By Elizabeth Harrington

Washington Free Beacon

The advantage of this is that it actually doesnt cost anything, said Karen May, a vice president at Google, explaining how her company offers mindfulness classes to its employees.

Mindfulness is a New Age kind of meditation that focuses on the present moment non-judgmentally, tracing its origins to Buddhism. The growing phenomenon was the subject of a 60 Minutes segment on Sunday, for which May and other fans of the practice were interviewed.

Were just asking you to sit and know that youre sitting, explained Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and author of the book Wherever You Go, There You Are. When youre in the shower next time check and see if youre in the shower, he advised viewers.

The segment featured Rep. Tim Ryan (D., Ohio), a so-called rock star among mindfulness evangelists who earmarked nearly $1 million to teach mindfulness to preschool students in his district. The $982,000 project provided deep breathing exercises, and Peace Corners for kids in Youngstown, Ohio.

Ryan said he practices mindfulness on the House Budget Committee and hosts weekly meditation sessions for members and staff. No Republicans attend.

The congressman really believes it can change America for the better, as does the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Contrary to Mays assertion, mindfulness has cost taxpayers a fortune. The Washington Free Beacon analyzed 81 active studies on mindfulness that have cost taxpayers more than $100 million. Included in the total were all studies in which mindfulness is used as a central component in the research.

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NIH has spent $100M on mindfulness meditation

Imagine dozens of cops sitting in mindful meditation, channeling calm in a display of peace and unity, surrounded by their fellow citizens.

Kelsey Cavanagh can.

The 25-year-old Hollywood yoga teacher is organizing a free "People & Police for Peace" meditation at 6 p.m. Jan. 7 at the ArtsPark on Young Circle.

A native of Maine who went to college in Boston, Cavanagh envisions police coming from all over South Florida to breathe together in guided meditation. She plans to reach out to the Broward Sheriff's Office along with several agencies, including Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale and Miami.

"We would rather work with them in peace than protest," Cavanagh said. "We know that officers are people and have hearts. Police brutality is the hot-button issue right now. We would like to see cops in uniform sitting in peace and showing the public that this is a stepping stone to open up conversations about reform. We want to work with people on a heart level and create a forum for mindfulness and conversation."

All cops are welcome whether they are in uniform or not, she says.

Eugene O'Donnell, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, praised Cavanagh for coming up with a plan for peace even as people across the nation take to the streets to protest.

"The conversation about policing has become polarized and facts have often been the first casualty," O'Donnell said. "So anything that can bridge the divide can't be anything but positive."

But will the cops come?

Jeff Marano, a retired Hollywood cop and president of the Broward County Police Benevolent Association, doubts it. Still, he promised to let officers know about the event by posting details on the union's Facebook page.

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Cops meditating with public might help bring peace, yoga teacher says