Part 1: Stepping into Meditation and Community 7-Week Course (Mondays)

Are you interested in learning meditation to experience more awareness and compassion? Would you like to connect with others who are also interested in meditating and growing together through the wisdom of Buddhist practices and teachings?

Beginning in September, we are offering an opportunity to support you in exploring these questions through our Stepping into Meditation and Community course. During this course, we will provide a framework for foundational Buddhist practices and dharma while also inviting participants into the warmth of sangha (community).

Through inner exploration and engaging with community in reflection and discussion, you will learn accessible, time-tested Tibetan Buddhist practices and dharma teachings that will support you in awakening to deeper peace, happiness, and compassion in three spheres of engagement in your life: personal, community, and the world.

Although the content and meditation practices in this course are grounded in Buddhism, you do not need to be a Buddhist to enjoy or benefit from the content of this course. This course is a great starting point if you are:

• New to meditation
• Curious about or new to Buddhism
• Wanting to create the habit of a daily meditation practice, supported by others doing the same
• A more experienced Buddhist practitioner looking to meditate and contemplate the Dharma with others
• Wanting to connect with the Namchak Sangha

*New Format*

Based on direct feedback from our sangha, this course is now designed as a two-part series to allow more time to learn and connect. Each part lasts for seven weeks, with the option to meet as a Learning Circle upon completion of part one and before part two begins. This registration is for Part 1 only. After completing Part 1, you can decide whether to continue to Part 2: Deepening into Meditation and Community.

Details - HYBRID! In-Person at the Namchak Office in Missoula, MT and Online via Zoom

We will meet for seven consecutive 90-minute weekly sessions on Monday evenings. Each session will be led by Namchak facilitator Rachel Ashley. We will have participants joining in person and online for a sweet hybird sangha experience. Come meet and meditate with community right in your own city as well as around the country (and maybe the world)!

Physical Address: Namchak office at 250 Station Dr, 2nd Floor. Park on the East side of the building under the Bear Tracks Bridge (formerly Higgins St. Bridge) and enter in the side door.

Online: A Zoom link will be sent out in the confirmation email.

Part 1 Course Outline

(7 weeks)

Week 1 (Sept 22): Course Overview, Intention Sharing & Community Foundations

Week 2 (Sept 29): Intro to Shamata Breath Practice & Four Noble Truths

Week 3 (Oct 6): Continue with Shamata Breath Practice & Four Noble Truths

Week 4 (Oct 13): Loving Kindness Practice Starting with Ourselves

Week 5 (Oct 20): Introduction to Tonglen- A Compassion Practice of Giving and Receiving

Week 6 (Oct 27): Engaged Bodhicitta: Exploring our Work in the World & Round Robin

Week 7 (Nov 3): Carrying the Gems Forward and Learning Circles

*The Optional Learning Circle will meet between series to continue connecting, practicing, and discussing the Dharma teachings from Part 1.

Login Info & Email Subscription Preferences

The Zoom link will be provided upon registration and a reminder email will be sent out each week with the login info. Confirmation emails from Eventbrite often end up in spam/promotions tab. Please check there if you do not see the confirmation email with the Zoom info.

In addition, if you are unsubscribed from Namchak Community emails you will be unable to receive important emails regarding this course. If you wish to personalize your Namchak Community email preferences, you can do so by locating a previous Namchak Community email and clicking the 'Manage Preferences' hyperlink at the bottom.

Tuition

Our intention is to make this workshop financially accessible to all, so we offer a tiered fee structure. Please choose whichever level works best for you.

If program costs present a financial barrier or you are interested in a stipend to offset the cost of childcare, please contact [email protected].

Invite a friend!

Sangha or community, is one of our favorite elements of the Buddhist path. That’s why we’re happy to share that when you register for the Stepping into Meditation and Community course, you can bring a friend, family member, or loved one to the course for free!

Upon registering for the course, you’ll receive a discount code via email for your guest to use for complimentary registration. They simply have to register for the course through our website and use the promotional code that you received in your email. We look forward to seeing you and your friend at our next course! Please email [email protected] if you have any questions.

What is a Learning Circle?

At Namchak, we understand the importance, value, and wonderful benefits of connecting with sangha, which is one of the Three Jewels of Buddhism. Learning Circles are small groups of meditators within our larger sangha who meet regularly to connect, practice, and discuss the Dharma together.

Our Stepping into Meditation and Community Course lays the perfect foundation for Learning Circles to form. Each participant goes through the same progression of teachings and practices together, supporting an equal knowledge foundation. Additionally, participants can develop relationships with each other throughout the course.

Through the foundations of knowledge and relationships, these groups are equipped to meet after the course is finished to continue experiencing the connection, inspiration, and accountability that arise when meditating and studying in a group setting. Learning Circles are also grounded in a “peer-led” model, so each member’s voice and participation contribute equally to the functioning and success of the Circle.

What Students Are Saying:

"Connecting with others who were, just like me, wanting to learn more about the Dharma, develop a daily practice, and be a part of something special has made this tumultuous and overly uncertain year a lot more enjoyable and gratifying. I loved the weekly conversations, the learning about Tibetan Buddhism and meditation methods, and the camaraderie that grew in spite of and because of our differences. I hold the greatest gratitude for Namchak for hosting these events and I'm looking forward to being a part of many more." - Laura

"This is an awesome human experience. Participants change in front of us. After 12 weeks, I could feel my difference & see amazing changes in others. A weekly session is so nice to keep the pace up. I did another 12-week session & felt a lot more comfortable with the material. All the students are people I want to know! Our presenter Rachel, is extremely authentic & is perfect in her career. I can’t say enough about her professionalism & representation of Namchak’s philosophies. She walks the talk as well as talks the walk. I am always happy to see her!" - Sandy

"Rachel was wonderful. Her calm and reassuring demeanor made for a perfect leader for this group. She was available and open to questions. Great job 👏 "- Amy

"Rachel is a wonderful teacher and guide!" - Carol

About Rachel:

Rachel has been working with Namchak since 2017, serving on the Community Advisory Board as as the Community Steward before moving into her current position Program & Curriculum Specialist. Before her role with Namchak, she worked as an educator in a variety of settings for over 15 years with elementary through college-aged students teaching English, Language Arts, dance, movement, mindfulness, and meditation. Her enthusiasm for teaching inspired her Education degree from Ithaca College, her Master’s degree from Northern Arizona University, as well as her training in various mindfulness and meditation programs over the years.

Her exposure to spiritual practice and Buddhism started at a young age from the inspiration of her mother and time spent in nature. It wasn’t until after college that Rachel attended her first Buddhist retreat, which completely changed the direction of her spiritual path. Since then, she has been studying the Dharma and considers herself a devoted Vajrayana Buddhist practitioner.

Host or Publisher Namchak