Brooklyn Sit-a-thon |

Posted by sitathon on Mar 11, 2012

Awake Youth Students get ready for the Sit-a-thon!

Allen, Ian, Lauren and Lamaysha are just four of Awake Youth Project students who will be participating in the Brooklyn Sit-a-thon and doing their part to raise funds to support ongoing teen meditation and mindfulness groups in their communities and schools!

Posted by sitathon on Feb 3, 2012

Erasmus High School Meditation Group!

Today’s group at Erasmus high school was fantastic. There was a lot of enthusiastic engagement. We had about twenty students take part in over an hour of meditation and discussion, many of whom have been involved in the program for over a year. The photo here shows about half of the students who participated.

Posted by sitathon on Jan 31, 2012

Brenda Loya – ultimately express my true self

I am very excited to participate in The Brooklyn Sit-A-Thon in support of The Awake Youth Project. The Awake Youth Project is an inspiring initiative that brings mindfulness and meditation to high school students in distressed communities in Brooklyn. As teenagers many of us experienced stress, anxiety, the need for acceptance, as well as many other complicated emotions that come along with the transition...

Posted by sitathon on Jan 19, 2012

Ruth Ozeki – talking clearly and without fear

On April 21st, I’m going to sit in silent meditation all day in support of the Awake Youth Project, an amazing program, run by the Brooklyn Zen Center, to teach mindfulness to at-risk high school kids in underserved Brooklyn communities and schools. When I was in high school, I was a really angry, confused, and screwed up kid, blinded by powerful feelings that terrified me. I had no way of coping...

Posted by sitathon on Jan 18, 2012

La-Keeyatta Steward – meditation has changed my life

I started meditating more than a year ago. I found out about it through a program at my high school that was having mindfulness meditation groups in schools. Now I try to meditate daily, though I’m not always successful. But I do meditate every Tuesday at the Brooklyn Zen Center for at least 30 minutes with the teen meditation group. Meditation has changed my life. Now that I meditate I look at people...

Posted by sitathon on Jan 18, 2012

Laura O’Loughlin – innovative, dynamic and blossoming effort

It has been such a pleasure to get to know these smart, energetic and enthusiastic young women and men that have come to Brooklyn Zen Center through the Awake Youth Project! Their openness to sharing the struggles and joys of their lives and to learning new ways of engaging in activity through mindfulness has been inspiring to me. I have had so much fun working in the kitchen with these students where we...

Posted by sitathon on Jan 18, 2012

Loyalty JeanAimé – the art of letting go

I’ve been meditating for over a year now. I started off as an intern and now I’m one of the founders of the Awake Youth teen meditation group. I feel like meditation has done a lot for me at school and at home. I can meditate and practice mindfulness anywhere, whether I’m on the train, walking down the street or in the overcrowded hallways at high school. Meditation has allowed me to develop more...

Posted by sitathon on Jan 18, 2012

Yael Shy – brilliant, curious, committed and talented

I am so thrilled to have the opportunity to participate in the Sit-a-Thon and support the Awake Youth Project, this beautiful Zen Center, and this truly transformative practice! A few years ago when I walked into the Zen Center, I had no idea what to expect. Although I had meditated for many many years, I had never been part of an ongoing community, and I had no experience with Zen Buddhism. What I quickly...