Suggestions/Constructive Criticism on my new Meditation Workshop

[goodoljoshua]

Hi Community,

I'm hoping for some feedback on a new meditation workshop I'm putting together.

About 6 months ago I had the fantastic idea of introducing the general public to the practice of meditation. The main idea is to use a strictly research based approach. No dogma, no ritual, just the scientific basis for incorporating meditative practice into daily life.

Hundreds of published research articles clearly indicate that the practice of meditation can:
Increase focus
Increase attention span
Increase equanimity
Decrease deleterious effects of chronic stress
Reduce adrenaline levels
Reduce cortisol levels
Reduce symptoms of stress related illnesses
Reduce suffering related to physical pain
Lower blood pressure
and so on, and so on. . .!

My hope is to introduce meditation as a healthy living practice, not a religious/spiritual one. My belief is that the meditative process will (over time) reintroduce people to themselves. From there they may become interested in developing themselves in certain areas of their lives, but even if they don't that's ok with me. I just want to pass on the gift of meditation to my local community who are oftentimes turned off to the concept of meditation because of it's "new agey" feel.

Can we discuss this in this forum? This is the only on-line meditation community I am a part of. Everyone here is wise, thoughtful, kind, and well-intentioned. Any thoughts, opinions, concerns, questions, comments. . .anything would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Joshua

[Bhavya]

Josh, just a quick note to tell you that I lead a small group on meditation and spirituality in everyday life. I can't go into it much now because I'm off to Montreal for a couple of days, but I wanted to say, go for it!

I don't try and leave out the spiritual component. I personally find that it's better to reveal my spiritual beliefs when I facilitate--not to convince anyone, but simply to tell people where I'm coming from. I have a guru and I tell people that but I never ask others to believe in her. People get attracted to participating because they're drawn to a certain kind of energy.

Bhavya

[bashmaki]

Josh,
I think it is a wonderful idea. I've actually tossed the idea around myself some. I guess in
the area I live in one would get a lot more interest just teaching the mechanics rather than combining the mechanics with any kind of belief system. Upon meditating for a time people will come to their own conclusions about belief systems anyway.

There are so many people that are stressed to the limit right now over many things in their lives . . . I mean just listen to the news and pick an issue.

The stock market for instance . . . people are freaked about it. I have stocks and I find myself laughing out loud about it when I'm listening to the radio. I even bought more stocks! People are telling me I'm crazy!!! What can happen? I might lose. Lose what? Money?? Who cares; I'll make more money. It really doesn't matter if you can see the big picture. That is what meditation helps us do; see the the big picture for what it really is.

It is hard for people to comprehend the fact that the act of being stressed about ANYTHING will not change a thing BUT meditation can help change ones mind about the world and make it a more peaceful place to exist.

I say go for it exactly as you've planned it!

Gus

[goodoljoshua]

Your encouraging words are so uplifting. Awesome! Thanks again! (that's me having a "top gun/rocky/karate kid" kind of moment! lol)

If you were attending, what would you be most interested in learning about?

[Edwin]

Originally Posted by goodoljoshua

If you were attending, what would you be most interested in learning about?

Basically, the first 3 cd's from michael's course

Most people who have been thinking about meditation have an ( oftan misguided ) idea of what meditation is and how it works. They don't know what to expect and they might even be scared off by the mysticism that surrounds it all.
The way you present it just might work for those people.

I think it might help to call the course something like "Practical meditation" or something, so that people know immediately from the title that they can expect a no-nonsense mediation course from you !
There are even a large number of Christians in America that make a fuss about meditation and Christianity, and when they find out there is no religion attached to your meditation, they could be interested.

BTW I know that Michael is working very hard on an affiliate program for this site, I suggest you contact him, you might be able to make a deal with him on using some of his products or making a discount for members that join this site through your course.

If you are starting with meditation for beginners, after a while you might consider having people come back to you for a second course, teaching them mindfullness.

Thinking about all this makes me eager to start my own program !

[bashmaki]

Josh,
I think for beginners covering some misconceptions of what meditation is and isn't would be paramount.
Ongoing encouragement will be an important aspect of teaching meditation. I know for myself one of the biggest issues was, "Am I doing it right?"

