Foundations of Meditation
A 4-week Experiential introduction to Sitting Meditation
For new and experienced meditators ready to build the skills and knowledge to sustain a regular practice
Overview and course Goals
So many meditation offerings try to distill meditation to a clinical presentation of the mechanics and, in doing so, lose the heart of the practice. Meditation absolutely helps improve focus, decrease stress, and deepen embodied self-awareness, but it also opens us to a different way of being in the world. We are more present, confident, compassionate, and full of joy. Meditation practice helps us show up in our lives.
This course is designed to progressively and experientially explore sitting meditation and provide support to help you overcome common obstacles to a daily practice. Perhaps you’ve tried meditation on apps, podcasts, or YouTube, but became disheartened when meditation got difficult or your experience was different from what the teacher described. I will talk about the why and the how of the technique, introduce several variations, and give you the experience and knowledge to sustain a regular practice. There will also be ample opportunities for questions and discussion, both with others in the course and 1-on-1. This interaction and dialogue is key to making the practice your own!
This course is for beginners looking to get into meditation as well as people with some meditation experience who might struggle to keep a regular practice going.
Details
Dates: March 8 - April 2, 2021
Registration Deadline
Cost: $200, Scholarships & Group Discount available
Core Features:
Live guided practice
Community of Meditators
1-on-1 Instructor Support
Meet Byron
I am a massage therapist, long-time meditator, and holistic health aficionado. Trained in the Tibetan Buddhist school of meditation, I will be drawing on 15 years of personal meditation experience and 10 years of guiding others to offer this course and help others make mindfulness and embodied awareness part of their daily lives.
I believe the fundamental skill for leading a healthy life is embodied self-awareness. With it we know what feels good, what feels bad, and what truly makes the difference. Without it, we are lost and dependent on external advice. The practice of sitting meditation is an excellent way to cultivate this awareness as a foundation for good physical, emotional, and relational health.
“Meditation without concepts, without sidetracks of any kind, is our practice. Within that basic practice there should be a friendly attitude toward oneself as well as a sense of radiating that friendliness.”
Course Outline
Week 1: Taking Your Seat
Week 2: Balancing Mindfulness & Awareness
Week 3: Working with Distraction
Week 4: Transitioning to Everyday Life
These themes form the structure of a successful and sustainable meditation practice. Within each week we will explore variations on the core technique of mindfulness of breath meditation, as well as common obstacles to regular practice.
1-on-1 Instructor Support
A central aspect of this course is the 1-on-1 personal support. You’ll receive this in three ways.
Before the first session, you will schedule an initial 1-on-1 with me to share your experience with meditation and your goals for the course.
One more 1-on-1 is included in the course. You are free to schedule this at any point (suggested weeks 2 - 3).
You are invited to keep a meditation journal. You will receive prompts each week to support you in making the practice your own.
Practice OPPORTUNITIES
We aren’t just going to talk about meditation, we’re going to practice it, and here’s how:
Live 1 Hour Class Sessions every Monday and Thursday on Zoom. Each Class will have a short talk, 20-30 minutes of guided practice, and time for discussion and Q&A. For those who cannot participate live, recordings of sessions will be posted on the same day.
Live 45 minute Practice Sessions every Tuesday and Friday. During Practice sessions we will revisit and review the class from the preceding day. These sessions will not be recorded, but you can choose to listen to the recording from the previous day.
“On Your Own” days on Wednesday and the Weekends. There will be no guided practice on these days, but this is an intentional part of the course. You can self-guide your practice or review a recording of your choice before we continue with the next Class.
The schedule balances new guided practice, review, and self-directed sessions to accommodate different ways of learning. It also gives some time to work with each class technique before moving forward with the next class.
The “On Your Own” days, in particular, are vital to making the practice your own and building your confidence to guide your own practice. Practicing on your own shows you where you are at. It generates questions and insights that you can bring back to the group sessions.
I will continue offering the free Wednesday evening meditation groups during the course. You are welcome to attend, but these sessions are not intended to cover course material.
“You do not have to feel or be a particular way to practice meditation. Meditation is about showing up as you are.”
Detailed Weekly Schedule
Think of the week as divided into two cycles: Monday - Wednesday and Thursday - Sunday. Each Class Sessions (Mon/Th) will present a new practice or variation, the Practice Sessions (Tues/Fri) revisit and repeat, and the On Your Own days (Wed./weekend) let you explore your own experience of the practice.
