Tuesday evening weekly class
Drop-in classes for everyone
Stay Focused: Dealing with Distractions
Tuesday evening weekly class - 3-weeks series: 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
with Kadampa Buddhist Monk & Teacher Gen Kelsang Thekchen
Buddha placed great value on concentration. Many of his teachings explain how move into deeper and deeper states of concentration, which he called “absorptions”. But you don’t have to be an experienced meditator to appreciate the value of such a deep state of concentration. We have all experienced absorbing into a project and getting into ‘the flow’. Unfortunately, this experience doesn’t happen often for most of us as we are easily distracted.
Through training in concentration using a simple object such as the breath and developing the skill of watching our mind, we can develop alertness to help us maintain our concentration. Once we experience the inner peace of concentration in meditation, we can prevent our mind from wandering to meaningless distractions in our daily lives. This 3-week series will explore ways to improve our concentration, keep ourselves focused and abandon distractions.
August 15: The basics of meditation – training in mindfulness
August 22: Why we get distracted and how to catch it at its early stages
August 29: Tips on how to stay focused
Although taught as a series, each class is self-contained and can be attended individually. Drop in anytime. Classes include two guided meditations and a practical teaching. Each class will be followed by complimentary refreshments and a Q and A in our community room. Everyone is welcome!
Transforming Negative Thoughts and Emotions
Tuesday evening weekly class - 5-weeks series: 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
with Kadampa Buddhist Monk & Teacher Gen Kelsang Thekchen
We all have habitual negative emotions and ways of thinking that seem increase our stress and problems. Buddha’s teachings offer a clear explanation of these states of mind, called ‘delusions’. Through learning to recognize the early stages of their development in our mind, we can weaken these negative thought patterns and replace them with positive, peaceful states of mind. These classes will explore how to transform negative states of mind into positive ones, both in meditation and in daily life. Each class includes two guided meditations and a teaching.
September 5: Understanding negative thoughts and emotions
September 12: Turning stress into peace
September 19: Turning attachment into love
September 26: Turning frustration into patience
October 3: Turning self-criticism into acceptance
Although taught as a series, each class is self-contained and can be attended individually. Drop in anytime. Classes include two guided meditations and a practical teaching. Each class will be followed by complimentary refreshments and a Q and A in our community room. Everyone is welcome!
The weekly classes generally consist of a teaching and two guided meditations. Suitable for both beginners and advanced practitioners, they focus on learning how to use Buddha's teachings practically to solve our daily problems and find the lasting happiness we seek.
These classes are usually followed by complimentary refreshments and an opportunity to ask the Teacher questions. Although taught as a series, each class is self-contained and can be attended individually. No prior experience is needed. Everyone is welcome!
For more information, see the section ‘what to expect’.
I've been to five workshops at this centre over the last year and it's completely revolutionized my meditation practice. I'm super grateful to have stumbled across them and recommend them every chance I get. Thanks!
— Andrew
Every time I join a workshop, I go home with valuable lessons that I can live by in daily life. The teachings are logical and cleaned my negativity significantly.
— Sara
I apply many of the teachings in everything I do in my daily life and I can say I am a much happier person and lead a much lighter life. This is my personal experience. I hope that if you get a chance to try them out they’ll be helpful in some way to you as well.
— Bianca