Most people lead such busy lives it is difficult to imagine spending an hour doing nothing except sitting in silence, but that is exactly what the members of the Flower Dance meditation group do each week.

From 6 to 7 p.m. Mondays, Celia Puz opens her East Brady Street home to anyone who wants to sit in quiet meditation, specifically Samatha meditation.

Samatha meditation, also known as calm abiding meditation, is a type of Buddhist meditation in which practitioners strive to sustain their attention for long periods.

Though Puz and other members of the group are practicing Buddhists, the sitting hours are nondenominational. One member, Debra Brunken, describes them as "positive people with good hearts and good minds."

Puz said the meditations have an overall positive impact.

"It's a ripple effect," Puz said. "If you do this often enough it branches into other aspects of your life."

She describes the meetings as a very casual, very unstructured experience. Everyone comes into the room, sits on cushions in subdued lighting and meditates for an hour.

The group environment is not necessarily a social one, but the Flower Dance group believes it enhances the experience.

"The energy of a group is really supportive and beneficial, especially for new people," Puz said.

Susan Hetz has participated in the group since it began four years ago and feels similarly about meditating in a group environment.

"It's almost like anything else — building a habit, exploring a new path — very nice to be with other people doing the same thing," she said.

Both she and Puz believe there is a strength in numbers that leads to more beneficial results.

For Hetz, those results include creativity and liberation.

"I find I'm more in touch with myself and creativity. Creative solutions and ideas float up as a result of silent meditation."

Brunken agrees group meditation is helpful and can change one's meditative experience and provide motivation and consistency.

"It's easy to forget to take the time to sit and center yourself, to think about the moment rather than about the next thing," she said.

Meditation is believed to provide skills for managing the stress of everyday life. Brunken said those who regularly practice meditation will be less likely to be negatively affected by stressful situations as they learn to embrace the sense of calmness experienced through meditation.

On average, about five or six people show up each week to participate; however, the group welcomes interested community members and provides instruction to first time participants.

"Meditation, in this form, is not difficult, but most people need a little guidance to get started. The silence can be intimidating," Puz said.

The group also provides several articles to help new participants learn more about meditation and its benefits. Puz recommends anyone with an interest in meditation speak with someone who meditates or read a book about meditation to explore the art and get started.

Puz has studied Buddhism and meditation for eight years. She said she had always been interested in books on Zen, but once she began studying Buddhism, it just felt right.

"It felt like I had found what I had been looking for," she said.

She has since traveled to China, Tibet and Mongolia to learn more about Buddhism and meditation and uses those experiences to provide an atmosphere of calmness and serenity for herself and the others in the Flower Dance group.

The aim of the group is to give back to the community. Therefore, there is no charge to attend the sitting hours. The group merely wants to provide a comfortable, calming respite for the community.

"We want to be a refuge for an hour that you can take home with you and into your life," Puz said.

<B>WHAT: </B>Flower Dance meditation group<B>WHEN: </B>6 to 7 p.m. Mondays<B>INFO: </B>Call 724-282-1093 or go to www.chojung.org