By Michelle Moskowitz
Sentinel Contributor
On a sunny Tuesday afternoon, longtime meditation instructor and retired stockbroker Jim Bandler transformed a Greenwich Library meeting room into a tranquil, meditation oasis for all participants.
Bandler, a former Greenwich resident who retired to Florida, has been practicing and teaching meditation and mindful awareness techniques for 35 years across libraries, hospitals and universities, including Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, where he worked closely with television personality Dr. Mehmet Oz.
Over three consecutive Tuesdays, Bandler drew a crowd of approximately 50 locals, eager to experience the path of enlightenment. His steady gaze and calm, deliberate speech enabled the crowd to feel instantly at ease and to embrace the serene environment he had created.
Mindfulness was originally taught by the Buddha 1,700 years ago. In this country, the author, lecturer and MIT scientist Jon Kabat-Zinn popularized mindfulness and stress reduction with his 1994 book “Wherever You Go, There You Are,” which Bandler strongly endorsed.
Over 1,500 studies have been conducted by independent research institutes showing how mindful meditation practiced for any amount of time on a daily basis can be clinically effective in managing stress, anxiety, chronic pain and a wide array of medical and mental health conditions.
“It took me two years to learn how to meditate for 20 minutes a day, but quieting the mind, without judgment, for as long as you can, can have a profound effect on one’s quality of life,” said Bandler.
Bandler, who attended the School of Practical Philosophy in New York City many years ago, shared his story of the day after his quadruple bypass surgery: he got out of bed repeating the mantra “I am not this body, I am not this body,” which helped him heal quickly and return to work within just a few weeks.
After a brief introduction, Bandler guided attendees through a meditation exercise. Lights were dimmed, chime melodies began to play softly, and suddenly, as eyes were closed and bodies relaxed, individuals began to focus on their personal exploration.
Bandler asked participants to visually take a walk outside of their homes, walk through a huge forest and approach a brook.
“By emptying the mind of all thoughts and focusing only the scene in your mind, not letting other thoughts in, you are slowing down the breathing process, reducing your heart rate and learning to live in the present moment,” added Bandler.
“Allow yourself to think, Who Am I?”
Earlier in class, a printout on this very question was made available from the website DailyOm.com, written by Madisyn Taylor.
“For the most part the human journey appears to be very much about asking this question and allowing its answers to guide us on our paths. ‘Who am I?’ is a timeless mantra, a Zen koan ultimately designed to lead us home, into the part of our minds that finally lets go of questions and answers and finds instead the ability to simply be.”
Bandler, who has been teaching at the Greenwich Library for the past eight years, plans to return next summer for his much anticipated course.
For more information on Greenwich Library courses, visit www.greenwichlibary.org.
For more information on meditation, visit Greenwich Library for a roster of suggested titles, including “Seeking the Heart of Wisdom: The Path of Insight Mediation” by Joseph Goldstein, and “The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation,” by Thich Nhat Hanh.
