Meditation Boutiques

I hope so because this would be a good trend.

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Say aaaaah! Meditation studios are the newest trend in wellness

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Thick cushions are evenly spaced along the Den's wood floor, top, and a raised dais at the front is for the teacher during sessions. (Jameca Lyttle / The Den)

This is how busy and harried we are at work, home and all places in between: A new boutique studio in Los Angeles offers busy Angelenos a place to do nothing but … meditate.

Like so many entrepreneurs, Tal Rabinowitz was emboldened by the fact that she couldn't find what she needed — and went ahead and made it herself. The result is the Den, a meditation-only studio that Rabinowitz designed to be secular, accessible to the masses and not linked to a particular movement, guru or lifestyle.

"There is no lingo here," she said. "Meditation should be for everyone."

Rabinowitz has long been a proponent of meditating, finding it enormously helpful in the high-stress job she formerly held as an executive vice president at NBC. (The official opening party brought in a stream of her celebrity friends from her TV days, including Kate Walsh, Amanda Seyfried and Anna Kendrick.) In September of last year, she took over the space once occupied by the venerable textile store, the Silk Trading Company, on the corner of La Brea Avenue and 4th Street in Los Angeles.

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The Den, a new boutique studio on La Brea, offers classes in meditation. (Jameca Lyttle / The Den)

With all the distractions at work and home, said Rabinowitz, sometimes you have to be in a space where the only thing you can do is meditate. (It joins another drop-in meditation studio, Unplug in Santa Monica.)

Now the 2,500-square-foot studio — filled with comfy couches and bookshelves and where the walls are painted soothing shades of teal blue next to exposed brick — holds three rooms. The main meditation room is where classes take place, run by a rotating roster of 22 teachers. Sessions range from 20 to 45 minutes.

A smaller room is for people who want to drop in and meditate on their own.

In the last space, healers in disciplines such as reiki, cranialsacral therapy and massage will offer their services.

The rooms are, predictably, cozy and welcoming: thick cushions are evenly spaced along a wood floor, a raised dais at the front is for the teacher. Dim overhead lighting comes from brass lanterns swinging from the ceiling. Some classes offer music, others are conducted in silence with only the teacher's voice as guidance.

There are several classes a day, each with a different intention: focus, healing, breathe and, the last classes of the night, including sweet dreams. Meditation incorporating qi gong and fostering creativity, as well as those for pregnant woman, are also offered.

"We try and cover the bases," Rabinowitz said. "Some classes are mantra-based, others target focus and mindfulness. We encourage people to keep meditating at home, but there's also something wonderful about being in a group setting like this."

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Besides meditation rooms, there are also comfy couches and bookshelves in the new 2,500-square-foot meditation studio, The Den, on La Brea. (Jameca Lyttle / The Den)

Classes are $22 each. A five-class package is available for $100, and a monthly unlimited membership is $160. Workshops are also offered, and those who want to drop in and meditate outside of a class pay $5.

Our favorite three classes:

A.M. energizer

The first class of the day, at 8.45 a.m., is directed toward the pre-work crowd: This 30-minute session is designed to increase mental acuity and sharpen clarity for the day ahead. "People set their intentions for how they want their day to be," Rabinowitz said.

Lunchtime detox

The 1:15 p.m. class offers a 30-minute session midday: "It's a quick relaxation to bring you down, clear your head, and get you ready for the rest of the day," she said.

Candlelight relax

This is just as it sounds: 45 minutes of flickering candles and deep breathing to help meditators decompress at the end of the day, clearing any negative vibes that have accumulated at the office or elsewhere.

The Den is located at 360 S. La Brea Ave. in Los Angeles. www.denmeditation.com

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The notion of a meditation binge is funny.

