5-Week Compassion + Course

Tuesdays, 22nd, 29th October, 5th, 12th, and 19th November 2024

18:00-20:00

(Limited to 12people)

Only for students and staff from Imperial/RCA/RCM, LSE and LSHTM- please sign up with your university email address - bookings with other email addresses will not be accepted!

Booking deadline 17th October noon.

You are welcome to join us for the 5-Week COMPASSION + Meditation Course.

You will be introduced and learn to practice four deep meditations: Loving-Kindness, Compassion, Empathetic Joy, and Equanimity, inspired by the profound teachings of Zen Master Torei Enji. This course is designed to guide you through the four immeasurables or boundless meditation practices, - brahmaviharas - qualities of the heart that can transform your inner world and deepen your connection with all beings.

Over the 5-weeks course, you will immerse yourself in meditation practices rooted in Torei Enji’s (1721-1792) timeless wisdom. We will begin with cultivating loving kindness, developing a boundless love that encompasses all beings without distinction. From there, we’ll explore the practice of compassion, learning to extend it to ourselves and others in the face of suffering.

In the third week, we will turn our focus to empathetic joy, celebrating the happiness and success of others with an open and joyful heart. Finally, we will delve into equanimity, the practice of maintaining calm and balance amidst life’s inevitable highs and lows.

Each session will combine guided meditations, reflections on Torei’s texts, and practical exercises to help you embody these qualities in your everyday life. Whether you are new to meditation or looking to deepen your practice, this course offers a supportive space to cultivate a heart that is vast, compassionate, and resilient.

Join us on this journey of self-discovery and spiritual growth, as we explore the teachings of Zen Master Torei and awaken the immeasurable qualities within.

Ideally, for the duration of the 5 weeks, you will set aside half an hour daily for meditation and a short reflection by journalling your experience.

Hogetsu is a Zen teacher, and follows a Japanese Zen meditation practice. She trained as a yoga and meditation teacher with Julian Daizan Skinner Roshi, the founder of Zenways in London. She is a certified registered Meditation & Mindfulness teacher (RMT)400 and qualified to train Zenways Meditation Mindfulness teacher (accredited by the International Mindfulness Teachers Association) and a certified Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT)200.
When signing up for this course, please only do so if you know you can attend all sessions. Each session builds on the previous one. The daily half-hour meditation homework is essential to experience the full benefits of mindfulness.

Host or Publisher Chaplaincy Multi-Faith Centre, Imperial College London