Mindfulness + Meditation Fundamentals

This 5 part series clearly explains both how and why the effects of meditation on the brain can reduce stress and help you to maintain a crucial mental equilibrium.  These expert tips are designed to meet you just where you are, here in the present moment.  Guided Meditation will be held at 12:30 pm - 1 pm every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.  Join us at the loft and/or stream the content online.  In less time than it takes you to have lunch, you can nourish and refresh your mind. body and spirit.

Meditation allows us to wake up and non-judgmentally notice when our minds are either lingering in the past or skipping ahead into the future. Mindfulness training works by opening our attention to this and bringing the mind back into the present moment, time and time again.  It is after all natural for the mind to wander, but the present moment is the only moment where we actually exist.  Ask yourself how much joy, creativity, and uncomplicated peace of mind you stand to gain everyday.

For instance, the next time you are alone and performing any seemingly mundane task like taking a shower, driving your car, or cooking a meal...just notice where your discursive mind tends to go.  Chances are, before you even get out of bed in the morning, you have missed the simple pleasure of waking up in your own home surrounded by the ones you love.  Your mind has already gone into Auto-Pilot Mode living out the day ahead or it's ruminating in an ever-constant loop playing out scenes from the past.  Instead, take note of how amazing a hot shower feels on your skin, the taste and fulfillment of a nourishing meal and the sense of freedom and elation as you take a walk on a beautiful day.  This can have profound implications on creativity, well being, happiness, and physical and psychological health.

Meditation is just like any instrument we practice or a tool we sharpen, one that cultivates our attention and radically changes our brain chemistry.  It transforms the way in which we relate to our lives, to our bodies, to our calling, to our loves, to our ambition, and so forth, so that we can live rewarding, balanced lives full of satisfaction.

Every Thursday, new content will be released to all participants, including but not limited to short, workbook pages that encourage you to dig in to your own unique experiences, fascinating interdisciplinary research you can relate to, downloadable and streamable meditations you can do anywhere throughout your day, inspirational and thought provoking writings and free class passes to all meditation classes in the studio.

Because different types of meditation suit a variety of people, we'll cover Breathing Mediations, Sound and Music Meditations, Visualization Techniques, Meditating Using a Mantra (translated as "Man" - Mind + "Tra" - Tool) and finally a Mindful Eating Meditation that opens your attention to the simple pleasures of fueling your body with a nutritious snack - perhaps changing forever your relationship to food.

If you are new to meditation, you will find everything you need to learn this life-changing practice.  If you are more experienced, you have the opportunity to deepen your relationship and fundamental understanding of yourself and those around you.  Learn to listen and interact with your experiences from a place of ease and relaxation.  Inquire into your present moment by asking questions such as "Through what lens am I perceiving?", and "Is the thought I'm having really true?"

To be clear, this mindfulness and meditation series is not about attaining anything, improving yourself or entering some ideal meditative state where all your problems melt away.  It's about realizing that you are already whole. You are perfect just as you are, a multi-dimensional human being who is ready to roll out the welcome mat and embrace whatever experiences arise in your life with self-compassion and love.