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My Meditation Binge, in a Nutshell
On Wellness
By ALAINNA LEXIE BEDDIE APRIL 25, 2016

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Hosted by District Vision at the Standard Hotel earlier this month, the Indian yogi and mystic Jaggi Vasudev, known as Sadhguru, discussed being “High on Life.” Credit Kelly Taub/BFA.com

In a city full of fitness and wellness tribes, it can be seemingly impossible to break into a new one — but not when it comes to joining the growing group of meditators. Last week, a New York Times article explored the “mainstream business practice and a kind of industry in its own right” that meditation has become. And though inclusive — it’s hard not to feel welcome at a group meditation — the movement is quickly becoming associated with millennials and start-up companies.

Of course, mindfulness is not new in Manhattan. A certain set of New Yorkers has been meditating their whole lives — or, at least, careers. The Michelin starred TriBeCa chef Marc Forgione, for example, has a Native American spiritual guide, and has brought in the Buddhist author and meditation teacher Lodro Rinzler to teach his staff how to meditate — a handy tool, surely, in a bustling kitchen. And in L.A., where New Age gatherings are as commonplace as happy hour, a guy called Gabriel Heymann discovered a love for transcendental meditation — which led him to embrace a healthier lifestyle, and ultimately brought him to New York, where he recently launched Smart Beer, the city’s first organic brew. (He still practices meditation.) But meditation is no longer a behind-the-scenes part of a successful person’s lifestyle — it’s at the forefront of many new brands.

Chef Forgione’s friend Rinzler, for one, co-founded MNDFL, a boutique meditation studio that opened late last year in Greenwich Village. At MNDFL and a handful of similar new studios, like at any fitness class, visitors pay in advance and book a spot — a meditation cushion — online (for as little as $10). And because the world is small, one of the studio’s instructors, Eric Spiegel, officiated the wedding of Marissa Vosper — whose cult underwear line Negative Underwear is as minimal and uncluttered as the regularly meditated mind. When Vosper, who grew up meditating (her parents are practicing Buddhists), invited a small group of friends and editors to her SoHo office earlier this month to a meditation led by MNDFL, it would be safe to say that no one thought twice about the invitation. Gathering in groups to get quiet is just what we do these days.

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Inside Negative Underwear’s SoHo office, where the brand recently hosted a group meditation led by MNDFL. Credit Courtesy @victoriaalewis, via Instagram

At the time, Vosper’s event was one of very, very many mindful-oriented invitations in my inbox. There were too many to choose from — discuss Dharma with a Buddhist monk, find quietude in a sold-out sound bath, chill out with Waris Ahluwalia’s chai tea and an Indian mystic — so I did them all.

I first flexed my mind muscles at Medi Club. Founded by Jesse Israel, it’s a safe haven for like-minded “modern meditators” to gather monthly and meditate, discuss what’s new in their community and prepare for an event called the Big Quiet — mass meditations in Central Park and Lincoln Center. When I arrived at the Medi Club meeting at And & And Studios (the very chic owners of Calliope/Sub Rosa lend the space), I found what looked more like a frat party than a meditation event: 20- and 30-somethings were queued up outside the front door, and three young girls armed with iPhones (to check in guests) guarded the entrance. They had somehow lost my reservation but would accept a donation of $20 — “and can you please remove your shoes?” Inside, everyone seemed to know each other — or want to know each other. I felt like I was at a singles event and overheard one girl asking another what brought her to Medi Club for the first time. (She read about it in a New York Times article.) The meeting was ironically really loud for a club organized around quietude. (When Israel began playing Jeremih’s “Birthday Sex” to shout out birthdays, I knew I hadn’t quite found the right place to quiet and harness my thoughts.)

The next day, I sought the comfort of my favorite workday escape: OmFactory, a crunchy yoga studio (by New York standards) that offers an afternoon Flow & Meditate community class — at half the price of Medi Club’s suggested donation. The combination of yoga (to wring out the body’s toxins) and meditation (to flood the mind with stillness) felt infinitely more organic than Israel’s gathering — the focus was actually on the body. (If you’ve never meditated, the act of mindful meditation is very physical in nature: In order to clear your mind of other thoughts, you focus it on your breath, each inhale and exhale, and on your body.) The class calmed and prepared me for the adventure I’d embark on the next evening: a weekend meditation retreat in Rockaway Beach.

