Meditation 

Shivanand has practiced and taught many forms of meditation, from basic to advanced. In 1990-1991, he lived in India and studied and practiced the esoteric side of yogic meditation with Sri Rajarshi Muni--the author of Yoga: The Ultimate Spiritual Path , a treatise on yogic philosophy, which he helped to edit and design.  It was published in the U.S. in 1994 by Llewellyn Publications.

Meditation will help you:

• Uncover your greatest potential, and, ultimately, your true boundless nature
• Relieve stress, fear, anxiety
• Open a still sanctuary within yourself to which you can retreat in all circumstances--especially when life is difficult and challenging
• Create a spaciousness between outer stimulations and your reactions to it--thus increasing your freedom of conscious choice
• Awaken intuition
• In addition to his public classes, Shivanand offers private sessions in meditation and mantra practice in Manhattan and Brooklyn. In general they are for one hour and priced on a sliding scale. Phone sessions are usually 45 minutes.

"Beyond physical yoga postures the deeper practice of yoga is meditation. Yoga means unity--and to me the essence of unity is love. There are few acts I can imagine to be more loving than offering yoga, mantra and meditation, with all its remarkable benefits, to others." -Shivanand-Thomas Amelio

Private Sessions in Philosophical Counseling and Essence Meditation

One-on-One Philosophical Counseling and Essence Meditation sessions. In person sessions are one hour, phone sessions  45 minutes to one hour. For group classes click "Events," on your left.

Thomas is skilled in offering Self-Inquiry-Based Philosophical Counseling derived from the Advaita Self-Inquiry method. Done one-on-one, this is a method that helps you solve issues through the uncovering of layers of false identity.

Essence Meditation and Counseling is also inquiry-based and penetrates whatever is arising in your life—problems, questions, desires—in such a way that you embody the best possibility that underlies all issues.

Please note: these sessions offer a spiritual approach to issues that does not replace traditional psychotherapy; however, this practice can be a fine complement to psychotherapeutic sessions.