Meditation

“To study the Way of Awakening is to study the self, To study the self is to forget the self, To forget the self is to perceive oneself in all beings, in all things.” ~ Master Dogen

“What would happen if you were to allow everything to be exactly as it is? What if you gave up the need for control, and instead embraced the whole of your experience in each moment that arose?” ~ Adyashanti

Awaken Yoga & Meditation Center offers traditional meditation for both beginner and advanced students. Our meditation sessions focus on traditional zazen practices of concentration and breath. We also offer classical yoga meditation techniques.

Meditation is a natural and instinctive process inherent to all individuals. Each moment of our life, we are exactly where we need to be, to learn what is most essential for us in that moment. Meditation offers each one of us the opportunity to see clearly and accept the truth of what is. By nurturing this natural gift inside each of us, we awaken our inherent potential for enduring peace, healing and happiness.

Many of us have difficulty being present in the moment. Often, this is the very cause of our suffering. Our tendency is to seek control over the outcome of our lives and actually resist “what is.”By developing our capacity to stay with our experience of the moment, we cultivate our ability to realize that we are not our thoughts. Our true nature is conscious awareness. It is within our true nature that thoughts arise and pass away.

Like anything else, the benefits of meditation will come over time and through regular practice. Call us to learn more about our meditation classes and developing your own personal practice. We also offer private instruction to support and encourage your own practice.

There are a number of documented benefits arising from regular meditation practice, including:

– Improved Concentration
– Stress Relief
– Accelerated Creativity
– Self Acceptance
– Increased Compassion & Wisdom
– Better Clarity and Focus
– Improved Sleep
– Improved Memory
– Lowered Blood Pressure / Hypertension
– Increased Brain Function / Repair
– Better Coping Skills
– Overall Improved Health

In addition to the many health benefits, meditation will also help you to find your true “self” through awareness and self-inquiry. By learning to quiet the mind and close out the endless chatter, we are able to listen to our true self, develop a greater understanding of our world, and obtain a state of consciousness unexplained by words.