The Meditation Tree

15/10/2026

Experience is still the best teacher!
Mindfulness Meditation has a multitude far reaching benefits. Neuroscientific, Psychological and Medical Research and Studies have proven the positive far-reaching effects of a daily Meditation practice. You can read about it in books and online, you can listen to recorded guided meditations, podcasts, and access the findings through streaming videos, documentaries and on media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, etc.
However, the full comprehension of a daily, and hopefully, a lifelong practice of Mindfulness Meditation is best learned by “doing it” along with the mentorship of a teacher who can guide and be there for you as you start your new journey of positive change, introspection and self-discovery. That’s not to say, one cannot learn to meditate by themselves; but, if proficiency and guidance is your preference, then turn to an experienced teacher.
There are many aspects and tools that are available to a student of Mindfulness Meditation. It is most helpful to understand the concept, the role of our thoughts, how our brain functions and changes with a daily practice. You can also discover how our life experiences and previously learned beliefs about ourselves can often generate stress, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and even physical conditions that can negatively impact our well-being.
With proper guidance or instruction, one can also learn the practice of “contemplation” and “self-healing”. I have been meditating for 50+ years and have had many teachers during that time allowing me study several forms of Meditation. As a teacher, I have found Mindfulness Meditation (based upon the Buddhist Practice of Vipassana Meditation) one of the more prolific forms of a Meditation Practice. The addition of this practice into our daily life creates many beneficial behavioral changes to our everyday lifestyle. It leads us to live with ease, compassion for ourselves and others; and, down a path towards the joy in life we all deserve.
Learning to meditate with an experienced teacher allows one to fully understand and to actually experience all the subtleties that can enhance your Meditation endeavors. But, be aware, learning to Meditation also will require a strong intention, a solid determination, and some sturdy patience. A teacher can take you only so far by thoroughly teaching you a full understanding of the concept and technique. However, the full and beneficial experience of Mindfulness Meditation relies on your total commitment to the process!
Our next new series of SIX 90 minute Weekly Online Group Classes begins Saturday, Oct. 31st 10:30 AM pst. For more info or to register for the classes, visit www.themeditationtree.com Classes are by donation. Try first class with no financial obligation to see if you believe you may benefit from Mindfulness Meditation.

04/09/2026

New Mindfulness Meditation Group Class for Beginners-ON ZOOM

31/08/2026

An Often-OVER-LOOKED Benefit of a Mindfulness Meditation Practice!
We know research in Neuroscience and modern Psychology proves that a daily meditation practice can help individuals alleviate, stress, anxiety, depression, self-doubt and low self-esteem, anger, insomnia, chronic pain and many other emotional and physical forms of suffering. But what is oftentimes neglected is a vital benefit called INSIGHT.
INSIGHT, often referred to as “Clear Seeing” or “Wisdom” has its’ roots in Vipassana Meditation, one of India's most ancient techniques of meditation. Through a daily practice of Meditation (even just 15-20 minutes a day), we not only learn to become aware of how we react to our thoughts and emotions, it puts us in touch with our inner core or true essence. It is from this place of our inner stillness, the silence with us or the ability to “just be” with ourselves without all the day-to-day external stimuli that can play havoc with our emotional reactions and feelings, our stressful challenges and our future expectations.
With INSIGHT, we can learn to take control of our strong emotions, negative reactions and detrimental behaviors rather than have them control us. We learn to find joy rather than despair. We learn to focus on what we have (Gratitude) rather than on what we don’t have (Remorse). We learn that our ability to stay focused in the “present” moment is the catalyst to attaining our future goals.

With INSIGHT, we become aware of how we cling or hold onto those feelings and thoughts that cause us stress, anxiety, gloomy moods and self-doubt instead of “just letting them be or letting them go”. We become aware of our fears and we learn to accept and embrace them and then take action to move on…right through them!

With INSIGHT, we understand “the law of impermanence”. We begin to see that all of our thoughts, feelings, and physical troubles come and go…just as storm or a cloud eventually passes by. We must allow them to be there, but we must allow them to pass to prevent any lasting suffering. And we must acknowledge that life in its self is impermanent. Our youth is impermanent, relationships can come and go, our friends come and go, (some by death, some by circumstances), but gradually time passes and we realize with age, “change” is a constant. Through this insight, we learn to appreciate our life, our friends, and our loved ones. We learn to recognize the opportunities and the beauty life provides each and every one of us! We learn to choose joy over suffering!

