MUSEUM OF MINDFULNESS

NEW YORK institutions are offering meditation and yoga along with art. Nearly 150 people sat in the maroon seats of the auditorium at the Rubin Museum of Art in Manhattan, with their feet planted on the floor, their backs straight and their eyes closed, just as they had been instructed.

On the stage, Tracy Cochran spoke of impermanence. Projected on the screen behind her was a ceremonial conch trumpet from the 19th century, the museum-selected art object for the class.

It represented waking one out of slumber and ignorance.

But for the next 40 minutes, Ms. Cochran lead a mindful meditation session on Q & A., after which guests could join a tour, starting starting with the historical coach.

''I love the museum, I arrived stressed but leave better,'' said Jean Marc Chazy, 54, a freelance graphic designer who lives in the neighborhood and has attended this class weekly for the past year.

''I have trouble with anxiety and never living in the moment. Sitting here is a like a workout for my brain.''

Kathleen Conket, 59 a lawyer spoke similarly. ''I have a lot of stressful business situations,'' she said.  ''This recalibrates my attitude in the middle of the week.''

Many museum are incorporating wellness into their programming by offering courses on the subjects like yoga and meditation that often mirror the aesthetics or philosophy of their collections.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York drew attention to this concept when it introduced  workouts this year taught by professional dancers that explored two miles of the museum's terrain.

The course sold out.

''If you engage people personally and emotionally while they're working on their whole selves, that's a huge gift,'' said Dawn Eshelman, head of programs at the Rubin.

''You're not running on a treadmill here. This is completely different type of physical and mental experience.''

The World Students Society thanks  author and research Alex Strauss as the research and subsequent publishing continues.