Deepen your meditation practice. Receive personal guidance from experienced teachers. Connect with a community of like-minded practitioners.
Early Bird special pricing until June 11th!
July 19th – August 23rd, 2023
Wednesday 4:30 pm PT / 7:30 pm ET (time zone converter)
Live and interactive classes over Zoom
Each class lasts 1.5 hours
Optional live practice sessions – 45-minute sessions of guided meditation & practice check-in
With Upali – Wednesdays 9:00 am PT / 12:00 pm ET
With Kynan – Sundays 5:30 pm PT / 8:30 pm ET
(practice sessions will be recorded and distributed to course participants)
Course Description
Regardless of the reasons, meditation resonates with some of our deepest values. Yet, finding time to meditate and having a clear sense of direction in daily practice presents challenges. This course will give you the tools to practice consistently and effectively so that you can get the most out of your time meditating.
The course is built to celebrate the values and benefits of your practice as well as deepen them. Whether you’re new(ish) to meditation or have years of experience, this course will provide guidance and inspiration for exactly where you find yourself on your path, furthering the depth and consistency of your practice.
The course includes weekly in-person classes with experienced teachers, structured time for practice with other meditators, exclusive guided meditations and instructions that support your daily practice, and the opportunity for 1:1 support from a teacher.
Course Outcomes
- More Time Meditating
By the end of the course, the time you spend meditating and the quality of your sessions will increase. The course will motivate you to take time to practice with other meditators during the week and provide you with guided meditations to practice on your own. Additionally, it will give you confidence and a plan for meditating on your own time. The course will help you overcome roadblocks in your practice that get in the way of consistency.
- A Clear Path Forward
You will receive tailored instruction for your meditation practice that fits with your interests and gives you clear direction. You will come away with tangible techniques for your practice.
- Knowledge of Practices and Philosophy
You will gain a refined understanding of meditative techniques such as breath practice and Metta (aka Loving/Kindness) practice and know the practical significance of these practices in context of meditative tradition.
- Access to a Community of Like-minded Practitioners
You will gain inspiration from other practitioners who share your experiences in meditation. We will help facilitate practice pods so that you can chat and meet with other practitioners. Additionally, all participants will have lifetime access to an online forum of current and past course participants where you can discuss practices, ask questions, and share resources.
- Integration
Your personal experiences of meditation and the unique reasons you pursue them will be held in the larger context and relevance of your life. You will learn how to bring the practice into daily life and to find ways to integrate your meditation practice into your routine.
Course Values
There are two guiding values in how this course is organized and taught.
- Student Centric – You are the expert of your experience, and you’ll be treated as such. Professional guidance provides useful perspective and direction, but it’s what you experience to be useful that will sustain your practice and provide the most benefit.
- Utility – Different methods work better for different people. This course aims to find what actually works toward creating benefit in your practice. While the course will present certain models and techniques related to practice, they’re not regarded as the only Truth. All instruction and discussion in the course will prioritize what actually works for you and hold an openness to the form that takes.
Is this course right for me?
If any of the experiences below resonate with you, this course is likely a good fit.
My interest in meditation is piqued. I’ve used meditation apps with some success, and I’d like to learn more, go further, and feel confident meditating on my own.
Meditation is a positive habit, and I’d like that habit to solidify and grow.
I know how to meditate, and I even do it consistently, but I’m on my own a lot of the time. I’m looking for teacher support and/or community support.
Meditation has been helpful with my mental health, and I’d like more of those benefits.
I’ve been practicing for a while, but I don’t stay consistent.
The instructions I have for meditation are vague or confusing and I get inconsistent outcomes. I want clarity around how to practice and a feeling of productivity and success in my practice.
I want to experience more mindfulness in my daily life.
The drugs were cool, but I heard I can get some of those benefits and insights without them.
Awakening is an accident and meditation makes me accident-prone. I’m looking to walk a spiritual path.
Course Cost
Standard – 269 Early Bird / 295 Full Price – participation in classes and practice groups plus content – weekly emails, recordings, and additional instructions
Plus – 359 Early Bird / 395 Full Price – all of Standard plus two additional 1:1 meetings with a teacher
Low Income – 179 Early Bird / 195 Full Price – a special reduced rate for those who are unable to pay the standard rate at this time
** We have created this pricing structure to attempt to offer the course at affordable rates, while still being able to provide a high level of supportive teaching. If you would like to attend but can’t afford to, even at the low-income rate, please contact us. No one will be turned away due to inability to pay.
About the Teachers
Upali
Upasaka Upali has been meditating since 2008 and has been a full-time meditation and Dharma teacher since 2018. He teaches in a lineage that can be traced back to the Buddha and has thousands of hours of experience teaching courses and working individually with students. He has also taught over 200 days of silent meditation retreats.
Upali was the founding director of Open Dharma Foundation and currently serves as the Board Chair for Center Space, a non-profit community meditation studio. He co-hosts the podcast Teaching Meditation and serves as a somatic facilitator for Neurosystemics Dharma. He teaches with the hope that practitioners can experience and integrate the benefits of meditation in liberating ways.
Kynan Tan
Kynan Tan is a meditation teacher who is interested in helping students to achieve their meditation goals, whatever they may be. He takes a collaborative and student-centred approach to explore the depths of what is possible through the many dimensions of practice. Kynan believes that meditation has enormous potential for creating positive change and opening up space for new ways of relating to experience.
Kynan has experience across a range of meditative and introspective traditions and techniques. He brings his experience as an artist, musician, and programmer into his understanding and sharing of Dharma teachings in a way that is clear, practical, and creative. Kynan is authorized to teach by Dr. Tucker Peck, a clinical psychologist and meditation teacher.
Registration
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