Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev) and his wife, Jenness Cortez Perlmutter (Devi), close their eyes and lead a guided meditation Sunday morning over Zoom from their home in Averill Park, headquarters of the American Meditation Institute.

Leonard Perlmutter, 78, co-founder of the American Meditation Institute in Averill Park, has seen a rise in interest in studying meditation to counter the anger and resentment over the chaos and revenge politics sown by President Donald Trump.

Leonard Perlmutter, seated center in white robe, with his wife, Jenness Cortez Perlmutter to his right, pose with a group of physicians and health care providers after a workshop on meditation and yoga.

SAND LAKE — The last time spiritual guru Leonard Perlmutter observed this much fear, anxiety and anger was nearly five years ago at the start of the coronavirus pandemic lockdown.

Now, with each week in Washington bringing a fresh round of fear and loathing as Elon Musk and President Trump sack thousands of federal workers, demolish democratic guardrails and lurch toward a Constitutional crisis, Perlmutter is seeing widespread angst.

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“Emotions are running high. There is simmering resentment. My role is to teach people how to control their minds to turn that anger into a power for good,” said Perlmutter, 78, who in 1996 co-founded the American Meditation Institute with his wife, Jenness Cortez Perlmutter.

They work out of a renovated 19th-century farmhouse and five-acre property in Averill Park. They’ve developed a practice for coping with chaos. They rise at 5:30 a.m., offer prayers, stretch through various yoga positions and meditate. They take a walk along their country road, followed by a light breakfast, before beginning their day’s work. Their Kia SUV’s........

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