Testimonials, 2022 'Mental Health Tool-Kit' with Meena

MEENA DASGUPTA IS A TRAINED AND A VERY TALENTED YOGA TEACHER. 

I HAVE ATTENDED HER CURRENT ZOOM SESSIONS ON"BREATH & MOVEMENT MEDITATION" AND SHE DOES A GREAT JOB LEADING US THROUGH CLASS.

THE CHAIR YOGA CLASSES SHE DESIGNED FOR OUR GROUP AT THE HINDU CENTER, RICHMOND WERE TAUGHT VERY WELL.

THE ONE ASPECT OF HER CLASS THAT IS SO NICE,  ARE THE QUOTES SHE READS AT THE END OF EACH CLASS. SOMETHING YOU CAN CARRY WITH YOU THROUGHOUT  YOUR DAY. 

I LOVE ATTENDING MEENA'S  "BREATH & MOVEMENT MEDITATION" SESSIONS. I NORMALLY ATTEND ON WEDNESDAY MORNINGS, BUT SOMETIMES I MAKE IT ON MONDAY OR FRIDAY MORNINGS AS WELL. 

MEENA HAS A VERY CALM AND SOOTHING VOICE. AS SHE GUIDES US THROUGH THE SESSION, SHE IS SURE TO EMPHASIZE, WHICH PART OF THE BODY WE ARE FOCUSSING ON AT THE MOMENT. 

I ALSO LOVE HOW SHE SHARES WORDS OF WISDOM TO TAKE US THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND THE WEEK. 

I ALWAYS FEEL SO RELAXED, SERENE AND FOCUSSED AFTER THE SESSIONS. IT IS A FANTASTIC WAY TO START MY DAY. 

I AM SO GRATEFUL TO MEENA FOR PROVIDING THIS FREE SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.

SHE EVEN GRACIOUSLY VOLUNTEERED TO PROVIDE THIS WONDERFUL SERVICE BI-MONTHLY FOR HENRICO COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES. 

SHE IS AMAZING AND VERY GIVING. 

I AM EXTREMELY GRATEFUL TO MEENA DASGUPTA FOR HAVING BEGUN THIS WEEKLY ZOOM SESSIONS ON DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING TECHNIQUE, YOGA NIDRA & SILENT MEDITATION.

DURING THIS STRESSFUL COVID19 PANDEMIC WHEN WE ARE IN LOCKDOWN AND FAMILY IS NOT AROUND...THESE CLASSES HAVE HELPED ME TO CONNECT WITH OTHERS WHO ARE IN THE SAME POSITION. IT'S LOVELY TO HAVE A "NEW FAMILY" VIA "BREATHING AND MOVEMENT MEDITATION" SESSIONS. IF I HAPPEN TO MISS A CLASS I FEEL LOST, AND IT SEEMS THAT I WASN'T ABLE TO CONNECT WITH MY FAMILY!

MEENA LEADS US EFFORTLESSLY FROM DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING TECHNIQUE INTO YOGA NIDRA AND FINALLY A 3 MIN SILENT MEDITATION WHICH IS VERY HELPFUL. THIS SESSION IS VERY HELPFUL IN RELAXING THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AND  BODY ACHES WHICH SURFACE AS WE AGE.  

MY MORNING MEDITATION WITH MEENA HAS GIVEN ME THE ABILITY TO INCORPORATE MINDFULNESS INTO MY EVERYDAY LIFE. I SLEEP BETTER;I RELAX MORE & I AM LESS STRESSED.I AM LEARNING TO DE-STRESS MYSELF BY USING BREATHING AWARENESS TECHNIQUES. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN OVER NIGHT. IT IS A PRACTICE AND MEENA HAS GIVEN ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THE FIRST STEP. I AM VERY GRATEFUL. THANK YOU MEENA!

11 YEARS AGO I HAD A HEART ATTACK.OVER A PERIOD OF TIME I HAVE LEARNED HOW TO MANAGE MY CONDITION. THE LIFESAVING MEDICINES COME WITH SIDE EFFECTS, AND FOR ME IT WAS NO OTHER THAN DEPRESSION. MY EMPLOYER ADVISED ME TO JOIN MEDITATION SESSIONS TO IMPROVE MY WORK PERFORMANCE. AT RETIREMENT THESE SESSIONS CAME TO AN ABRUPT END.

THANKS TO MY CREATIVE FRIEND MEENA DASGUPTA. HER KIND FRIENDSHIP HAS ENABLED ME TO BENEFIT FROM HER 3 WEEKLY ZOOM SESSIONS OF THE DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING TECHNIQUES, YOGA NIDRA FOLLOWED BY SILENT MEDITATION.

BY ATTENDING MEENA'S SESSIONS IT HAS TAUGHT ME TO IMPROVE MY ABILITY TO BREATHE EFFICIENTLY. NOW I AM ABLE TO MANAGE CONDITIONS SUCH AS DEPRESSION, BLOOD CIRCULATION, POOR METABOLISM, WEIGHT AND HEART HEALTH EFFECTIVELY. 

IN A NUTSHELL, I CAN SAY THAT MEENA'S SESSIONS THAT PREPARE & LEAD ME INTO SILENT MEDITATION HAS HELPED ME TO SUSTAIN MY ABILITY TO INTERACT WITH EVERYONE POSITIVELY. 