Last, but not least, with INSIGHT, we find WISDOM. Wisdom involves accurate, penetrating insights into reality, transcending attachments and delusions. It’s how direct personal experience replaces old habits and blind beliefs, leading to a quiet mind. Mindfulness and insight are connected practices where mindfulness acts as the steady, present-moment awareness that prepares the ground for insight, the deep and clear understanding of how your mind and reality truly work. Mindfulness meditation focuses on being present and aware of the moment without judgment. INSIGHT meditation, while using mindfulness, goes further to understand the nature of those experiences to gain deeper wisdom about how you define yourself and how you can bring more compassion and understanding to yourself and others.

A new series of SIX Weekly 90-Minute ONLINE Group Beginner Classes to learn Mindfulness Meditation begins Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026 at 10:30 AM PDT. (All Classes by Donation) For more details or to Register, Visit www.themeditationtree.com,
Private Classes also available!

The Meditation Tree is a meditation studio/instructor located in Sherman Oaks/Los Angeles conducts Meditation and Mindfulness classes through group and private sessions. The practice teaches moment to moment awareness, how one can recognize self-defeating thought patterns, and how inner stillness ca

07/03/2026

An Underestimated Ally to your Health!

We may all understand the Universe perpetuates constant change and how we address the change in our lives can affect our well-being from day to day.

We are living in tumultuous times politically. For many, we are living through burdensome times financially, or, we may be troubled by uneasy relationships, challenging health issues, reoccurring self-doubt, episodes of depression and other mental health challenges such as Anxiety and Stress.

I just wanted point out that a Practice of Mindfulness Meditation can be a wonderful and most helpful tool when your emotions get the better of you, when stress, anxiety, anger, sadness, etc. becomes detrimental to your health.

As human beings, we all experience human emotions that can often dictate the quality of our lives. Mindfulness Meditation teaches us to acknowledge and accept our emotions, but, even more importantly, we learn how to control these emotions before they control us, our behavior and reactions. Through practice we learn to observe our thoughts and emotions before they can begin take a toll on our health and happiness.

In other words, Mindfulness Meditation Training prevents us from clinging to our thoughts and emotions. We learn to “let them be” before they attack the body’s immune system, creating dis”ease” in our bodies. Chronic stress and anxiety trigger the body’s fight-or-flight response, releasing cortisol and adrenaline that, over time, cause significant physical harm. Common effects include headaches, muscle tension (neck/back), digestive issues, insomnia, high blood pressure, weakened immune system, and increased risk of heart disease or obesity.

Mindfulness may hold promise as a potential way to help prevent and treat disease, increase ability to cope with pain and chronic illness, reduce stress in patients and practitioners, foster compassion, improve quality of care and reduce medical errors. -Ludwig & Kabat-Zinn, 2008

We learn to manage our thoughts and emotions through “awareness” and by turning our focus elsewhere. Perhaps we focus on our breath, we focus on a project, we focus on the outcome we desire, or we simply focus on the those goals we wish to achieve in our life. Or, we simply we tell ourselves with determination that we shall overcome this challenge and move beyond it. Meditation may be one of the strongest ALLIES your mind, body and spirit will ever encounter.

We can talk about mindfulness or write at length about it, but to truly understand mindfulness, we have to experience it directly.
Siegel, Germer, Olendzki 2009

My next series of ONLINE Mindfulness Classes begins SAT. March 14th at 10:30 AM pdt. To register, visit https://www.themeditationtree.com/zoom-class-registration Classes are “by donation”. Or email me:[email protected]

27/02/2026

Learn why one of the most contemporary self-help practices, Mindfulness Meditation, has become such an effective tool to relieve Stress, Anxiety, Chronic Pain and Illness, Self-Doubt, Depression, Insomnia, and many other forms of physical and emotional suffering! All from your home via Zoom.

04/01/2026

A WISH FOR CHANGE!
Happy New Year to All! May 2026 bring you not only much Joy, Happiness and Good Health, may it be a Year of Positive Change.
As pointed out by many of our great philosophers, we have so little (if any) control over the external events and circumstances in our lives. Happiness is a choice and it is dependent on our own thoughts and conditioned reactions to the frequent and inevitable challenges we have faced throughout our lives.

When we experience disappointment or what we often label as “failure”, we tend to over-analyze and blame, we direct negative judgements and self-talk towards others and ourselves. We go into a “funk” or often sink into a depressed state of mind. So often, when we cling to our own self-declared expectations, we lose sight of the joy and beauty life affords us. We lose faith in the pursuit of our goals not realizing that the goals we set for ourselves are not always fixed. They are susceptible to change.

