Outcomes and Intentions

 

Upon completing the 9-month program, students will be able to: 

  • Recognize and feel grounded in direct experience through the body.
  • Offer warm compassion to all living beings, starting with ourselves.
  • Identify feelings of ease and being "home," as well as a sense of belonging and connection to all of life. 
  • Apply techniques and skillful means to a daily, progressive meditation practice which paradoxically directs you right where you are.

Working Community Guidelines Documents: Pith MEP community guidelines and Community guidelines fuller explanation

 

Tentative 3-Term Curriculum: 

 

Meditations + Journal Activities

Common Humanity Meditation (17 minutes)

Self-Compassion Break Practice (20 min)

One for Me, One for You 20 Minutes with Kristen Neff | 20 Minutes with Chris Germer

Feel welcome to explore additional Self-Compassion practices on Kristen Neff and Chris Germer's sites.

Shamatha-Vipassana 1  (33 minutes)

Shamatha-Vipassana Short (16 minutes)

Minding the Gap (13 minutes)

Minding the Gap (20 minutes)

Space of the Mind (16+ minutes)

Term 1: Discovering Compassionate Embodied Presence

Daily Home Practice (Click here for detailed week 1 home practice instructions)

  • Formal Practice 
  • Informal Practice (the pith): Throughout the day - as often as you remember - put your body on the ground/in nature, breath deeply, feel/notice the ground. 

Daily Home Practice

Daily Home Practice

Resources for Next Session

  • There is nothing to read/view before class next week. 

Daily Home Practice

For Next Session

  • Formal Practices
  • Informal Practices (the pith): Feeling your day-to-day life as a prayer, open sacred space. Do less, not more.

For Next Session

  • No readings for next session, which is December 2nd, the week after Thanksgiving!

For Next Session

  • No readings for next session, which is our last session before winter break. 
  • Please explore the Journal practice 5 prompt (linked above), which will be referred to during session 7. 

For Next Session

Term 2: The Path of Meditation

Daily Home Practice

  • Formal Practices
  • Informal Practice (the pith): Habits of mind will pull us away from the present moment. We have ways of working with that to create more ease and wisdom. Throughout the day - as often as you remember - receive sound/sensation. Listen outwardly, listen inwardly.

Resources for Next Session

  • Attention Revolution - Forward, Preface, Introduction

Daily Home Practice

Resources for Next Session

  • Attention Revolution - Stage 1 Directed Attention

Daily Home Practice

Resources for Next Session

  • None

Daily Home Practice

Resources for Next Session

  • Optional: If supportive to you, you can read Attention Revolution Shamatha Stage 2: Continuous Attention

Daily Home Practice

Resources for Next Session

  • Optional: If supportive to you, you can read Attention Revolution Shamatha Stage 3: Resurgent Attention
  • Optional Pre-class readings: Attention Revolution Shamatha Stage 3: Resurgent Attention
  • Dedication: For All Beings Prayer by Zenju Earthlyn Manuel

Daily Home Practice

Resources for Next Session

  • No reading for next session.

Daily Home Practice

Resources for Next Session

  • No reading for next session. Our last session of term 2 will be a 2-hour retreat. 

Term 3: Waking Up to Our Lives

Daily Home Practice

Resources for Next Session: 

Daily Home Practice

Resources for Next Session: 

Daily Home Practice

Resources for Next Session: 

Daily Home Practice

Resources for Next Session: 

  • Attention Revolution: 2 Interludes/Lucid Dreaming - Daytime Practice and Lucid Dreaming - Nighttime Practice

Daily Home Practice

Resources for Next Session: 

  • Attention Revolution 2 Interludes/Dream Yoga - Daytime Practice and Dream Yoga - Nighttime Practice

Daily Home Practice

Resources for Next Session: 

  • None

Resources for Next Session: 

  • None

Resources for ongoing practice: