Meditation 101 - Śamatha (Calm Abiding) - The Foundation

Join Cory for this weekend workshop that will help you build a meditation practice that you actually look forward to. We’ll gather, chat, explore and sit together through a series of sessions designed to cultivate a welcome understanding of an approach to what is known as śamatha (calm abiding) practice. It’s not strict nor demanding and it is loving and kind. So, whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or advanced meditation practitioner, you’re welcome to join us!

Some of the topics we’ll explore include:

• What meditation is and what it’s not (e.g., it’s NOT stopping thought)
• How it’s related to āsana (postural practice of yoga)
• Why śamatha meditation is important and what benefits it provides
• How to establish a practice – the nuts and bolts of how to set yourself up for “success”
• Common pitfalls and how to remedy them
• Useful supports for daily practice
• Formal and informal practice
• How to integrate its essence into your daily life - on and off the cushion
• The potential to use anything and everything as objects for meditation
• And the beauty of the concept of “short time, many times” (as taught be Mingyur Rinpoche and his father before him, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche — who are Cory’s teachers)

Schedule:

Saturday, November 9 & Sunday, November 10, 2024

Saturday Schedule:

8:00 am - 9:00 am Session 1

9:00 am - 9:30 am Break

10:00 am - 12:00 pm Session 2

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Break

1:00 - 3:00 pm Session 3

Sunday Schedule:

8:00 am - 10:00 am Session 1

10:00 am - 10:30 am Break

10:30 am - 12:00 pm Session 2

In-Person at MLC

Cost: $100 to $180 Sliding scale

Note: We accept cancellations up to 30 days prior to the workshop and you will receive full refund minus 10% of the original workshop fee. No refunds are available for cancellations within 30 days of the workshop.

Bio:
Cory Bryant is the Founder of Yoga Shala Nashville – Ashtanga Yoga in East Nashville, TN and The Spiritual Pilgrim – yoga & meditation pilgrimages in Nepal, India and soon, Bhutan. His yoga journey took root at Jivamukti Yoga School in New York City just after 9/11 in 2001 and hasn’t stopped since. A practitioner of Ashtanga for over ten years, he’s been teaching yoga for 16 years and has studied intensively with David Life, Sharon Gannon, David Garrigues and Tim Miller and more recently Tim Feldmann. A PhD scientist and a student of Tibetan Buddhism, he draws from his understanding of the scientific method to explore the intersections between Buddhism and yoga to provide an integrative approach to practice and life. Cory has made 12 trips to Nepal since 2010 where he has taken up extensive study and practice. After a successful career in international food policy he and his husband relocated from DC to Nashville in 2019 where they live with their three dogs, Buddy, Bella & Puja. IG: @yogashalanashville @the_spiritual_pilgrim @coryyoga

Host or Publisher Miami Life Center