When faced with a “let-down”, we have to remember we have a choice. We can choose to either suffer by clinging to our negative and detrimental emotional reactions or we can choose to find that renewable energy, that resides within us and then, to simply move forward in life with renewed aspirations, dreams and goals.

So, my wish for you this New Year, when the unexpected arises, you find a renewed sense of purpose in your lives. May we remind ourselves that we are here to enjoy life to enjoy and help each other to live with much compassion, with much kindness and respect towards ourselves and others. We must seek personal fulfillment and to move forward in our lives despite our “ups & downs”. This is what rewards us with HAPPINESS and all the joy we need and seek.

The ability to CHANGING our patterns of negative thinking and reacting to our behavioral patterns in the same harmful way over and over again is one of the many benefits of a daily Mindfulness Meditation practice. All it takes is determination and as little as 10 to 20 minutes a day to create the changes you need to find a more positive and productive alliance with your innerself. Through our SIX 90 minute weekly ONLINE classes, you will learn how you can CHOOSE happiness over discontent, positive responses over your negative and often paralyzing reactions, hopefulness over helplessness, joy over despair and understanding over anger.

Our next series of Saturday Morning Classes begins Saturday, Jan. 17th at 10:30 AM. All classes are by donation. For more info about us, visit www.themeditationtree.com Register at https://www.themeditationtree.com/zoom-class-registration

"I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can CHOOSE which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it,"- Groucho Marx

The Meditation Tree is a meditation studio/instructor located in Sherman Oaks/Los Angeles conducts Meditation and Mindfulness classes through group and private sessions. The practice teaches moment to moment awareness, how one can recognize self-defeating thought patterns, and how inner stillness ca

27/11/2025

Sharing some Thanksgiving Thoughts
First, I wish all of you a Wonderful and Memorable Thanksgiving Day! Although I spend less time posting on FB than many of you (part of my introverted nature, I suppose), I do read many of your posts and I appreciate your perspectives, your sharing of the joys and tribulations in your life, and especially having you as FB friends.
As everyone sits around the table and traditionally expresses those things for which they are grateful (most often family and friends), let us not forget to be grateful for all that we often take for granted. Early this year, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and after several months undergoing chemo, I reflected upon how lucky I was not to suffer as my fellow chemo patients whose diagnosis was far more serious and debilitating than mine. I am happy to say I am now in remission.
But my point here, is how we neglect just how grateful we can be for that which we take for granted, especially our own health compared to others whose physical health leads to unimaginable suffering Do we really appreciate the roof over our head when we see the homeless in our streets? Do we appreciate our access to food that not everyone in our society can afford? What about our ability to afford to a plane ticket or hotel accommodations…or having two cars or even just one? Do we ever give gratitude for our ability to breathe, or seeing, or hearing? Our job? Our retirement years? Etc.
So, perhaps, on this Thanksgiving, we can think more deeply about gratitude…..even re-commit some of our energy o begin a new habit away from the Thanksgiving table as we seek more time in our daily lives (even if just 30-40 secs before we arise from sleep or when we climb into bed at night). Did you know that research in positive psychology indicates that GRATITUDE is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Practicing gratitude can enhance mental wellness and possibly promote a lasting change in perspective. Gratitude and its mental health benefits can also positively affect our physical health. When we feel and express gratitude, we learn to focus on what we have, rather, than focusing or getting stressed about those things we don’t have. Again, my gratitude for knowing you… and enjoy your Thanksgiving Weekend!
Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for. Zig Ziglar

For those of you who may be curious or just wanting to seek some beneficial changes in your life, my next series of Mindfulness Meditation Classes for beginners starts Sat. January 17th, 2026. For more information or to register, visit www.themeditationtree.com.

02/11/2025

The Meditation Tree is a meditation studio/instructor located in Sherman Oaks/Los Angeles conducts Meditation and Mindfulness classes through group and private sessions. The practice teaches moment to moment awareness, how one can recognize self-defeating thought patterns, and how inner stillness ca

31/10/2025

IT’S ALL ABOUT MAKING CHOICES
CHOOSING to Stress about the political climate or all of your worst fears? CHOOSING ANXIETY over joy? CHOOSING to allow SELF-JUDGMENT or SELF-CRITICISM over your self-esteem? CHOOSING to allow your EMOTIONS and THOUGHTS to detrimentally affect your emotional health or physical well-being?

This is what makes Mindfulness and Vipassana Meditation so fascinating! Bringing this form of meditation into your daily life is not only a positive choice, but it’s a path to a more productive and healthy lifestyle. You will learn how your thought patterns impact your emotional and physical well-being. You learn how your thoughts and your reactions to them can determine your moods and feelings which often bring about stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, unwanted physical conditions, insomnia, anger, and even, depression.