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continued next post

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We Tried 3 Local Meditation Boutiques. Here’s How They Compared
WRITTEN BY CAROLINE CUNNINGHAM | PUBLISHED ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2017

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The boutique wellness trend knows no bounds. We’ve seen everything from boutique indoor cycling to boutique boxing to boutique squash. Now there’s boutique meditation.

It was only a matter of time before the trend crept down the coast from New York City, where the meditation studios Mndfl and Inscape opened in 2015 and 2016, respectively, following the West Coast trendsetter, Unplug Meditation, which launched in Los Angeles in 2014. Given that DC’s studios started appearing in Washington right around the close of the 2016 election, it seems that local boutique owners have hit the timing right—opening just as a stressed-out Washington is seeking relief.

No matter your motivation for giving it a try, these new boutiques are open for beginners and experienced meditators alike. Here’s how they stack up.

Recharj
1445 New York Ave., NW; 844-334-6627; recharj.com

Ambience: Like glamping. The floor is covered in artificial turf; the walls are draped in white cloth, with the exception of a bark-covered accent wall; and soothing blue lighting shines from above. Because it’s in the windowless center of an office building, it’s blissfully quiet.

Little extras: A free tea station and a corner with lotions, succulents, and T-shirts for sale.

Class I tried: Mindfulness, which “teaches techniques and methods for systematically developing awareness.” Also on the menu: Sound Bath Immersion, Visualization, Movement, Deep Rest, Breath, Mantra, and more.

The experience: I settled into a comfortable position on floor cushions. The instructor struck a gong, then led the class of three through a roughly 15-minute session, directing us to focus on breathing and different parts of the body—such as the space between where the palms of our hands rested on our legs. There weren’t many moments of silence—the instructor kept up a continuous stream of directions. I found this ideal as a beginner because the instructions helped keep my mind from wandering. After the first 15 minutes, the instructor rang the gong, briefly discussed the experience with us, then led us through a second 15-minute meditation.

Exercise to steal: Count the beats as you breathe in, then breathe out to twice as many beats as you inhaled.

How I felt after: Relaxed, rested, and energized.

Price: $15 for a single class.

Take Five Meditation
1803 Connecticut Ave., NW; 202-588-5198; takefivemeditation.com

Ambience: Like a salon. The marble countertop on the front desk and the light-wood accent wall in the lounge area help make the space feel a little more luxurious. The classroom itself is fairly blank—bare walls and gray carpeting—with the exception of a large gong. A big window overlooks the street, but the shades were drawn.

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Little extras: A free tea station and a bookshelf with journals for sale.

Class I tried: Mantra, which is “a form of vibrational healing that works from the inside out.” Also on the menu: Chi; Crystal Bowl; Mindfulness; Moving; Creating Joy; Clarity, Connection and Purpose; Relax and Replenish; and more.

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The experience: After settling in with as many cushions as it took to get cozy, we learned about different mudras—ways to position your hands—and mantras that can be used during meditation. This class, with four participants, was a bit more instructional than the other two and focused more on teaching than on doing. The mantras we practiced were the Sanskrit words lam and vam, which, when repeat-ed aloud, create certain vibrations in the lips and down the spine that we were told to focus on.

Exercise to steal: Repeat vam aloud and feel how the vibrations move through you.

How I felt after: A little less tense than before class, but the session itself wasn’t particularly relaxing because it required more engagement.

Price: $15 for your first class.

Just Meditate
4928 St. Elmo Ave., Bethesda; 301-312-8080; justmeditate.studio

Ambience: Like a school. Cubbies near the door and a long hallway with two classrooms labeled Studio 1 and Studio 2 in blue block letters lent a bit of a kindergarten feel. Inside the studio were mats with floor chairs in rows, further adding to the classroom vibe. (The legless seats have backs, for those who can’t handle sitting unsupported on a cushion for 30 minutes.) One big downside to the space was the creaky wood floor and thin walls—when someone walked down the hall, you could hear every step.

Little extra: A cooler with cups for water.

