Where we used to live, we attended a Gita study group that *to me* was the most wonderful gathering and I looked forward to it every week.

There was a study group leader that would read a canto and then discuss it briefly while giving examples of his life experiences.

Then, one person from the group who had been given the verse the prior week and asked to return this week with their "lesson" for the group. This would be their understanding of the verse with their experiences mixed in.

Then we would go around the room and each person had a turn (if they chose) to give one or two of their thoughts on what the verse meant to them.

It obviously takes several years to get through the entire Gita but it was such an amazing group and I learned so much about myself and also learned so much from everyone else sharing the knowledge from their life experiences.

I tried a Gita group in my current place and it nearly put me to sleep. I looked around and there were people playing on their cell phones or just staring in to space. It was a lecture format, not personal life experiences used.

I do enjoy attending various religious lectures, but I guess the key has to be an engaging leader/instructor.

The groups where there is just a reading of scripture seems more like a sadhana group not a true study group. I like these sometimes, but I prefer discussion groups because I don't always understand little nuances and sentences that have double meanings and appreciate when those are explained.

There are all these different styles because what works for me may not work for the next person. I do wish their were more truly discussion style study groups. Those seem so much harder to find!

~Shanti