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New UES Meditation Studio Invites Stressed New Yorkers to Drop In

By Shaye Weaver | December 22, 2016 9:36am
 MNDFL Upper East Side will open on Jan. 3, 2017 and offer drop in classes for stressed out New Yorkers.
MNDFL Upper East Side
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UPPER EAST SIDE — New Year's resolutions will be easier to keep with the opening of a new Upper East Side meditation studio.

MNDFL (pronounced “mindful”), which has one other location in Greenwich Village, will offer casual, non-denominational meditation workshops, a space to socialize and a library of meditation books, according to co-founder Lodro Rinzler.

The 1,600-square-foot space at 239 E. 60th St. at Second Avenue will be half-studio and half-lounge, putting both spaces at the opposite sides of the floor plan and giving each room its own environment — something its flagship location doesn't have.

Those who socialize at the Greenwich Village studio often have to whisper because the common space shares a wall with the studio, Rinzler said.

The new location will also have plant-covered walls.

"We're here for stressed out New Yorkers who need support," Rinzler told DNAinfo New York on Wednesday.

"We're excited to bring this to the Upper East Side. It's a good meeting point for a lot of cross sections of the city."

Various forms of meditation, including classes to help with better sleep, to strengthen emotions and help with setting strong intentions for the day, are taught under one roof, which is the first time it's been done in New York City, Rinzler said.

A sound bath class, which uses chimes, gongs, chanting and musical bows to quiet the mind, is also available.

A drop-in class costs $18 for a 30-minute class, $25 for a 45-minute one and $30 for a 60-minute class. Classes led by new teachers and training graduates are just $10.

Package deals for five and 10 classes are also available for between $80 and $220.

There are no memberships, except for a first month of unlimited classes for $75.

There can be up to 26 people per class, Rinzler said.

"It's intimate," he said. "We want people not to feel like they're lost in a giant crowd and that they can talk to the instructor before and after class."

A number of classes will also be available to do at home via MNDFL's website. Unlimited meditation classes can be accessed online for $19.99 a month.

Rinzler, the author of several books on meditation, connected with his business partner Ellie Burrows, a former Hollywood executive, through his non-profit, the Institute for Compassionate Leadership.

They both decided to open a place that makes meditation accessible and easy to fit into a regular person's busy life by opening their flagship in Greenwich Village in October 2015.

The partners are planning a third location in Williamsburg in early February.