Class I tried: Just Enough, an abbreviated version of the 45-minute Just Meditate class, which is a “mash-up of modalities such as breath, body scan, compassion, and mindfulness.” Also on the menu: Just Breathe, Just Mindful, Just Word, Just You, and Just Kids.



The experience: This class had less instruction than the other two, so it might be good for those who have more experience and can stay focused throughout one 30-minute session. The instructions, when they came, primarily addressed breathing. One exercise involved focusing on the top of the spine where it meets the skull and trying to feel all the way down the vertebrae. A hand-held chime was used to start and end the class, and each participant—three in all—had the chance to strike it before the session concluded.

Exercise to steal: Ring a gong or bell, then try to keep the tone in your ear for as long as possible after it’s faded away.

How I felt after: Calm and happy.

Price: $22 for a single class.

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This is trending enough to copy it off our general Meditation thread into an indie Meditation Boutiques thread.

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new york receives BE TIME, a mobile meditation studio set to hit the streets in the new year

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the people of new york city will be receiving its first-ever unique mobile meditation studio this month. BE TIME, ceo and founder, carla hammond, an avid non- profit worker in the new york to many start up organizations for many years found her love for meditation and wellness at the age of 15 and now busy with twins, decided to build a distinctive meditation studio to bring mindfulness to busy new yorkers at their convenience — BE TIME will offer a launch event to the general public on monday, january 22nd at madison square park for free classes 8am-2pm.

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the launch even will take place on january 22nd at madison square park

BE TIME has been created to provide a space that is quiet, cozy, unexpected and can hold people in their meditation practice while taking a break from busy days. the moving studio will have experienced instructors guiding in person meditation classes at 30 minute intervals. because the BE TIME is mobile, its able to access more people and more places. ‘you move, we move,’ carla says. on top of the 30 minute guided practices, BE TIME will also offer ‘open space’ hours where meditators are welcome to hop in and perform their own practice. BE TIME invites people to come in, and take a breath from the urban hustle while in a serene space that incorporates self-care bonuses: aromatherapy, light + chromo therapy and weighted blankets to add to your meditation experience. BE TIME is a fully transformative 30 min ‘mind break’ with extra add-ons to help sooth you through the practice.

the BE TIME bus was designed by a power duo couple of architects (rolando rodriguez leal and natalia wrzask), founders of aidia studio. the duo has worked with zaha hadid, jean nouvel’s louvre in abu dhabi and more. mckenzie, a miami-based boutique design, build and custom fabrication firm partnered with aidia studio to make the design vision come to life. mckenzie transformed the vehicle into a high-tech mobile studio through the custom fabrication of unique laser cut wall panels, and coordination of the design of all the audio and lighting components, ensuring all the complex design features came together harmoniously. additionally they built out all technicalities in the process: generators, sound insulation, extra-air conditionings, best systems to sustain paneling and led structure.

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interior in pink

BE TIME believes in a 30 minute meditation session so that people can disconnect and reconnect, offering themselves a dose of self-care. BE TIMErs will come out of class feeling more relaxed and connected with themselves. ‘it really helps to take a breather! it has been proven that just meditating 10-20 minutes a day increases your productivity and creativity, reduces stress, anxiety, and risk of cardiovascular disease, improves insomnia and relationships with yourself and others, amongst other amazing benefits’, carla explains, ‘depending on the thematic focus of the class they choose, clients can use BE TIME meditation to increase focus, relieve stress, work towards a goal, increase creativity, or get a boost of energy’.

‘meditation for the people’ is BE TIME’s motto, which is why the studio is mobile and the schedule will be broad. BE TIME would like to accommodate new yorkers around the city and make itself accessible to as many people as possible with as many times & locations available. there will additionally be discounted rates for students with an aim to provide meditation free of charge once a week to a school or community. BE TIME weekly schedule will be available at the website so clients can have an idea of what neighborhood the mobile studio will be located in for each day and a detailed address will be provided once the studio has been parked each morning. daily addresses will also be provided on social media @betimepractice, where the locations will be posted throughout the week. the idea is to have set locations each week so that people can rely on BE TIME being there and start making it a part of their weekly routine. the instructors are a selected group of handpicked individuals who believe deeply in the positive impact of meditation.

