Scarsdale’s meditation guru
Norm Goldstein holds free sessions in the ’Dale. Here’s when and where—and why.
BY DEBORAH SKOLNIK
Master of mindfulness Norm Goldstein shares his love of meditation with others through a weekly group session.
Every Friday at 11 a.m., a group gathers in the Center for Jewish Living at Scarsdale’s Westchester Reform Temple. They aren’t there to pray; they aren’t all even Jewish. But they are there for a common goal: to find serenity in a meditation session led by Norm Goldstein.
Goldstein, a Scarsdale resident, has practiced meditation for 35 years. “I was looking for some spiritual connection, and I met a man, Thomas Skinner, who was a spiritual guru…and he trained me in meditation and prayer,” Goldstein recalled. “Basically, what it is is calming the mind, the body, and the soul.”
The conversation that led to the group
As is the case with so many wonderful things, Goldstein’s meditation meetings at the synagogue began with a chance encounter. “A few years ago, I was down with my wife in Florida for a friend's wedding, and I was sitting at the pool, and next to me was Rabbi Blake [Jonathan Blake, senior rabbi for Westchester Reform Temple, aka WRT]. I happened to mention this premise of my meditation. And the rabbi said to me, ‘Oh, that’s interesting. I too meditate.’ And so he said, ‘Let me talk to the clergy and get back to you.’”
Goldstein then also met with another WRT rabbi who at the time also was deeply involved in meditation. “And so, we discussed what we could to for the Westchester Reform Temple community, and others not necessarily having to be members of the temple. And we agreed that we would do a co-session bringing Judaism into the program of meditation, and offer it to the community,” Goldstein said.
A religious and spiritual mix
At the start of many sessions, the rabbi, when present, introduces a portion of the Torah (the compiled first five books of the Hebrew Bible). “And then I bring in the meditation portion,” Goldstein said. To begin, he uses a little bit of self-hypnosis, another skill he is expert at, to get everyone calm and relaxed. Next, he shared, “I recite a prayer, then I go into another set of sayings, then I do the prayer again.” After that, Goldstein starts off with a talk: “Something like, ‘Be comfortable where you’re seated. Let your mind, body, and soul relax,’” he explained.
Gently, he coaxes the group into a meditative state with soft instructions such as “Feel the force of gravity pulling you into your seat. Breathe in through your nose, breathe out through your nose…set aside anything that is troubling you, frustrating you, bothering you until we come back from the session.” Goldstein reassures the group that they deserve the respite–that all humans need emotional and spiritual replenishment. “And then most of the people are knocked out,” he said. “There are some that are snoring.” Twenty minutes of silent meditation follows. “I was able to find on YouTube a practitioner of crystal bowl-playing, and I play that during the meditation. It has a very magical, mystical, and spiritual component to it,” Goldstein shared.
After the 20 minutes, he hits a gong to signal the session’s conclusion. “When I come back in, I recite, ‘I'm going to count backwards from ten to one. When we reach the number one, you'll come back to the room feeling refreshed, rejuvenated, and replenished, and be able to go about your day feeling very joyful, comforted, and happy,” Goldstein said. “And then many of the people, when I reach one, don't want to open their eyes. It takes them a while. They're in such a good place, they don't want to come back.”
He has conducted these meetings for a year and a half; several months ago Rabbi Blake and his fellow clergy decided that Goldstein could run the sessions by himself. “I feel honored,” he said.
A life of accomplishment
It’s no surprise that Goldstein is such a successful meditation teacher—he has been successful in the world of business as well. He’s the founder and CEO of EduNetwork Partners, a company that brings innovative educational programs to educators, youth organizations, parents, and students. He was also named one of CNN’s “Top National Innovators,” and is the recipient of a Congressional Leadership Award. Goldstein even worked with Warren Buffet, contributing to the mega-billionaire’s youth financial literacy and entrepreneurship program.
“Bascially, meditation calms the mind, body, and soul.”
Another role he relishes is that of a transformational life and business coach for private clients. He works with both men and women, even those well into their 80s, offering guidance on everything from careers to building a sense of optimism. (For more information, visit here.
As you can imagine, given how busy he is, Goldstein finds his calming skills often come in handy, not only in the world of work but also in his private life, as the grandfather to seven children. In addition to meditating 20 minutes at least once a day, “depending upon what's going on, I will sometimes just stop and take five to ten minutes to replenish my center,” he said. And what might go on? Well, there was that time his grandchildren asked it they could build a store, and he said yes.
“What we didn't realize is they went around the house, into the closets, and pulled out all sorts of things. We went down in the basement, and half of my and my wife’s closet was on the basement floor,” he recalled. At moments like these, said Norman, “I go into the bathroom and sort of do a standing meditation like, ‘Okay, deep breath, relax. It's all good. It's all good.’”
Meditation sessions: 11 a.m. on Fridays; Westchester Reform Temple; 255 Mamaroneck Rd., admission is free.