Socrates Sculpture Park’s complete lineup of summer programs can be found at socratessculpturepark.org/programs/all .