BE TIME will slowly roll out its services with a half day schedule eventually turning into a full day schedule. BE TIME will offer first timer’s a 30 minute session at $10. from then onwards, classes will regularly be available for $22 (30 min classes) and $11.00 (open space sessions). there are also class packs available, 5 for $99 and 10 for $190. classes can be scheduled through the zingfit app.

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interior in blue

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Looks more like an EDM disco chamber. :rolleyes:

This is such a sales schtick. Do you really need to buy into these to meditate? What's up, NYC?

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Mobile meditation studios are on the rise, offering the time-starved a chance to de-stress
Mobile meditation trucks are popping up in different U.S. cities to offer time-starved and stressed Americans a few minutes of calm and meditation instruction.
Similar to food trucks, the mobile studios go directly to the consumer.
There are now meditation trucks in Detroit, New York City and San Francisco.
Kellie Ell | @KellieAutumnEll
Published 24 Mins Ago
CNBC.com

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Be Time is a mobile meditation studio in New York City.
Source: Be Time

On a busy street, amid the sirens and hustle and bustle of New York City, sits an unobtrusive van.

Inside is a soundproof space where more than 15,000 LED lights bathe the interior in ever-changing color as soothing background music plays. Patrons can enter and pay to collect their thoughts for 10 to 20 minutes.

"It's a little spaceship of calm," said Carla Hammond, owner of Be Time, a mobile meditation studio.

With the rise of food trucks comes an interesting offspring — meditation studios on wheels.

Since 2015, mobile meditation studios have popped up in Detroit, New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area. While each one varies slightly, they all share the same mission: helping people de-stress from their hectic lives.

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Source: Pause Now
PauseNow launched in February in California.

The story of how many of these businesses came to be is surprisingly similar: The founders were all stressed out and couldn't find a time or place to relax in the midst of their busy days. Each, familiar with food trucks and their popularity, wanted something just as convenient for meditating.

"I wanted something where people could pop in during lunch," said Kristin Westbrook, who left her high-stress job as a creative director in New York's Rockefeller Center to open a meditation truck, Calm City. "People in New York are so time starved. I thought, wouldn't it be cool if there was something like Superman's phone booth where people could pop in and recharge their superpowers?"

Joanne and Jake Leider, a mother and son team, used a trailer attached to a truck to start Meditation Works in 2015 in the Detroit metro area after the younger Leider quit his first post-college job because of stress.

There are others. In addition to Be Time in New York, San Francisco has PauseNow.

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Meditation Works operates in the Detroit metro area.

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Joanne Leider | Meditation Works
Interior of the Meditation Works mobile studio.

"At the root of this is the inability to manage stress," said Joanne Leider, who works as the program director at Meditation Works.

Leider, who has been practicing yoga and mindfulness for 17 years, said it wasn't until a few years ago that many people understood the benefits of meditation. She cites Sara Lazar, a neuroscientist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, who found in her research that meditation changes the brain structure and function. Lazar also says there is evidence it can improve memory and slow down cognitive degeneration.

"We thought that people who meditated were weirdos who ate kale and lived in ashrams, and that's why they felt better than other people," she said. "[But meditating] is this wonderful tool. All you have to do is sit and breathe. The problem is that it's just so hard to do alone."

Meditation, it turns out, is a form of mental exercise, according to Lazar's study, that helps people manage stress.

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Kellie Ell | CNBC
Carla Hammond is the owner of Be Time, a mobile meditation studio in New York City that launched this year.

And stress is increasing. In a survey conducted by the American Psychological Association in 2017, nearly one-third, or 29 percent, of respondents said their stress levels have increased in the past year.

Meanwhile, only 8 percent of U.S. adults age 18 or older — or 18 million people — meditate, according to a survey conducted by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health in 2012, the most recent survey available.