Monday: Class Session, new guided practice
Tuesday: Practice Session reviewing Monday’s Class
Wednesday: “On Your Own” Day
Thursday: Class Session, new guided practice
Friday: Practice Session reviewing Thursday’s Class
Saturday: “On Your Own” Day
Sunday: “On Your Own” Day
Registration
Deadline: Wednesday, March 3rd
$200
Group Threshold Discount
The course is capped at 14 participants. If we reach 10 full-paying participants, everyone will receive a $25 discount.
Pay-What-You-can Scholarships (4 available)
Apply for Scholarship Here
Course Features:
8 unique live Class Sessions that progress through stages of meditation practice
8 live Practice Groups
Two 1-on-1 calls, one before the course and one at a time of your choosing
Contemplation and journaling prompts to deepen your practice
Community of fellow practitioners
Access to recordings of guided sessions for assistance to meditate at any time
Sign up instructions (to refer to while you book above):
After you click the orange "Sign Up" button below, you will be prompted to schedule your initial 1-on-1 call, lasting up to 30 minutes. It is a requirement that we have this first call before the course starts, so please schedule it as soon as you can. If you don't know and want to come back to this (or if no times work for you), click "Schedule Later".
If you do schedule your initial call now, you will be prompted to schedule the second follow-up call. I recommend scheduling this later, but if you schedule it now, you will then see options to start scheduling the Class and Practice Sessions. I will add these manually to your registration so do not start scheduling them - just click “Schedule Later”.
Please note: Once you click “Schedule Later” at any point in the process, you will skip past all remaining scheduling options. If you don’t see all the scheduling options I’ve described above, that’s fine, nothing went wrong.Complete your contact information. For “Appointment Reminders” please select the format (email, text, or phone call) you prefer to receive reminders to meditate.
On the next screen, you can indicate when you would like to receive these reminders based on the time you intend to meditate, if you cannot attend the live session. Please just pick a single time for all reminders to be delivered.
Finally, enter your payment information. You won’t be charged until the course begins.
Questions, and Answers
What is the Participant Page?
I will create a password-protected participant page to act as hub for all recordings, Zoom links, the course schedule, and any announcements. You will receive the link and password before the course begins.
What if I can’t make the live sessions?
I understand that 7:30am doesn’t work for everyone. Every guided session will be recorded and a rough version will be posted immediately to the participant page. A final edited version will be up by noon of the same day. Discussion groups won’t be recorded because of the dynamic format, but you will receive a summary email with any prompts we worked with during the group.
There will be some days when you cooouuuuulllllddd make it but you just don’t really want to, whether because you are busy, in the zone and super inspired about something else, lazy, grumpy, or discouraged. Those days are the most important! If we only meditate when we feel a particular way we are limiting our experience of the practice. I encourage you to bring yourself and however you are to the cushion with friendliness and curiosity. It isn’t about force, it’s about choice.
What if I can’t meditate everyday or I miss a day?
If the prerequisite for being a meditator was meditation absolutely every single day, there would be no meditators at all. Just try again the next day. If you are really hitting a challenging spot with the practice, reach out for your 1-on-1 call.
Your journal entries remain visible to you throughout the course. If you’re struggling to stick with the practice, it could help to go back through your previous journal entries.
If 30 minutes seems like a lot
With the guided instruction, you might be surprised at how much you can accomplish. You can always do a personal “fresh start” if your body is aching or you are frustrated, regardless of where we are in the guided practice. Take care of yourself!
Are there suggested readings, videos, or other resources?
No. I am drawing on various sources in designing the course and leading the sessions, but I don’t feel that creating a required or recommended reading list is necessary. The primary focus of the course is working with your personal experience of the practice. I don’t discourage reading about meditation, I just don’t want to make it feel like a prerequisite for the course. Finding time to meditate every day is challenge enough!
This being said, based on how the course progresses, if I feel an article, book chapter, or video might be beneficial to you or to the group, I will forward those along.
How secure are these meetings?
Zoom links and recordings will be on a password-protected page. I use the Waiting Room feature to only admit participants who have registered. I disable screen share by participants, join before host, and Remote Control to increase the security of our sessions.
Do I have to use Video on Zoom? Can I call in?
You don’t have to use video, but it would be lovely to see everyone, at least at the beginning of guided meditations (once we’re meditating, there’s no reason to be looking at the screen anyway). And, yes, you can dial in by telephone if that is more convenient for you.