Heather Rafanello 
World Meditation Day is so important that it’s actually held twice a year, on both May 21st and December 21st. It’s a day dedicated to the practice of meditation, which is a century-old technique of creating a sense of calm and inner peace. The Hoboken Girl asked local expert Heather Rafanello of Growing Mindset Therapy to share some local places to practice mindfulness during the chaos of day-to-day life. We’ve also curated a list of Local Meditation Classes to further support locals with their meditation practices.
Meditation is increasingly important in this day and age, and can help people reduce stress, increase concentration, and promote overall well-being. Heather teaches meditation as the practice of paying attention on purpose, which is something that she says can be done anywhere, anytime. Mindfulness is about becoming an observer of one’s thoughts, recognizing that you are not your thoughts.
Focusing on the breath and the body can be two great ways to start meditation. Meditation for beginners is about present-focused awareness, recognizing when thoughts enter the consciousness, and then allowing them to continue on without interrupting one’s peace. While it might be challenging to do this in public settings, it’s actually a great place to practice because the natural environmental distractions allow for lots of practice with redirection. We’re rating these local places to meditate by distraction level 1-10 (10 being extremely distracting, lots is happening here), and while it is not an exhaustive list, it’s a great place to begin.
NY Waterway Ferry | Multiple Locations
Difficulty Level: 5
The wind and people might cause some distractions, but when the weather is right, you can get a nice seat outside and tune into the stunning views of the skyline and the sun or moon reflecting off of the water.
Hamilton Park | 25 West Hamilton Place
Difficulty Level: 3
Park goers are sure to find a quiet space somewhere in this five- acre park nestled in the Hamilton Park area of downtown Jersey City. It is easy to forget that this park is located within a half-mile of the Holland Tunnel. With a playground, a dog park, and the sounds of the city, there will be opportunities for the mind to wander, but it should be peaceful enough for a quick meditation practice.
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Liberty State Park | 1 Audrey Zapp Drive
Difficulty Level: 6
Unlike the quaint Hamilton Park, this park is 1,122 acres, and it is home to a two-mile promenade, several picnic areas and playgrounds, and the historic Central Railroad of New Jersey. While this park is not necessarily quiet, it provides a lot of space to practice a guided meditation, a body scan, or even a 54321 grounding practice. There are plenty of spots within the park to practice paying attention on purpose.
Pier A | 100 Sinatra Drive
Difficulty Level: 2
Unobstructed views of the city, full sun exposure — the pier is a great place to revel in the moment. While there might be an occasional passerby, dog, or goose to distract you, for the most part, you’ll be able to tune into your breath, body, and practice at this spot.
Reservoir #3 | 119-199 Reservoir Avenue
Difficulty Level: 2
“Sit by the reservoir and feel calm,” one Google Review says. While at times it’s easy to forget that you’re still in Jersey City, the Reservoir #3 is still located between two of the Heights busiest streets, so the occasional siren and horn will creep into your consciousness, but overall this is a great place to reconnect with nature, and disconnect from the commotion.
On the PATH | Multiple Locations
Difficulty Level: 9
There’s a lot happening on the PATH, so this spot is not for the novice, and guided meditation will be a challenge because you’ll likely lose service in the tunnel, but we’re confident that if you can meditate here, you can pretty much meditate anywhere.
In a Ride Share
Difficulty Level: 7
Though these trips are quick, they create great opportunities for meditation. Less challenging than the PATH but still a moderate challenge. Meditating in a ride-share might trigger some motion sickness, so we’d suggest sticking with a mindful body scan instead of a full-on meditation here.
Local Meditation Classes
Hoboken
Asana Soul Practice | Multiple Locations
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Asana Soul Practice has locations in Hoboken and Jersey City. It has two different meditative experiences in addition to yoga classes. Participants may choose to quiet the mind with a 30-minute guided meditation or join the monthly sound bath experiences (which is free for unlimited members!)
YogaRenew | 12 Hudson Place
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This local spot has an expansive list of services beyond simply yoga classes. It provides yoga and reiki training programs, workshops, and meditation classes. The meditation offerings include the Moon Circle Club, the Cacao & Sound experience, and Be. Calm. Each program has different experiences with meditation and is open to all experience levels.
Surya Yoga | Multiple Locations
Surya Yoga has several Restorative Yoga and Breathwork + Flow classes, allowing for a meditative experience connected to movement. Traditionally, each yoga class ends with shavasana, a pose at the end of each class, allowing the practice to soak in, providing deep relaxation. The spot also provides workshops throughout the year, incorporating meditation and seasonal themes.
Jersey City
Sol Spirit Yoga + Wellness | 523 Palisade Avenue
Sol Spirit provides members with several meditative experiences. Meditation is woven into the Restorative Yoga and Yoga for Anxiety classes, and the studio also has sound bath meditations. These classes focus on deep relaxation, mindful breathing, and meditation and are perfect for all levels.
Roots Yoga Studio | 2983 John F. Kennedy Boulevard
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Roots Yoga Studio, formerly Sacred Souls Yoga Studio, is a hybrid yoga studio providing classes both in person and virtually. Founder and instructor Komal Majmundar provides group classes, private lessons, and workshops. The studio has a recurring Meditation and Restorative Yoga class and group Reiki and meditation workshops for participants of all experience levels.
Salvation Wellness | 30 Provost Street
Salvation Wellness is a holistic wellness hub downtown providing an expansive menu of wellness services. The spot has group and private meditation sessions, in addition to guided meditations, sound healing, and mindful stretching, which is a meditation adjacent to physical practice.
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Sound of Om | 189 Brunswick Street
Sound of Om is a yoga studio rooted in connecting both the physical and spiritual components of yoga. The spot has a variety of recurring yoga classes with a built-in meditation component. These classes include Dharma Yoga for all levels, Hatha Flow and Meditation, and Yin Yoga and Sound Bath.
Urban Sadhu Yoga | 171 Newark Avenue
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Urban Sadhu Yoga has several meditation classes in addition to yoga classes with meditation built into the practice. These classes include the studio’s open classes, and, more specifically, Yoga Nidra, Yoga Pranayama, and Yoga Tri-Guna. The Yoga Tri-Guna Class is a unique trademark of Urban Sadhu, and the class is divided into three equal sections of Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas energetics, meaning it includes vinyasa yoga, yin yoga, and meditation.