"I thought, if we built a meditation studio and put it in a food truck, people would use it if we brought it to work," Leider said. Two years later, the company now has two mobile studios that teach employees of 16 different companies, all over the Detroit area, how to meditate.

Being mobile is also cheaper than having a brick-and-mortar studio. Jackie Corwin, owner of the PauseNow bus in the Bay Area, estimates her bus costs about $9,000 a month to operate — but that's still a discount.

"It would cost $20,000 to $25,000 a month for rent alone in San Francisco," she said.

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Source: Pause Now
Pause Now launched in February in California. It features private pods for solo meditation.

As the practice becomes more widely accepted, other meditation studios on wheels have emerged — with slight variations. But Leider doesn't mind the competition.

"We can't be everywhere," she said.

In New York's Be Time, visitors must take off their shoes and leave their mobile devices in a locker by the door before taking a seat on one of the 14 floor cushions. The 15- or 30-minute meditation sessions include a certified meditation instructor and weighted gravity blankets that give the feeling of being hugged.

Aboard the PauseNow bus, visitors can reserve one of the seven private "pods." The 27-foot bright blue bus comes with curtains over each pod for added privacy, padded seats and "noise-canceling headphones." IPads are in each pod, giving customers a choice between different meditations, or the chance to sit in silence, during their 15-minute meditation.

For Calm City, Westbrook bought a 1976 RV on Craigslist, ripped out the sink and cabinets and added enough bench space for nine people.

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Kellie Ell | CNBC
Calm City, a meditation truck, travels throughout New York City.

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Kellie Ell | CNBC
Kristin Westbrook is the owner of Calm City, a New York-based mobile meditation studio.
The buses attract both seasoned meditators and newbies, but mostly "curious people," Leider said.

The Detroit studio operates exclusively by contracting companies, such as banks or law offices. Individual employees can use the company's app to schedule a session. PauseNow, as well as New York's Calm City and Be Time studios, both contract to businesses, such as tech companies, hospitals and schools, and offer drop-in sessions to people passing by. Prices vary, but usually average around $1 a minute.

"I like that the bus forces me to go to different locations," said Aja Cohen, who discovered Calm City last year near her Midtown Manhattan office. "You live in New York City and then you realize, wait, I haven't been to the East Village in years."

In the future, all of the studio owners said they'd like to see more mobile studios throughout the country and more people meditating in general.

"If you can take a 15-minute coffee break, why not take a 15-minute mental break?" Corwin said.


Kellie Ell
News Associate for CNBC

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Oh wait, looks like we got one in SF too. Sorry NYC. :o

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New Tokyo meditation studio will teach you to “be in the moment” in relaxing 30-minute sessions
Dale Roll 4 days ago

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We checked out downtown Tokyo’s newest mental oasis, and came away feeling better about our “lightly cloudy” selves.

Over the last several years, the practice of meditating has become a popular way for people to manage their stress. Celebrities like Madonna and Steve Jobs have advocated for the practice, which caused luxurious meditation clinics and studios to pop up all across the world.

As potentially one of the most stressed out cities in the world, Tokyo probably needs one. That’s why muon, a meditation specialty studio, has opened its doors on June 25. Unlike other meditation studios that mostly combine yoga and meditation, muon focuses solely on offering a pure and genuine meditation experience, and might be the first studio to do so.

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Having received a flyer in the mail, our Japanese language reporter Anji was curious to check it out. She learned from the pamphlet that reservations for the studio are online only, and you can reserve a slot up to one hour in advance. Canceling is easy too; so long as you do it up to one hour before your session, it’s free.

You don’t need a change of clothes or any equipment, so you can just show up empty-handed. You won’t even need to bring your wallet; you’ll pay for your appointment when you book it online.

Upon arriving at the studio, the first thing Anji saw was this mystical entrance. A straight, bright line waited for her at the end of a completely dark hallway. It was like a guiding beacon that would lead her to peace and Nirvana.

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Once she entered, Anji was greeted by a young woman who offered her hot water that was boiled in a heavy iron pot. Seated in the waiting area, drinking hot water, and taking in the aromas carefully mixed by a professional aromatherapist, Anji felt her body and her mind start to switch into “off mode”.