Most minds are greased so extensively they run wild with doubt, fear and anxiety when they first start to meditate.
My mind is far from a reflecting pool but when I call people on the phone I find myself being hung up on because I don't respond quickly enough. Acting and not reacting takes a few moments of real thought. People are not used to it so they hang up. Their minds are racing from one thing to the next.

If you can help one person to slow that merry-go-round a little; the world will be a better place for it.

Gus

[trevor]

Originally Posted by Bhavya

I don't try and leave out the spiritual component. I personally find that it's better to reveal my spiritual beliefs when I facilitate--not to convince anyone, but simply to tell people where I'm coming from. I have a guru and I tell people that but I never ask others to believe in her. People get attracted to participating because they're drawn to a certain kind of energy.

Bhavya

I agree with this. I've been going to a yoga class for about 6 or more months and the teacher does this. it's good to talk about spiritual phenomena in conjunction with things that are more acceptable in today's received wisdom, e.g. the results of much scientific research on meditation, the chemicals released in your brain when you meditate etc.

i certainly wouldn't hide from your spiritual side during the meditation class, as this is what attracts some people (and so some of your future workshop attendees) to meditation in the first place, whether this is at the forefront of people's minds or not.

[goodoljoshua]

The idea is to generate public interest by hosting workshops with an introduction to a research based approach to meditation in venues like coffee shops, local libraries, the local YMCA, "new age" bookstores, and "meet-up" groups, etc.

From there, those who are intersted would be invited to host classes in their home where I would go deeper into subjects like:
chronic stress
the effects of stress on the mind, body and emotions
the mind-body connection
regions of the brain and their functions
how meditation effects the brain, the mind, the body, and the emotions
etc., in logical order over the period of several weeks.

From there, those who are interested can sign up for private, in-home meditation instruction - and at this point I feel I'd be more inclined to "let my light shine," speaking more freely about the spiritual element of meditation.

That being said, things like this oftentimes have a life all their own and sometimes go where they want to, taking you along for the ride.

Here's a link to a rough draft of a free web site I've been working on. . .it might give you a better picture of what I have in mind.

[Bhavya]

Hi again, Josh
What I've done when starting a new group is to run a small ad in the local paper, saying that the first class is free so people can come w/o obligation. I've found that people want to experience meditation rather than know a lot of the theory behind it.

What I do for the initial meeting is:

-Introduce myself giving some of my credentials...ie training and experience
-Give a short intro about meditation with some of the info you've mentioned
-Do some Q & A - who are they and what are they looking for
-Introduce an exercise on yogic breathing (emphasizing "exercise" so no one feels scared.) This relaxes them. I let them give their feedback so people realize what others can experience. Usually pretty positive.
-Have a short meditation with theta music (w/o entrainment) that's smooth, without melody, helps them to relax ... I guide them for a few minutes and then let them be.
-Have them give feedback on their meditation
-Conclude with a brief outline of what the following weeks will be like.

My approach is geared to developing insight on how our beliefs, thoughts and behaviours affect our happiness. I'm pretty free flow so content varies according to who's in the group. Subjects can range from love, forgiveness, compassion, sending healing to others, creative power of thought (lOA) etc.

I have a group in the city as well with people who've stayed in the group for several years. Because of that we use various books as a basis for content: Eckhart Tolle, Byron Katie, Deepak Chopra, The Four Agreements, etc. Sometimes we start with a meditation right away, move into discussion and then conclude with another meditation, or just do one meditation at the end.

I've given private classes in people's homes as well but I prefer small groups (5 to 6 people) because there's more energy. People tend to have deeper meditations and learn from each other. I don't like lecture format, finding discussion richer. People, when sharing, are apt to discover more about themselves in small groups.

My view is that meditation is just one part of spirituality and that people are hungry for real spiritual connection with others. (I think this community shows that!) When I have a group that meets for 9 months on a weekly basis, trust develops and people get a chance to explore their own make-up. It's a real pleasure to see how tensions ease and attitudes broaden. And in this process, I learn a lot myself.

Well, this is a long reply! The reason I went into such detail is that I think there can be many models for meditation groups. How yours come together will be entirely unique because it will evolve out of your own being. And you will attract the right people who need what you have to offer.
I think everyone here will be delighted to read about how it progresses!
Bhavya

[bashmaki]

Thanks Bhavya,
This is an excellent run down/suggestions of a meditation class.

gus