Buddha said “You become what you think”. Emerson said "You become what you think about all day long". And, Brian Tracy, a Canadian-American motivational public speaker and self-development author of over 80 books, said- “If you think a certain thought long enough and hard enough, it becomes a fixed belief and you will find yourself behaving on the outside in a manner consistent with it.”

With an understanding of a Mindfulness approach, you will develop the ability to become a ware of those thoughts that cause negative reactions and then choose whether to accept them as truths or merely learned reactions that you picked up from others (Parents, friends, teachers, etc.) or possibly from your many life experiences.

Neuroscientific research suggests that around 70-80% of our thoughts are negative or unhelpful. Meditation can help you clarify which thoughts are true or false. Thoughts are not always facts...so we can’t believe everything we think. You will learn to observe your thoughts and then choose if you’re going to “buy into them” or just “Let them be”. You will learn to become less judgmental of yourself and others. You will learn acceptance of self and others. You will learn to become less defensive to what others say and do. You will learn how to bring a sense calmness into your life and you will eventually learn that within each us there is ability to find all the answers we seek to meet any challenge we may face, that through stillness and silence, we can tap into all of our own inner-knowing and wisdom. And you will learn an application of self-healing. These are just a few of the significant benefits we can learn through just 15-20 minutes of our daily life.

Our next series Six Weekly 90-minute ONLINE classes begin Saturday, November 8th at 10:30 AM (pst). For more information and/or to register, visit www.themeditationtree.com. Classes are by donation….so don’t let money be an obstacle to your personal well-being. This is a CHOICE about your well-being!

The Meditation Tree is a meditation studio/instructor located in Sherman Oaks/Los Angeles conducts Meditation and Mindfulness classes through group and private sessions. The practice teaches moment to moment awareness, how one can recognize self-defeating thought patterns, and how inner stillness ca

30/07/2025

To Be (Mindfully Present) or NOT To Be (Mindfully Present)? That is the Question!

A Mindfulness Meditation practice is about “BEING”, being present in each moment of life, being present for others, and being present within one’s own stillness and in the silence of one’s own mind.

I recently watched a biographical documentary about the musician and songwriter, Bily Joel. And one takeaway was his explanation about his creative process. He explained he had to create a vacuum of space for himself. He needed absolute alone time and to find stillness and guidance from within. We know from neuroscientific research that when we spay strict attention to the present moment, when we cultivate a state of calm and awareness, when we tap into our own silence, when we can “just be”, that the energy we tap into is a catalyst for creativity, new perspectives and ideas that can propel us towards a greater creative and problem-solving freedom. This is only one the great benefits of learning Mindfulness Meditation.

But to realize this benefit requires training and a full understanding of the concepts and techniques that we can acquire from a Mindfulness Meditation Practice. We need patience. We need determination. We need the desire to change our negative thought patterns, our negative self-talk and our unhealthy emotional reactions . And, we need to gain personal insight and to explore the innercore or essence of our trueself.

Sound daunting? I assure you it is not. Our thought patterns and thought process is acquired early on in our lives. Our thoughts have been influenced by our parent’s experiences in their life, by our teachers, by our friends and by many unhealthy defensive methods we have employed during our life, often, to protect ourselves from emotional and physical harm. We are shaped by our thoughts. We tend to believe every thought we have…without questioning them. We begin to believe that all of thoughts are factually true. So, we act upon them the same way, over and over again. And that can lead to continued stress, anxiety, and even depression. These unhealthy reactions to our thoughts, more often than not, eventually weaken our immune system and lead to detrimental physical conditions. We constantly find ourself (over)-reacting and clinging to our thoughts and emotions rather than responding to them with the wisdom we each have within us. Again, another benefit of a Mindfulness Meditation practice.

The list goes on…but the choice to explore the possibilities and benefits of a Mindfulness Practice is totally yours. The Meditation’s Tree’s ONLINE Beginner Classes (group or private) is a great place to begin. We offer 6 weekly 90 min classes in a manner easy to understand with slides, discussion, instruction, and weekly guidance. Just try the first class, then decide if such a practice has value for you personally. Classes are by donation! For more details, visit www.themeditationtree.com. Our next series of group classes begin Sat Aug 9th at10:30 AM pdt. You can register on our website.

We need to create change for ourselves, in a workable way, as part of our everyday lives.”
― Sharon Salzberg,