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Soon she was led into the meditation studio, which was filled with pillars of dim light that gave off the feeling of warm trees. No cell phones or digital devices are allowed, as they want you to have the full experience of lacking possessions that tie you to your physical body (though Anji was allowed to take photos for the sake of this article).

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Placed between the pillars of light were comfortable-looking cushions and mats to sit on. Although it was indoors, the whole atmosphere resembled being in a forest, surrounded by beautiful trees.

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Anji picked a spot she liked, and once she was settled in, the session began. At muon there are four courses to choose from, but being a beginner Anji chose the beginners course, “Mindfulness”. This 30-minute course encourages you to focus on your breathing and your movement.

Following the voice of a former news caster, she performed some light stretches while focusing on her breathing. Then, she was instructed to place her hand on her stomach and feel the warmth of it against her skin. This was a way for her to formally learn about “being in the moment”.

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It was easy to feel relaxed in the room. There was one staff member who remained with her, but as she was able to sit where she liked, Anji didn’t feel crowded, nervous, or uncomfortable by their presence. Anji felt herself shift naturally into a meditative state. Except…

Except for idle thoughts! Anji found that she could not stop her mind from thinking, and she realized this was the embodiment of her worldly desires. But as if it could read her mind, at the very moment when she began to feel exasperated, the recorded guide said, “Everyone has idle thoughts. Let’s try to look at ours objectively.”

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That was the best thing she took away from her experience at muon. She was really proud that she was able to re-examine herself and her mental focus on worldly desires. She also learned that, through focusing on her breathing, she can quiet her busy mind, which she was very happy about.

After the session, a studio associate helped Anji download their app, which measured the state of her mental and physical well-being using the tip of her finger. “Sunny” is apparently a better result, but Anji received “lightly cloudy”, to which the staff responded, “Ah, you tend to be tired a lot, don’t you?”

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But what Anji thought was the biggest benefit of the studio was the environment. After her session at muon, she tried to meditate at home, but actually found it rather difficult; she couldn’t really replicate the feeling of the studio that helped her be more in the moment. She’d also relaxed so much more at the studio, so if she can swing it, she might even try to go about once per week!

And right now, she can. Until July 31, muon is holding a campaign that lets the customer decide the price of their practice. They can pay as little as 1,000 yen (about US$9) for a session. Since muon is really the first meditation-only studio, they didn’t have a pre-established market to base pricing on, so after August 1 they will consider suggestions from their customers to finalize their pricing.

Anji asked what kind of customers have been visiting so far, and the staff told her that it has been roughly equally divided between men and women, who were between 20 and 60 years of age. The most popular courses are the “Mindfulness” one that Anji took and the “Sleep and Recovery” course, which is conducted lying down on a comfortable futon-like cushion.

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As expected, many tired Tokyoites end up falling asleep during the latter course, but for muon that isn’t a problem at all. They simply want people to slow down, relax, and forget about their busy lives, and that’s something we can all get behind.

When you’re having a rough day or a stressful week, combine a visit to muon with a session at the sleep-inducing head massage parlor, and you will be treating yourself to an afternoon in Nirvana.

Studio information
muon
Address: Tokyo-to Shinjuku-ku Nishi Shinjuku 1-21-1 Meihou Building 2nd floor
東京都新宿区西新宿1-21-1明宝ビルディング2F
Contact through their website; responses will be returned between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Website

Photos ©SoraNews24

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Not sure if this is really a 'boutique'. Kinda, right?

Rooms, Boutiques - at least people are meditating...

Quote:

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Jan 29, 2019, 03:49pm
Meditation Rooms And A Kid Concierge: The Luxury Amenities You Will See In 2019
Lisa Chamoff
Contributor
Real Estate
I tell stories about real estate with a focus on the New York market.

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Both adults and kids can use the MNDFL-designed meditation room at Gramercy Square on East 19th Street.VUW

With gyms and screening rooms becoming as standard as stainless steel appliances and marble bathrooms in luxury residences, Manhattan developers are thinking bigger when it comes to building amenities.

