Meditation Instruction

Meditation

Meditation is a natural state of the human mind—at rest, open, alert. The practice of meditation has been taught for over 2,500 years as a vehicle for realizing the beauty and magic of the ordinary world without aggression or manipulation.

The teachings of Shambhala Buddhism emphasize the potential for enlightenment inherent in every situation or state of mind. Through discipline, gentleness and a sense of humor, the practitioner is invited to let go of conflicting emotions and wake up on the spot.

Mindfulness/awareness meditation is the foundation of all that we do at the Shambhala Meditation Center. This ancient practice of self-discovery is rooted in the simple but revolutionary premise that every human being has the ability to cultivate the mind’s inherent stability, clarity and strength in order to be more awake and to develop the compassion and insight necessary to care for oneself and the world genuinely.

About Meditation Instruction

The Shambhala Center provides meditation instruction in two contexts. One is an introductory presentation and follow-up provided by Shambhala Guides and the second is an ongoing relationship with a meditation instructor (MI).  Instructors are senior Shambhala Buddhist practitioners specially trained and authorized to help people deepen and expand their conceptual and experiential understanding of meditation. We encourage anyone interested in this journey to establish a working relationship with the meditation instructor of her/his choice and keep working with the instructor for as long as doing so feels beneficial. If you have already taken a course at the Center and are interested in furthering your studies under the supervision of a meditation instructor, please send us an email and someone will be in touch to discuss this with you.

Depending on a student’s interest and experience, meditation instruction might include:

Introducing the practice of meditation

Introductory meditation instruction presents the basic meditation practice taught in the Shambhala community.  This practice combines a simple three-part technique and a particular view or attitude.

Clarifying the view of meditation

In our tradition, meditation instruction involves more than the communication of a technique; it is, at heart, about the transmission of the revolutionary view that unconditional wisdom and compassion are the very ground of our being, and that by learning to relax more and more fully, we allow this fundamental nature to flower.

Instruction on working with obstacles to meditation

Common obstacles to meditation include disheartenment, resistance, procrastination, discursiveness and spacing out. The obstacles are well documented in the Shambhala Buddhist teachings—and so are their antidotes.

Guidance on the path of practice and study

Shambhala presents many opportunities for students to deepen their practice and study—public meditation sessions, weeknight classes, weekend programs, retreats and seminaries, to name a few. A meditation instructor can help you decide what to do next and when to do it.

Guidance on joining meditation and daily life

The workaday world is where the rubber meets the road. Getting the tools to meet life’s ups and downs with a strong and pliable mind and an open heart is another potential benefit of working with a meditation instructor.