Siddha Yoga Meditation Center of Miami

I am a huge fan of community centers. They strive to create a sense of community and a place to learn – and I always feel like I am a part of a meditation community when I visit the Siddha Yoga Meditation Center of Miami.
I have been to their Monday hatha yoga session twice, and it is very relaxing. So relaxing that my friend I came with fell asleep when we did some floor stretches. Seriously, that’s a true story! The lady who teaches the yoga class is friendly, and they also have mats and bands when you come in.
Since I work at The Roads, I usually come here on Mondays to avoid traffic.
What do I also like about this place? It is completely free (but you can give a suggested donation).
I highly recommend anyone to come here. It isn’t a fancy place, but it is very homie, and every time I have been here I have learned something new about meditation or yoga.
And the adventure continues…

In a city like Miami, it is hard at times to find people who are into meditation and reflection. Miami is a busy city, after all, filled with fun things to do, but sometimes, doing stuff is tiring, and you just want to be alone, close your eyes, clear your mind, and breathe. Thankfully, I stumbled onto the Siddha Yoga Meditation Center of Miami after a Google search on an attempt to find people who like to meditate, and ever since my first visit, I have become a regular because this meditation center provides me with a sense of community, teaches me something new each time I go, and has free events (with suggested donations).
I came here the first Saturday of August for the first time, and it was a spiritually awakening night. They were hosting their meditation satsang which is meant to strengthen your meditation practice and consists of 90 minutes of chanting and meditation. Coming here from a long hiatus from my meditation practice, I was nervous to go and arrived exactly at 7:30 pm, the minute they started. The parking lot was packed (which shows the center has a strong following), so I parked at the lot across the street which was empty. The minute I walked in, I was faced by steps and after a trek to the second floor, I was exposed to minimalist-​styled rooms where you could grab information from the table and a strong scent of jasmine which woke up my senses. The woman who greeted me was very friendly and welcomed me with open arms. She answered all questions I had regarding the center, showed me where I could put my shoes, and walked me through the meeting room where you can picture tea if you are thirsty.
Heading to the meditation room, I was told that men sit on the right, and women sit on the left (which is common practice in most meditation centers). There were rows of chairs with dozens of people (all ages) who were chanting. I sat on the side, while I turned off my phone as courtesy to the center. After turning off my phone, I grabbed a mat from the pile on the side and headed to the front. We were led in chanting and meditation by the leader while we faced a large portrait of one of the Siddha masters/​gurus. I was not used to chanting so it felt awkward, but the meditation at the end was very relaxing and provided me with a sense of serenity. I was able to quiet my mind for a few minutes which provided me with peace from a long stressful work week. It also provided me with a sense of community, and it was pleasure meeting others my age who were interested in meditation.
Wanting to learn more about Siddha meditation, I went with a friend to their Monday event which consisted of hatha yoga and meditation. The hatha yoga was very easy– not complicated yoga at all– and was a lot of stretching. The meditation was led by an audio tape, and I had a harder time concentrating on meditating here, but meditation is always complicated to master, but I enjoyed it for providing me with quiet time and a place to avoid traffic heading back home to Kendall. There was only five people here this time, compared to the 20+ people that were there on the first Saturday I went, which may have made the meditation more difficult.
If you plan to visit the Siddha Yoga Meditation Center, I would recommend anyone to come with no expectations and just a willingness to learn and meditate. The place is very simple, so do not expect to be meditating in a Canyon Ranch type– meditation center. They are equipped though with rugs and pillows for meditation, which can be used to enhance your meditation experience and hosts different free events throughout the week. This center is open to all types of people (different ages and different ranges of meditation experience) and has friendly people who can answer all your questions. I will definitely try to come here more often because I feel like I have already learned a lot by visiting this center.