From meditation rooms to a concierge that will find you childcare, these new perks have a focus on wellness, privacy and catering to the youngest residents.

Here are the latest amenity trends popping up in 2019.

Meditation studios

Gramercy Square, a luxury development by the Chetrit Group and Clipper Equity on East 19th Street, will house a private meditation studio designed by the brand MNDFL that can be used by both adults and kids in the four-building complex, expected to open later this year.

The meditation room and several of the complex’s common spaces will feature a technology by Lighting Science called Good Day&Night Downlight. The company says the technology, developed in collaboration with NASA to support the natural circadian rhythms of astronauts living on the International Space Station, “enables optimal daytime alertness, while also enhancing nighttime sleep.”

“In today’s world, people are bombarded with information from so many different places,” says David Bistricer, chief executive officer of Clipper Equity. “They need to pull out the plug and escape from all this stuff. Meditation is a time and place to regenerate the mind. I think it’s very much needed in today’s society.”

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The concierge at One West End will arrange playdates and match families with babysitters and tutors.EVAN JOSEPH PHOTOGRAPHY

Kid concierge

Forget chasing down playdates. At One West End, a new development on West End Avenue and 59th Street, a kids’ concierge not only organizes daily activities and special events, such as cooking, yoga, dance and fitness classes, but organizes themed parties and playdates and matches families with babysitters and tutors.

Three bedrooms here start at $5.25 million.

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The sports court at The Chamberlain can turn into a Super Bowl party room with a retractable screen.WILLIAMS NEW YORK

Multipurpose sports courts

The Chamberlain, a new 38-unit building on West 87th Street by Simon Baron Development, with three bedrooms starting at $3.5 million, features a multipurpose sports court that goes beyond the usual gym and can be used for basketball or soccer. It also has a climbing wall.

“For a building that is 38 units it’s a very unique offering,” says Andrew Till, chief operating officer of Simon Baron Development.

The room can also be turned into an event space with a retractable screen and built-in audio/visual system.

“We find that screening rooms are rarely used, but when they are used they are used by a lot of people in the building, such as for the Super Bowl,” Till says.

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The 4,100-square-foot rooftop terrace at 196 Orchard comes with a sky lawn and outdoor shower, cabana seating and two kitchens.WILLIAMS NEW YORK

Rooftop wellness

At 196 Orchard on the Lower East Side, not only is there a 30,000 square foot Equinox gym on the first and second floors, there’s also a 4,100-square-foot landscaped rooftop terrace that will feature yoga and meditation classes. The space also comes with a lawn, outdoor shower, cabanas and two kitchens.

The roof is intended to be a respite for outdoor space-starved New Yorkers, says Jordan Brill, a partner at 196 Orchard developer Magnum Real Estate Group.

“This isn't some little terrace where residents crowd around and compete for space,” Brill says.

The developer is also working with a new electric car sharing program that is dedicated to residents of the building, which has 94 units starting at $985,000 for a studio.

“Unlike Zipcar, you know you’re sharing this car with your neighbors, you’re not sharing it with all of New York City,” Brill says.

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Residents of The Centrale will never need to set foot on the sidewalk in front of the building, which features a porte-cochère.THE SEVENTH ART

Private entrance

High-net-worth buyers can get privacy even in midtown. At The Centrale, a new building at 138 East 50th St., residents arrive through a sheltered porte-cochère that runs from 49th to 50th Street and leads to a garage, so they never have to set foot on the sidewalk.

“It’s not a roundabout — you’re able to turn all the way into the building and enter the lobby without being exposed right in the middle of midtown,” says Anna Zarro, head of sales, marketing and communications for developer Ceruzzi Properties. “If you’re a celebrity or a captain of industry, you do appreciate being able to come and go without being seen.”

Sales for the 124-unit building will start in the spring.

Lisa Chamoff
Contributor
As journalist in the New York, I've written about everything from the post-recession housing market in Fairfield County, Conn., to the third-home market in the Hamptons.

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