Foundations of Meditation Course
A six-week course in the essentials
Starts Tue 2 Sep | 7.15–9.30pm | In person
Led by Akashavidya & Amalavira
Our mind is notoriously tricky – hard to manage, mostly unconscious, by turns creative and destructive. What’s crucial is to be able to work with this elusive ‘non-thing’ called the mind.
Buddhism has 2,500 years of experience working with the mind, with meditation at its core. Because our mind is so mercurial, we need to learn to work with it in a guided, structured way, utilising Buddhism’s understanding to help us change our habits. And like anything else, we’ll make much more progress if we do this with other people.
Course Description
Here’s what you’ll explore:
– A transcendental vision of life, beyond the secular and the divine
– A reliable toolbox to get the best out of your mind
– Two fundamental approaches to meditation: one that cultivates calm-concentration, the other emotional strength
– You’ll learn from committed Buddhists who have been practising for many years, and in the context of an aspirational community
– You’ll do all this in the sacred place of the London Buddhist Centre, where people have been practising Buddhism since the 1970s
Structure of the Course
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Is this course for me?
This course is open to everyone, including complete newcomers, and is aimed at making meditation accessible to all. By the end of the course you will have all the tools for a lifelong meditation practice and you will be well placed to engage with any class at the London Buddhist centre.
After each class, we will send you a follow-up email with the key ideas and practices to try out during the week. We'll also support you to think about next steps when the course ends.
We hope to see you there!
Led by
Pricing
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I get the most from the course?
Here are some top tips for taking part:
Come every week – whether you feel like it or not. If you look for motivation before you do something, you reverse your motivation; mostly you only want to do something when you’re actually doing it.
Come early – so you can lie down in the shrine room and have a nap, you probably need it and you’ll get more from the class if you do.
Do your ‘home practice’ every day – then each week you’ll be in a small group to check in about how that went.
What if I can’t make every session?
Do sign-up even if you know you can’t make every session, as you will be able to catch-up from the weekly emails.
If you are going to miss a class – email the home group leader so we know and can let others know. And do come back the following week. Don’t feel guilty for not having attended, just come back and start again.
How to take part if I bought the online element?
You will receive a welcome email with a zoom link and all the details. Part of the evening will include break-out groups – you will be with the same group of people each week.