THESE 3 WEEKLY SESSIONS OF “BREATH MOVEMENT & MEDITATION” HOSTED BY MEENA HAVE COMPLEMENTED MY WEEKLY COUNSELING SESSIONS, WHICH RECOMMENDED DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING PRACTICE. AFTER THE THE YOGA NIDRA SESSION  TOTALLY RELAXES ME. THE 3 MIN SILENT MEDITATION BRINGS PEACE TO MY MIND. IN ADDITION THESE 3 COMPONENTS ENHANCE MY FOCUS ON MY PRACTICE OF BURMESE MARTIAL ARTS (BANDO) BESIDES OTHER DAILY PROJECTS. 

AFTER I WENT THROUGH MY OPEN HEART SURGERY IN 2019, I DEVELOPED BREATHING ISSUES.

HOWEVER, SINCE ATTENDING MEENA'S CLASSES MY BREATHING IS MUCH BETTER. 

RECENTLY IN THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY, 2021,  I SAW MY PULMONOLOGIST. HE SAID I NO LONGER NEEDED AN INHALER, AS MEENA'S CLASS HAS HELPED MY BREATHING IMMENSELY. 

I AM VERY GRATEFUL TO MEENA!

ATTENDING MEENA'S ZOOM SESSIONS ARE VERY POSITIVELY AFFECTIVE IN MY DAILY ROUTINE. IT HAS MADE ME REALIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF DAILY MEDITATION IN MY LIFE AS WE FACE HARDSHIPS, GRIEF AND TOUGH RELATIONSHIPS. MY SON & 2 DAUGHTERS FELT THE PRIDE AND EXCITEMENT AS I TOLD THEM ABOUT OUR REGULAR GROUP. THEY SENSED HOW RELAXED MY MOOD WAS.  THIS HAS LED TO BETTER COMMUNICATION AMONGST MYSELF & MY  3 CHILDREN WHO LIVE FAR AWAY IN NEW YORK, VIRGINIA AND PAKISTAN. PHYSICALLY &  EMOTIONALLY I AM ABLE TO EXERCISE PATIENCE AND ENJOY EXCHANGING NEWS WITH MY FRIENDS.  

MEENA'S CLASS IS GREAT FOR REDUCING STRESS. HER  RELAXATION  & MEDITATION METHODS HELPS ME TO RELAX WHEN MY DAYS ARE VERY BUSY. 

"I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED MEENA'S MEDITATION CLASS THIS MORNING FEB 6TH, 2021. THIS WAS A BEAUTIFUL AND PEACEFUL WAY TO BEGIN MY DAY."  

WHICH MEANS EXTENSION AND CONTROL OF PRANA, THE VITAL ENERGY AND "LIFE FORCE" WHEN YOU BRING AWARENESS TO YOUR BREATHING, IT PROVIDES A UNIQUE DOORWAY INTO YOUR CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM- THE CONTROL SYSTEM. AWARENESS OF OUR BREATH IS AN ESSENTIAL TOOL IN HELPING US RECOGNIZE AND NAVIGATE WHAT IS HAPPENING IN OUR BODY, HEART & MIND. KIMBERLY CARSON MPH, ERT & CAROL KRUCOFF E-RYT

1) WHAT IS MEDITATION? 

ANSWER: MEDITATION IS A PROCESS TO TRAIN YOUR MIND TO FOCUS AND QUIETING THE MENTAL CHATTER. YOU BUILD THE MUSCLES OF YOUR ATTENTION BY FOCUSSING ON ONE THING, YOUR BREATH. THAT HELPS YOU TO UNFOLD.

2) HOW CAN I FIND THE TIME TO MEDITATE?

ANSWER: START WITH A SIMPLE 2 OR 3 MINUTE PRACTICE & PRIORITIZE IT WITHIN YOUR DAILY SCHEDULE. CHOOSE A TIME THAT SUITS YOU BEST AND COMMIT TO THE PRACTICE. 

3) WHAT HAPPENS IF ONE MEDITATES REGULARLY?

ANSWER: YOU BRING AWARENESS TO YOUR SENSATIONS AND LEARN TO REDUCE STRESS AND ANXIETY. WHEN YOU MEDITATE YOU ARE BETTER ABLE TO COPE WITH NEGATIVE SENSATIONS OF STRESS. MEDITATION HELPS HARNESS THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION AND CAN TRANSFORM MENTAL & PHYSICAL AGITATION INTO PEACEFULNESS. 

4) IS MEDITATION RELIGIOUS?

ANSWER: NO ONE PERSON, RELIGION OR ORGANIZATION CAN OWN YOUR INNER PEACE. AS A HUMAN BEING MEDITATION IS YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE. YOU CAN OWN YOUR INNER PEACE AND IT IS  YOURS EXCLUSIVELY...YOUR POSSESSION. 

5) HOW WILL MEDITATION AFFECT MY LIFE?

ANSWER: MEDITATION WILL HELP YOU CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS LIFE. YOU WILL UNDERSTAND & COMMUNICATE WITH YOURSELF & OTHERS BETTER. IT WILL TRANSFORM YOUR EVERY DAY EXPERIENCES. AWARENESS WILL BECOME PART OF YOUR LIFE WHICH IS THE HEART OF THE MEDITATION.

6) WHAT DOES BREATHING HAVE TO DO WITH MEDITATION? 

ANSWER: BREATHING IS USED TO FOCUS THE MIND. IT IS OFTEN THE FIRST THINGS THAT IS TAUGHT IN MEDITATION.YOUR BREATH BECOMES THE PHYSIOLOGICAL RELAXATION TECHNIQUE. THE BREATH BECOMES YOUR ANCHOR, YOUR TEACHER.