One fine day, I resorted to Tikkun Spa to restore the calm and balance in my head. My companion in this journey was a copy of Golden Nuggets book by Osho Rajneesh. A copy that is couple centuries old yet its content is always refreshing to read. Frankly, that book has always a fresh perspective for me no matter how many times I have read that book in my life.

Sweating in the dry sauna while enjoying this book, I was approached by another woman asking if I mind her closing the sauna door. A very simple question. Yet, this simple question triggered a conversation between us and 20 minutes later I was introduced to a phenomena in Los Angeles called Unplug.

What is Unplug?

Unplug is a meditation studio with classes pretty much all day long focused on meditation. That is the textbook definition.

In a day and age that I look pretty much like this most of my active hours, the word unplug hit me in the head. It hit me in the very right spot. Can  I unplug myself ? Can I detach myself from the myriad of data and electronics that I am plugged into them?

It took me a month before I gave it a try. And frankly I did not go there on my own will and intention. I was forced to go there. No, no one put a gun behind my neck and forced me to drive to Unplug center. But I was having a hard week of insomnia and attack of thoughts at night and the therapist helping me practically used her words as a gun to make me get there.

What was the Unplug ambiance like? 

From outside on Wilshire, there is a big word in white plastered on windows of a gray, dismal looking building: Unplug. Nothing extraordinaire. I realized that the center has no direct entrance on Wilshire Blvd. That is a plus.

I entered the common area of the building which opens to a well manicured green tree reaching to the sky in search of some sun light. The area gets more of a shadow rather than sun being surrounded by tall walls.

The unplug was to the left. Opening the door was an enthralling experience. Very much like the cartoons where Tom as in Tom and Jerry dies and enters heaven. The place was white. Pure white. There was a special ambiance , weather it was the scent, candles, aroma of assortment of Zen tea, whatever it was, it was calming. It was already feeling like I am getting ready to disconnect.

What was the Unplug experience like?

At 1 PM on a working day, the waiting place was flooded with 30-35 people. It was shocking for me. There was an anticipation in the air.

No one could take their phones inside the meditation class area. What a great practice! When was the last time you lived without checking your phone for an absolute 30-45 minutes?

The door opened and we were ushered into a space dimly lit by a bright purple color. It was a soothing type of purple. The place offered the most amazing comfortable, yet simple to setup and disassemble chairs for sitting on the floor.

As soon as the group was settled, the meditation coach started a guided meditation and she took me with her.

With her I grew roots like a tree and I looked up in the sky to see each of my thoughts that were flooding my head pass by like clouds.As a tree, I was calm. I felt like an old tree, not very old but stable enough to withstand the strong winds and downpour of rain.

When I opened my eyes half an hour later, my racing mind was calmer. I had more energy and certainly more clarity. Unplugging had connected me to a source of energy that I had forgotten about. Part of this energy surely came from the collective energy of all folks meditating in the same room with me. It very much reminded me how people in some countries will drop anything at noon time to walk to a mosque to do a group prayer. The collective energy of mind and disconnecting from daily life even for a few minutes can be recharging.

And checking my phone , I realized that no one has died and the world has not come to an end while I was unplugged.

I highly recommend giving Unplug a try if you live in West LA.

The picture on the front cover is from Edward Cozza blog.

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