Interview with Kimberly Brown in Queens Gazette
Thrilled to be included in my hometown newspaper. Interview is below, and you can read the full story here.
QG: What do you love about Buddhism?
KB: I love that even after 2,500 years it continues to be an effective and relevant path to steady your mind and reconnect to yourself and others. And that its methods of mindfulness, wise action, and compassion cultivation can be practiced by anyone, anywhere.
QG: Can you tell us more about how Mind-Body therapy has helped you?
KB: As an anxious person who suffered from panic attacks, I tried to cope with them by distracting myself (with Netflix, white wine, or working too much) or by becoming impatient and frustrated that I couldn’t make them go away. After learning mind-body techniques like boxed breathing, loving kindness meditation, and body awareness practice, I’m no longer overwhelmed by my anxiety, and while I still have panic attacks sometimes, they are less frightening and more manageable to me.
QG: What are the hardest parts about silent retreats and Vipassana?
KB: For me, the hardest part of retreat is the first three days. Without input like conversation, books, news, movies, social media, or texting, I feel sluggish and tired, though my mind races with super busy thoughts trying to fill up the now-empty space. After a few days I feel more grounded – almost like when you let a cup Turkish coffee sit and the grounds settle to the bottom of the cup. Developing concentration and working with boredom are challenging for me with any meditation. Vipassana, or Insight Meditation, is a type of Buddhist meditation which I practice on retreat, and the other is metta, or loving kindness meditation. Both lead to recognizing the truth of our experience – that everything is constantly changing and impermanent, we’re connected to all other beings, and each of us have joys and sorrows.
QG: What are some useful insights you learned in meditation teacher training?
KB: The Buddhist tradition suggests that there are “84,000 doors to awakening,” and what that means is that there must be many types of teachings because each mind is different – there is no “one size fits all.” That also means there must be many different types of teachers. I learned through my training that to be an authentic and effective teacher, I must share how I experience the Buddhist teachings and practices. It was very hard for me at first because I felt inadequate and insecure – I wanted to mimic teachers I admired, or just give instructions from books. But in order to connect with others who might face similar situations as me, I now openly share my challenges and struggles and how I work with them, most recently during this pandemic in Steady, Calm, and Brave.
QG: Can you tell us more about your work leading meditations at Zuccotti Park as a member of the Meditation Working Group of Occupy Wall Street?
KB: The leaders of the MWG had arranged for daily meditations every afternoon, and I volunteered to lead twice a week. We met in a corner of the park where we could sit together on concrete benches. Usually a dozen or so people attended. It was amazing and chaotic and wonderful just like OWS – the drum circle was nearby and loud and teachers needed to learn to shout instructions – with all kinds of people walking by or watching – tourists, the press, cops, and curious neighbors. I remember thinking, “If I can teach meditation at OWS, I can teach meditation anywhere!”
QG: How can someone become more connected, kind, and resilient?
KB: First, learn to offer yourself real kindness by sitting still for 10 minutes a day without devices or talking. Just notice your breathing, notice your thinking, and don’t try to fix or change anything. Don’t even try to get rid of judging thoughts. Just notice sounds entering your ears and rest your attention on your breath. Then put your hand on your heart and repeat silently to yourself, “May I be safe, may I be healthy, may I be open to myself as I am,” and continue for a few minutes. Then also include someone who loves you and encourages you, and silently repeat “May we be safe, may we be healthy, may we be open to ourselves as we are.”
QG: What are your favorite places to meditate in Queens?
KB: Socrates Park is an amazing place to practice, and so is Flushing Meadows Corona Park, next to the Unisphere.
QG: What are some of the best Buddhist temples in Queens?
KB: Wat Buddha Thai Varanam in Elmhurst, though I believe it’s closed due to COVID. Mindful Astoria is a wonderful meditation group in Queens which now offers online programs through the pandemic.
QG: Who are some of your favorite therapists and meditation teachers with a Queens connection?
KB: Emily Herzlin, the founder of Mindful Astoria and an MBSR instructor and mind-body therapist, and Ven. Chiang Zhai of Chan Meditation Center in Elmhurst.
QG: What advice do you have for someone struggling with meditation?
KB: Don’t give up! It’s no different than learning any new skill – how to play a violin or throw a ball – it just takes patience and diligence. Be kind to yourself, and have trust and confidence that you can do it. I know you can.