Solo or Group Meditation

[Aceofcups]

Question:


Recently we had a few threads on Meditation.  So I am interested in question about Solo meditation practice and Group meditation. 

Have you been involved with one or both?  Feel free to share how often and type of practice if you want to.
 
What have you felt was rewarding about either?  What did you feel was difference of Solo and Group practices?

If it was group, what type of group meditation or even ritual was it? 

thanks and Peace

[krya]

The group meditation experience has been different every time for me. The solo meditation experience however has been constant for every level of change. Let me say a little more of where this is coming from.

Back in those days when there was no internet access available, The only way to learn was to find a teacher, borrow paper spiritual books from libraries and friends, join local spiritual communities and subscribe to few esoteric schools to read their books and get meditation guidance from. So before I knew it, I literally practiced all types of meditations :  .  I noticed that certain types of meditation worked better for me when solo. And some others were better when in group. The mantras or vocalizations worked so well for me when in group. The harmony of many voices together had a vibration I couldn't replicate when I was alone. Visualization meditation also worked for me in group, although sometimes I got discouraged sometimes to notice that many end up sleeping during this type of meditation. Like there was that spiritual community I used to go to, some guys used to snore loud during the group meditation : . It was so distracting.   

So I had my goods and bads during group meditation. People with who I meditated with mostly made the difference. Few years later, I met some experienced meditators and meditating with them was a whole different experience. It all of a sudden became easy to reach calmness of the mind. As if their calm minds were helping my lazy mind, making things easy for me. As I closed my eyes to join them, my random thoughts quickly became less, giving me the opportunity to explore deeper peace at a degree I haven't reached solo. That is when I loved group meditation. It's only then I understand the power of group meditation. For me, a group meditation should just be avoided if it is making it harder for you to reach inner silence or clarify of mind. 

Meditating solo was however something different. I started solo, slowly but surely breaking the difficulties in that road of meditation. Making a little step forward each time, as each session brought something new. So I pretty much could regroup thoughts when solo because of no other distractions. Solo, I tasted what It felt like to be calm. So it was clear when peace was disturbed or when it couldn't be reached during a group meditation. In my opinion, people should not expect to make their meditation experience better during group meditation. They should first learn to do so solo, then after come to group meditation to reinforce their gained skilled from home into the group. Though I don't mean to discourage all those who've joined my local meditation group session   . 

Some people out there like me, can even hear (understand) what other people's in the surrounding are thinking. And there is nothing more distrusting than to hear a different topic to the one you are trying to get clarify from. Because guess what? while you are all meditating in a group on the light for example, few guys are thinking when the session will end because they must go past the shop before it closes. You won't believe it what people think about at the wrong time. Others during meditation will think what they've done yesterday, the mistaken they have done, the wrong things they have said to a person. : . If you have ears you won't make it in such a group meditation. And the more people you have in a different mind network during a group meditation, the difficult it gets to focus, because the mind atmosphere doesn't allow it.  

We can do a lot solo. But we can do a lot more in a group. I mean in the right group : . The feeling we get alone is great, but it is many times greater when done in group. What we can achieve alone may take many days, but in group it may take hours. Well,  what is a group anyway, if not just a "bigger you" : .

[Aceofcups]

Thank you Kyra for your wonderful reply. 

I have experienced most of what you are saying myself in my many years of meditating both solo and in groups.   Individual solo meditations are for me the way to work on oneself.. physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.   To help align and co-work with your own inner guides, teachers and devic forces.   I do a lot of distant energy healing working individually and being a conduit for higher forces to work through me towards others in need if their karmic predicament allows. 

Group meditation has a group auric presence from all the people involved in the meditation process.   It can create powerful group thought forms which can be very strong if group has a specific intent and unified focus.

peace
Aceofcups

[johngefnir]

Hello, while I take on board everything you say Krya, I don’t agree with everything, but then if I did there would be no point in any discussion. Of course we all speak from experience and what we have been taught or learned from discussion. By reading and asking questions we receive information… but information is not knowledge. We only gain knowledge when we use that information.
So, in answer to this post/question.
As many of you know I come essentially from an Occult background based on teachings from The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. I have run workshops on Visualisation, and courses on meditation for about 30 years or more. I stress here that Visualisation and meditation cannot be taught, I can teach techniques but visualisation comes with practice and meditation is really discovered.
I teach, if teach is the right word, in a group. I introduce different types of meditation. Pathworking, guided meditation, Shamanic Journeying, meditation for healing, both personal and for healing the earth, and of course for relaxation and stress relief. I also do past life regression.
So to meditation. To meditate properly it is essential to be able to visualise, and to be able to use all your five esoteric senses. These are the same as our exoteric senses but are used on the inner planes.
It is also essential to know how to protect yourself as you can be vulnerable while on your meditative journey as you enter an altered state of awareness.
After the meditation you should always ground yourself, usually a drink and a biscuit is sufficient. This is to bring your senses back to the physical. Often students can feel ‘spaced out’ or perhaps not really here. It is for these reasons that I will not run courses on the internet or other social media as I like to be with my students so that I can watch them and bring them back when the session is over and of course sort things out if anyone has a problem.
Concerning group or solo meditation here I disagree with Krya, it is always better, if possible, to start in a group with a leader because the group raises the energy and the leader has control. I know some do go to sleep and actually snore, but these people rarely stay long.
It is also essential to have a purpose for your meditation, for example to meet your spirit guides or your power animal. If you have no purpose you will get nothing from the experience and also increase the danger of bringing something back with you.
Meditation is simple, but not easy. I first learned meditation from my Sensei when I was studying martial arts, it was the path to Moksha by releasing the coiled serpent, Kundali energy. He told us not to bring the silence into our minds, but to let our minds explore the silence outside. Once this is mastered meditation becomes easy and you can then make the choice of solo or group. I do both.
There are pros and cons for each, at the end of the day it is down to personal preference, there is no right or wrong way.