The practice of meditation is to learn to be fully present in each moment of our lives. So often we go through the day
without being present, responding simply with habitual patterns of impulsivity or reactivity and preconceptions of how things should be.

Meditation is an opportunity to break through these patterns and preconceptions to gain a larger perspective in which openness and understanding can arise. From this perspective we can see things as they are and live in a more relaxed way with full attention on each moment.

All courses and workshops are held in The Meditation Center in Wilmington (across the hall from the Empowered Yoga studio) unless otherwise noted.

Courses & Workshops

Meditation Open House Speaker Series
Each week there is instruction in sitting and walking meditation, combined with a guided visualization or contemplation or a talk with a theme based on meditative awareness. 6:00 - 7:30 pm

February 3rd*: Jacqueline Hannaford, Meditation Instruction & Practice. First Friday: 7:30 - 8:00 p.m. Refreshments

February 10th: Karen Sato, Zen teacher, Big Mind lineage holder
7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Meditation and Discussion

February 17th: Jay Lippman, Shambhala and Buddhist teacher
Basic Goodness: Understanding Our Human Nature 7-9:00pm

February 25th: 6 - 7:30 p.m. Introduction to Meditation & Second Foundation of Mindfulness: Mindfulness of Sensation
7:45 - 9:00 p.m. - Third Foundation of Mindfulness: Mindfulness of Mind, Alison Driscoll.

*Social hour with light refreshments to follow Open House

Contentment in Everyday Life
Thursdays 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. 5 weeks February 2 – March 1

Alison Driscoll

Contentment can be hard to find. Much of the time we search for contentment in things outside ourselves: achievements, relationships, acquisitions. Through the practice of meditation, contemplation, and hearing the wisdom of the teachings on meditation, we can learn to relax with ourselves and appreciate simple human experiences. We can begin to open to our inherent goodness, in which difficult emotions and challenges of life can be met with gentleness, mindfulness and inquisitiveness This class is based on the Way of Shambhala teachings and open to both new and experienced meditators.
Tuition: $60.

Pre-registration is required, Click Here.

Write to Heal: A Personal Journal Keeping Workshop
for Body, Mind, & Spirit
Thursdays in January 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. 4 ongoing:
Tuition: $10 donation per session

Stay tuned for a Write to Heal Journal Retreat in January.

Have you always wanted to keep a journal, but never gotten around to it? Are you currently journaling but feel stuck or bored? Are you practicing yoga and/or meditation and would you like to start a journal based on the insights arising out of these practices?

If the answer to any of these questions is YES, then this is for you!

• Experiment with a variety of journaling techniques
• Dispel myths about journaling
• Express and release your feelings through journaling
• Acknowledge the things that bring you gratitude

There is only one rule in journaling - To be true to yourself.

No writing has to be shared. Please contact Joan Leof at 302-584-4563 or joanleof@aol.com with any additional questions.

Introduction to Meditation
Monday, February 27th: 6 – 7:30 p.m.
Tuition: $20

A practical introduction to the practice of mindfulness-awareness meditation. It will include formal instruction in sitting and walking meditation, guided visualizations on the body and breath. There will be a short talk on meditation and plenty of time for questions discussion.

Location: Meditation Center

Pre-registration is required, Click Here.

Introductory Dharma Study
Select Fridays, beginning September 23rd
7:45-9:00pm
Tuition: $80

Introductory study of The Four Noble Truths and The Four Foundations. The program will include eight sessions, held one Friday night a month September 2011 through March 2012. Dates will coincide with the Friday night sessions of the 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training program in Wilmington (please see website for exact dates).

Please note: These are ongoing weekly classes (not drop-in) with limited enrollment. Pre-registration is required, Click Here.

Please contact Alison Driscoll, EY Meditation Center Director, after Labor Day if you have questions about which program is appropriate for you: 302.290.7445; alison.smithdriscoll@gmail.com

Dharma Study

Monday nights resuming January 23rd, 7:30 – 9 p.m.
for those who have a foundation in Buddhism. We will continue our study and practice using the text, Wake Up to Your Life, by Ken McLeod.10 sessions/$100 by pre-registration. Click Here.

