Working with a Meditation Instructor

Working with a Meditation Instructor

Connecting with a meditation instructor is a free BSC member benefit, and everyone is encouraged to establish an ongoing relationship with a meditation instructor after having completed a couple of Way of Shambhala programs, such as, Shambhala Training I and Meditation in Everyday Life. Working with a meditation instructor is a great way to learn to meditate, or refine your practice if you have some experience or questions about your practice have come up.

To request a meditation instructor, contact Ed Smutney, Director of Practice & Education, at [email protected] or 303.444.0190 x104.

Depending on a student’s interest and experience, meditation instruction might include:

  • Introducing the practice of meditation – Introductory meditation instruction presents the basic meditation techniques taught in the Shambhala community.
  • Clarifying the view of meditation – In our tradition, meditation instruction involves more than the communication of a technique. At its heart, meditation is the transmission of the revolutionary view that unconditional wisdom and compassion are the very ground of our being. By learning to relax more and more fully while maintaining good posture and good awareness, we allow this fundamental nature to flower.
  • Guidance on the path of practice and study – Meditation practice is enhanced by study. In this way, practice and study are like two wings of a bird – you need both in order to soar. To support the practice of meditation, the Boulder Shambhala Center offers weeknight classes, and weekend programs.
    The Shambhala Path has a full curriculum of courses to help one progress step by step on the path to awakenment. The four stages on the Shambhala Path are: introduction to basic goodness, realizing enlightened society, receiving instructions and tools of a warrior, and sacredness. Although this can be a life-long journey, at any stage one’s strength, clarity, and stability is enhanced.Learn more about the first stages of the Shambhala Path on the Way of Shambhala page, and visit the Programs and Events section of our website for current course listings.
  • Guidance on joining meditation and daily life – Meditation and the Shambhala teachings are not just to gain benefit solely for oneself. Shambhala emphasizes bringing the sanity one develops in meditation into all aspects of one’s daily life – one’s personal disciplines, one’s relationships, and how one engages in society. The workaday world is where the rubber meets the road. Getting the tools to meet life’s ups and downs with a strong and pliable mind and an open heart is another potential benefit of working with a path of meditation.