Making Room for Meditation

Patricia Moreno knows how hectic life can be. To help offset stress, the creator of the intenSati Method, who is also the mother of three kids under the age of 4, dabbled in various meditation practices on and off starting in 2002.

Nothing stuck, however, until she began studying with Dr. Joseph Michael Levry, founder of L.A.–based Naam Yoga, in 2013. Now, she is committed to a 75-minute morning ritual of music from Naam, chanting and breath work—and fully recognizes how much good it does her.

“It has significantly improved my state of mind,” she says. “I am less irritable. I am more creative when it comes to coming up with new ways to handle difficult situations. I am more present with my family and the quality of my life has significantly improved.”

Wanting to start a meditation practice, however, and actually doing it is are two very different things. The key? Make it a habit—and mean it. Moreno (pictured here) recommends adhering to a plan whether you feel like it or not; within 30 to 40 days it will be second nature. Try this: “Simply sit, hands in prayer pose, think of your loved ones surrounded in pink light and sing the ‘Happiness’ song,” she says, referring to a tune on the Naam soundtrack. “Then, when you are done, sit still and imagine yourself surrounded with pink light, happy and healthy.”

Prefer to get grounded with a crowd? Moreno’s intenSati workout is essentially group-fitness meditation, an infectious combination of interval training, dance, martial arts and yoga set to out-loud affirmations and music. (“Sati” means mindfulness, “inten” refers to intention.) There is no just going through the motions here: You’re verbalizing what you want (“I’m here to improve,” for instance), moving through fun choreography and interacting with fellow intenSati-ers. She currently teaches weekly classes at Equinox gyms throughout New York City, but downloadable workouts are available and the intenSati Method is taught in more than ten states.

“It is like a high-energy meditation practice for people who want to become stronger mentally, physically and spiritually,” says Moreno. “We literally practice training ourselves to stop complaining and instead start consciously creating a life we love in a body we love.” satilife.com.