Stepping into Meditation and Community
Our next Stepping into Meditation & Community course will begin in Fall 2025!
Are you interested in learning meditation to experience more calm 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?
Namchak is offering an opportunity to support you in exploring these questions through our “Stepping into Meditation and Community” course. This is an online, interactive, eight-week course that will guide you to the most present, compassionate, and connected aspects of yourself. Through inner exploration and engaging with community in reflection and discussion, you will learn accessible, time-tested Tibetan Buddhist practices that will support you in awakening to deeper peace, joy, compassion and balance in three spheres of engagement in your life: personal, community, and the world.
Who is This Course For?
You don’t need to be a Buddhist to enjoy or benefit from this course. Over eight weeks, this course will introduce foundational Namchak practices, dharma teachings, and the supportive community of sangha. This course is perfect for beginners looking to build a daily meditation habit with group support, as well as experienced practitioners seeking deeper connection with the Namchak Sangha through reflection, discussion, and shared learning.
What Will Students Learn?
The practice of setting intention and dedicating merit
Shamata: a foundational meditation practice used to develop our power of attention and to bring our minds to a peaceful state
Dharma teachings including The Four Noble Truths and The Six Perfections
Loving Kindness: a practice that focuses on developing feelings of goodwill, kindness, and warmth towards ourselves and others
Tonglen: a compassion practice of sending and receiving
Working with our practice through the lens of personal, community, and world
What to Expect
The purpose of this course is to support us in coming home to our truer selves—the most present, compassionate, and connected parts of ourselves. We will learn accessible, time-tested Tibetan Buddhist practices that will allow us to awaken into deeper peace, joy, compassion, and equanimity in three spheres of engagement in our life: personal, community, and the world.
We will meet online weekly for eight consecutive 90-minute sessions. Each session will be facilitated by a Namchak staff member.
Course Outline
An 8-Week Course
● Week 1: Course Overview, Intention Sharing & Community Foundations
● Week 2: Introduction to Shamata & The Four Noble Truths
● Week 3: Continuing with Shamata & Deepening Intention
● Week 4: The Six Perfections & Working with Obstacles to Our Practice
● Week 5: Loving Kindness Practice Starting with Ourselves
● Week 6: Introduction to Tonglen- A Compassion Practice of Giving and Receiving
● Week 7: Engaged Bodhicitta: Exploring our Work in the World
● Week 8: Bringing it All Together & Carrying the Gems Forward (Course Conclusion)
● Week 9: Optional Learning Circle Transition
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 8-week 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 (don’t forget to check your spam folder) for your guest to use for free registration.
They simply have to register for the course through our website and use the promotional code you received in your email to attend the course for free. We look forward to seeing you and your friend at our next course! Please email info@namchak.org if you have any questions.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
This course is online. Will the sessions be recorded?
These sessions will be recorded. They will only be sent to students enrolled in the course. Since a large portion of class time is dedicated to personal check-ins and small and large group discussions, students are encouraged to attend ‘live’ to gain the most benefit from this community-building format.
Do I need to be an experienced meditator to take this course?
This course is designed to introduce students to foundational meditation practices in the Namchak tradition. Therefore, one does not need to have any experience meditating to take this course.
Will we be practicing meditation in the sessions?
Yes. At each session we will practice together anywhere from 5-15 minutes and reflect on our practice through journaling and small/large group discussion.
What are the benefits of meditating with others?
There are three components within the heart of Buddhism: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Together, they are known as the three jewels. While all three of the jewels are essential on the Buddhist path, at Namchak we bring a special focus to the jewel of the Sangha, or community. Practicing with others gives an opportunity to take our practice off of the cushion and learn how to incorporate it into our interactions with others.
What is the difference between the Stepping into Meditation program and Introduction to Meditation?
Introduction to Meditation is a 3-week program that focuses on the practice of Calm Abiding. Each course session is led by Justin Kirkwood and will offer a blend of teaching instruction and ample time for meditation practice. Stepping into Meditation and Community is an 8-week program intended to introduce a variety of practices, including Calm Abiding, Tonglen or Compassion meditation, and Loving Kindness practice. The course is led by a live facilitator, each session is a blend of teaching, with ample time for community discussion. Students spend time practicing meditation during each course session.
Our Community Commitments
In order to co-create a brave, inclusive, caring, and learning centered space in our community, we each agree to:
- Be inclusive of diverse opinions and backgrounds through treating each other with respect and appreciation.
- Commit to words and actions of non-harm within our group interactions.
- Learn by immersing in and committing to the practices at hand.
- Hold personal sharing in confidence.
- Be present, practice mindful listening, and not offer unsolicited advice.
- Allow and invite for equal sharing of voices as well as the right to pass.
- Take care not to speak for others in the group.
- Assume good intent and come from a place of curiosity and care.
- Come as we are with permission to be “raggedy.”
- Be mindful of and take personal and collective responsibility for our own biases including the use of language that may “other,” “cancel,” or dehumanize any person, groups of people, and/or their experiences.
- Ask for consent before hugging or initiating physical contact during in-person gatherings.
- Use the “Ouch/Oops” tool to address hurtful comments and language in the moment and to allow space for repair.*
*Ouch/Oops . This is a tool for addressing hurtful comments/language in the moment. If someone says something hurtful, anyone can bring attention to it in the moment by saying “Ouch” and then explaining what was hurtful. If it is a word choice issue, be sure to give the first speaker the chance to rephrase and try again (remember, it’s okay to be raggedy, and we are all assuming good intent!) When someone says something that comes out wrong or hurts someone else, they should start with “Oops” – first, acknowledge the impact of their words, and then try again. This can also be done outside of the event if someone feels an “Ouch,” but does not feel comfortable sharing it with the group at that time. We aspire for this Sangha to be a place of refuge.
Meet Your Instructors!
About Rachel Ashley:
Rachel has been working with Namchak since 2017, serving on the Community Advisory Board before moving into her current position as the Community Steward. 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 practitioner.
About Emily:
Emily has been a student of Namchak since 2018. She has enjoyed contributing to many Namchak endeavors over the years, including serving on the Community Advisory Board and assisting in the creation of the Compassion in Action Network. Now, Emily serves as the Community Engagement and Programming Specialist, supporting students across all Namchak offerings. Prior to her current role with Namchak, Emily worked as a research coordinator at the University of Pennsylvania, conducting clinical research on anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Emily’s passion for mental health led her to Temple University, where she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Today, she is an enthusiastic practitioner who enjoys cultivating sangha (community) and deepening into Vajrayana wisdom and practice.