Deepen your meditation practice. Receive personal guidance from experienced teachers. Connect with a community of practitioners.
Dates: Tuesdays, January 9th – February 13th, 2024
Class Times:
Course 1 – 4:30 pm PT / 7:30 pm ET
Course 2 – 10:00 am PT / 1:00 pm ET / 7 pm CET
Each class happens live over Zoom and lasts 1.5 hours. Select the course time that works best for you in the registration form below.
Optional live weekly practice sessions – 45 minutes
With Upali – Wednesdays 9:00 am PT / 12:00 pm ET
With Kynan – Mondays 4:30 pm PT / 7:30 pm ET
(practice sessions will also be recorded and distributed to course participants)
Course Description
Many meditators grasp the benefits of their practice but yearn to delve deeper. Altered states of consciousness, transformative insights, and heart-opening experiences are heralded by dedicated practitioners and meditative traditions. The question arises: How does one transition from the surface benefits of practice like relaxation and stress reduction to these more profound experiences?
Welcome to a course that serves as a journey of deepening practice. Its purpose is to illuminate your current meditation practice, paving the way for a more profound exploration. Join experienced teachers and fellow practitioners on this transformative path, embarking on an expedition toward the deeper potential that meditation holds.
Course Structure
- Weekly Classes
- Personal practice check-ins, presentation of meditative techniques and philosophies, Q & A discussion with teachers
- Practice Sessions During the Week
- 45 minutes twice a week
- 15-minute practice check-in with the Teacher
- 20 to 30 minutes of meditation together, silent or guided
- Weekly Content
- Exclusive materials are written by the teachers related to content presented in classes
- Exclusive guided meditations recorded by the teachers to support your practice each week
- Forum for peer discussion
- Online space to ask questions that arise during the week
- Daily practice consistency check-in
- Option for 1:1 support
- 30-minute meditation interviews scheduled during the course with either Kynan or Upali
Course Outcomes
- More Time Meditating & More Consistency
If you feel the amount of time you meditate and the consistency of your practice is lacking, the course will support you in identifying and overcoming the roadblocks that prevent the flourishing of your practice in day-to-day life.
- 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 the 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 find ways to integrate your meditation practice into your routine.
Course Values
The teaching philosophy of this course heavily relies on these two values:
- 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 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 deeper, and feel confident meditating on my own.
Meditative techniques are a skill that one can learn and develop. I’d like to further develop and grow my abilities toward meditative absorption and Insight.
Meditation is a positive habit, and I’d like that habit to solidify and grow. I’ve experienced the benefits of practice, and I’d like to make them more available.
I know how to meditate, and I 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.
The instructions I have for meditation are vague or confusing and I get inconsistent outcomes. I want clarity about how to practice and a feeling of progress in my practice.
I want to experience more benefits from my meditation practice off of the cushion.
Awakening is an accident and meditation makes me accident-prone. I’m looking to grow my meditative abilities and expand my capacity for Insight.
Course Cost
Standard – 295 – participation in classes and practice groups plus content – weekly emails, recordings, and additional instructions
Plus – 395 – all of Standard plus two additional 1:1 meetings with a teacher
Low Income – 195 – 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 profound 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-centered approach to exploring 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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