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Meditation, in its many forms, is a practice of cultivating focus and awareness, so as to better understand ourselves and our environments. Through this improved understanding we are able to foster peace, balance, and compassion, for ourselves and for others.

When we practice meditation, we choose an anchor, such as our breath, or a sound, or an image, or a repeated mantra, and we focus our attention toward it and gently keep it there. We become aware when something - a thought or sound or emotion - has pulled us away from that anchor, and without judging that distraction, or our reaction to it, we gently return our focus back to the anchor. We continue this for as long as we've chosen to practice.

Meditation offers us a broad spectrum of both mental and physical benefits.

Mental

- Reduced stress and anxiety: meditation helps us reframe how we view and react to stressors.

- Enhanced focus and concentration: by training our minds to recognize and stay in the present moment, meditation can improve attention span, concentration, and mental clarity.

- Improved emotional health: meditation promotes emotional self-awareness, helping us better understand and regulate our emotions.

- Greater patience: regular meditation can help us cultivate greater patience in our daily lives.

- Less negative thought patterns and emotions: meditation can soften feelings of anxiety, fear, anger, and grief, promoting a more positive outlook on life.

Physical

- Lower blood pressure: regular meditation has been shown to decrease blood pressure, taking strain off of the heart and blood vessels, by aiding in the resetting our baroreceptor cell network.

- Better sleep: meditation has been shown to help those who practice regularly fall asleep faster and improve the quality of the sleep they get.

- Healthy aging: studies have shown that regular meditation can slow the cognitive effects of aging and promote increased neural connection generation and gray matter retention.

- Management of pain: by reducing pain perception and improving emotional regulation, when combined with proper medical care, meditation can help us manage chronic pain.

Often we can experience change after a single session, such as a better mood, a calmer mind, and a reduced sense of stress.

Some benefits of meditation can take longer to develop. Better emotional balance, better focus, decreased emotional reactivity, and faster stress recovery may be experienced after just a few weeks of practice.

They key to benefiting from meditation is consistency. Approaches vary, and I encourage my students to experiment and figure out what works best for them. But most research shows that lasting benefits arise from a regular practice of 10-20 minutes at least three times per week.

This is one of the most common, and understandable, concerns that people have.

In brief, no it is not.

We can think of meditation like taking our minds to the gym.

My aim, in the manner in which I teach, is to present and instruct meditation in the secular fashion that has become predominant in the Western World.

Though what I teach has its roots in the Buddhist and Vedic traditions, in class we will not be discussing the theological or religious aspects of either faith. (If you are curious about further study, contact me and I will happily point you in the right direction). My aim is to present meditation as a secular means of improving mental, physical, and emotional well-being, happiness and peace.

I find that in this manner, all members of all religions, or those without religion, can come and experience the benefits of meditation, without the worry of interference with their spiritual convictions.

All are welcome.

If done properly, and with proper guidance, meditation is a safe endeavor. But, just as with exercise, there are some potential risks.

Individuals who practice intensely, without proper guidance, can experience confusion and distress. It is important to know our limitations and go slowly, especially at first, and utilize the knowledge and experience of a teacher or guide.

Those with pre-existing mental health issues may exacerbate their conditions through practice and should consult with a mental healthcare professional before before starting a meditation practice.

Individuals may also misinterpret their experiences during meditation, leading to confusion and difficulty. This can be avoided by practicing with a guide or teacher.

Meditation is not all peace and pleasure. It will present to you difficult or challenging experiences. But that is one of its aims: to help you navigate a challenging world by challenging you in the practice. And as we practice, we grow stronger.

Absolutely. These classes are geared for beginners and the experienced alike. It will likely be challenging at first, and it may not make much sense. This is common at the beginning. It sure was for me.

Part of the path of meditation is working with how we face adversity: a little confusion, a little discomfort, a little awkwardness. It's all part of the path.

Come curious, with an open mind, and all will be well. The only way to fail is to quit trying.

Classes will range from 45 minutes to an hour. We'll start by welcoming everyone in. At the start, I'll present and discuss one or two of the fundamental elements of the practice. Then we'll sit for a short guided meditation session. To close we'll discuss our experiences: challenges, obstacles, insights, etc. Everyone is free to share and/or ask questions. But nobody is required to speak. And feel free to turn off your camera if that makes you more comfortable.

My teaching stems from both Buddhist and Vedic traditions, as there is much overlap between them.

In form, I teach mindfulness meditation through breath-focused techniques, body scanning techniques, thought awareness, emotion awareness, and loving kindness.

In function, I teach the fundamental elements of meditation: focus, awareness, acceptance, non-reactivity, non-judgement, compassion and impermanence.

All of these elements coalesce to form the experience of the practice of meditation.

We often hear these words used interchangeably, but they are in fact two different elements of the practice.

Meditation is what we are doing. It is the action. We are meditating.

Mindfulness is a mental state of awareness and clarity that is strengthened through the practice of meditation.

There are many forms of meditation. In mindfulness meditation, we are improving our ability to be mindful, to be aware of what is arising and passing in our experience, as well as improving our ability to decide how we hold these experiences and how we treat them.

As we cultivate this mental quality, we are able to take it out into the world, for better discernment, better decision making, and a calmer, happier and more peaceful life.