Living in New York City can be just as wonderful as it is stressful. Finding the right way to balance both aspects of the city can be a real challenge.

To help with this task, the Museum of Modern Art, MOMA, has a special program that addresses this issue. Every first Wednesday of every month, people have the opportunity to enjoy a Quiet Morning. That’s tight, that’s the name of the program. Starting at 7:30, the visitors have the opportunity to visit the galleries on the 5th and the 3rd floors of the museum.

My husband and I were so excited for this experience that we arrived very earlier than early at the museum. After we were checked in at the front desk, we were proceeded straight to the 5th floor. For the reader to have a sense, this floor is where the core artworks of the museum are on display. To mention a few, “Starry Night”, by Vincent Von Gogh, Le Demoiselles D’Avignon, by Pablo Picasso, “The Persistence of Memory”, by Salvador Dalì, and “The Piano Lesson”, by Henry Matisse, among many others. We were very thankful for the opportunity to see these incredible pieces without the big crowds that are usual at the museum during regular hours.

After we visited the 5th floor, we headed down to the 3rd floor. MOMA is currently showing the exhibit “Birth of the World” about the Spanish artist Joan Miró. It featured some famous paintings, including “Birth of the World,” the titular piece as well as sculptures and drawing studies for his paintings. As much as we enjoyed this show, I want to return to the museum to see this one with a little more time.

As much as we enjoyed the collection, at 8:30, the early bird museum goers have the opportunity to attend a guided mediation session on the lower. Musician, author and meditation teacher Biet Simkin lead a very insightful meditation and we sure left the museum rejuvenated and energized.

Just a reminder that MOMA will be closed from mid June to late October for renovation. It will also give a different approach to featured artists in the future to emphasize diverse, multicultural groups. The museum closure means that there will be only 3 more quiet mornings until June. They promised, however, that this program continued after the museum’s grand re-opening in October. We’re looking forward to many more quiet mornings!