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80 DAYSPA | JUNE 2014 YOUR WELLNESS SPA Snapshot With nearly 100 museums located in the nation's capital, why shouldn't there be one dedicated to the centuries-old practice of meditation? The concept is, after all, integral to religious traditions throughout the world and has inspired an endless outpouring of writings, music and imagery of every imaginable sort. Although the infi nite wisdom and benefi t meditation brings can't be contained under one roof, the Medita- tion Museum (meditationmuseum.org) in the Washing- ton, D.C., suburb of Silver Spring, Maryland, welcomes visitors from all walks of life into its tranquil respite. Opened in 2009 by founder and director Sister Jenna, the Meditation Museum is an expansive space fi lled with inspiring artwork, artifacts, quotations and interactive displays. It frequently hosts special events, ranging from group meditation sessions to wellness seminars such as "Good Feelings, Feeling Good" and "Becoming Free from Obstacles in the Workplace"— especially fi tting for the area's powerful and stressed- out decision makers. "We keep the focus of intention clear," Sister Jenna says. "We want people to raise awareness of themselves." Visitors from all over the world come through the museum's doors, and many are meditation newbies. The director understands why people are often apprehensive about the practice, and uses herself as an example. "I'm not designed to sit still and clear my mind and do noth- ing," she points out. "Instead, I want to stimulate my own positive thoughts. When people say 'I can't keep my mind from thinking,' I tell them, 'Neither can I!'" Perhaps the museum's most important missions involve reaching out to the D.C. community. "We in- vite groups of children from challenging upbringings to come in," Sister Jenna notes. Gang members, for ex- ample. "When they fi rst start meditating, the results of their actions come to the surface," she says. "But they're guided to see that a positive shift can happen. And it does." The museum has also welcomed mentally chal- lenged individuals who had never before been able to sit quietly and experience positive thoughts. The Meditation Museum has launched educational initiatives such as America Meditating: Pause for Peace in which, with the help of social media, a free app and plaques placed in highly traffi cked areas, students in schools or workers in offi ces are reminded to take mo- ments during their day to check in and "not waste time on negative thoughts about themselves or others," ex- plains Sister Jenna. "Instead, we can choose thoughts that support peace, happiness and truth. Negative thoughts make us 'peaceless'." The museum and outreach are free to visitors and sustained wholly by voluntary contributions and private donors. —Andrea Renskoff Jenna Mahraj, also known as Sister Jenna, is a living exam- ple of the global spiritual com- munity she reaches with her work. Born to an African Cath- olic mother and an Indian Hare Krishna father, by her 20s she was, of all things, the owner of two Miami nightclubs. Then, a trip to India changed her vision and purpose. In addition to running the day-to-day operations and pro- gramming at the museum, Sister Jenna hosts Blog Talk Radio's (blogtalkradio.com) America Meditating program. She can also be found touring in an RV dedicated to bringing a medi- tation space to the city streets. "We park and then people can come in and relax, listen to meditation music and take some time to value their own existence," she says. Looking to the future, Sister Jenna hopes to create more meditation opportunities in other locales. Urban Centering The Meditation Museum in Washington, D.C., offers peace, hope and refl ection where it's needed most. WORKING FOR LIFE JENNA MAHRAJ Outreach efforts include educating the community on meditation. Y o u r W e l l n e s s S p a 6 1 4 . i n d d 8 0 Your Wellness Spa 614.indd 80 5 / 1 / 1 4 3 : 3 7 P M 5/1/14 3:37 PM