Please contact Alison Driscoll, EY Meditation Center Director, after Labor Day if you have questions about which program is appropriate for you: 302.290.7445; alison.smithdriscoll@gmail.com

Let Your Life Speak Workshop
Dr. Karen Sato, Zen teacher, Big Mind lineage holder
and certified yoga instructor
Friday, February 10th: 7:30-9:00 p.m. Meditation and Discussion Saturday, February 11th: 1:00-4:00 p.m. Let Your Life Speak: Finding the Wisdom in Your Own Voice

Ever have a problem trying to voice something difficult with a loved one? Have you ever felt like turning off a "voice in your head" when you're trying to sleep? Or has there been a time when you tried to conjure up the nerve to "speak your mind" effectively?

This workshop is all about learning how to find the wisdom in the voices within all of us. These "voices" are what Zen has called "ten thousand Dharmas" which are the myriad of singular mind-states or voices within all of us.  When we give appreciation to these voices and allow them to speak, they transform from a nagging voice, or a fearful voice to a voice that is more useful to you at just the right moment.  The Big Mind process is a skillful means that we will use during this participatory and enlightening afternoon together.

Tuition:
Friday Night Discussion - $15 suggested donation
Saturday Workshop - $45

 SIGN UP NOW

Friday Night Open House talk-
Basic Goodness: Understanding our human nature
with Jay lippman
Friday, February 17th: 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Karma Teachings Course with Jay lippman
Saturday and Sunday, February 18th and 19th:
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Location: Empowered Yoga WIlmington
Tuition: Friday night open house - $15 suggested donation.

Karma Course - $60 (includes Friday night)

Life is full of inequities.  Some people are rich while others are poor.  Today's happiness turns into tomorrow's misery.  Innocent children die young; tyrants seem to live forever.  Why?  The Buddhist teachings on Karma offer an explanation for the ways things unfold in our lives.  Through the study of Karma, Buddhists find the motivation to practice virtue and to work with their minds.  In his recent books and teachings, Sakyong Mipham has stressed the importance of understanding Karma in order to grasp the subtle Warrior teachings on emptiness, luminosity and bliss.  The teachings on Karma are profound and have the power to radically change how we live.

This weekend will present material based on the famous ancient text: The “Abidharmakosa” by Vasubandu.  The recommended reading for this course is: “Steps on the Path to Enlightenment Vol. 2: Karma” by Geshe Sopa.  The text can be read either before or after the weekend. 

This Karma course is the first in a series of weekend courses taught by Jay Lippman.

Jay Lippman has been a student of Shambhala since 1973 and is a senior teacher and advanced meditation instructor. In addition to being a student of  Chogyam Trungpa and Sakyong Mipham, Jay is also a Vajrayana student of the yogi/scholar Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso.  Khenpo Rinpoche, at the invitation of Sakyong Mipham, taught the Sutras and Tantras to senior students in Shambhala for many years.  Jay was directed by Khenpo Tsultrim to teach a variety of specific courses in order to clarify key points of Buddhist teachings for Western students.   

Jay is known for his genuine commitment to serious Dharma study and practice, for his sense of humor, clarity and accessible style.  In recent years Jay has become a popular teacher in the San Francisco Bay area.  He teaches at Bay area Shambhala centers several times each year. 

Pre-registration is required, Click Here.

Friday Night Meditation with Ellen Lebowitz and Heather Fox
Friday, February 10th, 7:00-8:00pm
Location: Empowered Yoga Newark
Tuition :Donations accepted.

Friday night meditation following the Sacred Music class. Relax, connect, and reflect through the experience mindfulness-awareness meditation. No experience required; instruction will be provided. Light refreshments following the meditation.

Meditation Center Director

Alison Smith Driscoll, D.Ay., C.P.P.
Certified Meditation Instructor,
Shambhala International