Ram Dass Mantra - Cosmix

om mani padhme hum

The Power of Group Meditation

It is a mistake to think that you cannot practice for lack of time

The real cause is agitation of mind

To meditate with a group will certainly strengthen your practice. At those moments when you feel bored or agitated, if you were alone you might be inclined to give up and stop. An agreement to meditate with another person for a set time keeps you in place. When you stand with others, the pretexts that arise in your mind for quitting meditation are more often simply observed, rather than acted upon.

Here's a way you can keep from getting too lost in your thoughts. See your thoughts go by as if they were autumn leaves floating down a stream. But focus on the stream. The leaves drift by, being moved this way and that by the eddying water. On some there are drops of water that glisten in the sunlight. Let the leaves, the thoughts, float by, but keep your attention on the water itself. Don't get angry because your attention gets caught, for that anger is just another leaf. Don't get frustrated, because your attention will get caught thousands of times. Each time, very gently but firmly bring it back to the flowing water, deep soft breathing into the dantian. 

Journey of Awakening (A Meditator's Guidebook) by Ram Dass