For the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, all groups are meeting online using Zoom (details below).
Community Meditation is non-profit network of meditation groups. We bring mindfulness and wellness into people’s lives through courses, meditation sittings and group discussions, both in-person and online. By sharing the benefits of meditation and mindfulness, we support the evolution of a wise, caring, and healthy world.
Our network has existed for over a decade and we have groups in several cities including Mississauga, Oshawa, and Owen Sound.
Our roots are Buddhist, but we draw on many wisdom traditions as well as contemporary wellness, psychology, and neuroscience. Community Meditation is completely volunteer-based and guided by a council of experienced teachers.
Community Meditation is a Canada Revenue Agency Registered Charity No. 73107 5719 RR0001.
Zoom session begins at 7:00 PM EST. Meditation starts at 7:15, with informal talk and discussion from 7:35 to 8:30.
Bob Hollett and Tammy Russel continue their exploration of living a genuine life this Tuesday, inspired by Ezra Bayda's book on that topic.
As we observe the mental process with precision, we come to see that we rarely take a breath without a thought or opinion or judgment going through our head.
- Ezra Bayda
Zoom session begins at 7:00 PM EST. Meditation starts at 7:15 PM, with informal talk and discussion from 7:35 to 8:30.
This Wednesday, Adam Wilkinson considers the scope of our compassion. As our practice of self-compassion gets stronger, how can we widen the circle to include more of those around us?
Our Ancient Habitual patterns will begin to soften, and we'll begin to see the faces and hear the words of people who are talking to us. As we learn to have compassion for ourselves, the circle of compassion–what and whom we can work with, and how–expands.
- Pema Chodron
Zoom session begins at 7:00 PM EST. Meditation starts at 7:15 PM, with informal talk and discussion from 7:35 to 8:30.
If there's one thing we humans seem to share, consciously or not, it's the search for meaning. Where am I? How did I get here? What should I do? Join Debbie McCubbin this Friday for a dip into Rachel Naomi Remen's perceptive contemplation on a meaningful life.
We all live far more meaningful lives than we know. Uncovering this meaning does not require us to live life differently but to see life differently.
- Rachel Naomi Remen
Zoom session begins at 10:15 AM EST. Meditation starts at 10:30, with informal talk and discussion from 10:50 to 11:45.
On Sunday, Debbie McCubbin invites us to look at our resistance to "what is". If nowness is non-negotiable, as Chogyam Trungpa observed, why do we spend so much time and energy at the bargaining table?
The only time we suffer is when we believe a thought that argues with what is.
- Byron Katie
Photo by Mattia Faloretti on Unsplash
Do you remember the first time you tried meditation? You probably had at least some basic instructions–find a quiet comfortable place, sit down, be still, pay attention to your breath. My initial encounter was in a grade 12 World Religions class. I don't recall the teacher's name but when we got around to Buddhism, there was one class where he gave us the simple steps, turned the lights down, and we all sat in silence for ten minutes. Well, silence interspersed with whispers and snickering because it did feel like a kooky thing for 17 year olds to do 🧘 😏
Looking back, I realize how much of that short sitting was spent figuring out how to get it right, and how little time I spent simply following the instructions. We all learn, growing up, that the prize goes to whoever gets the right answer. In class, on the exam, at the interview, in the boardroom: right or wrong? We approach almost everything assuming that a) there's a right answer, and b) we need to find it.
This line of thinking serves us well in many areas of our life, but in meditation? Not so much. We arrive seeking answers, but sooner or later we discover that we're here to practice. Meditation is a practice, not an answer, and it works because we are life evolving, not a static thing. Kindness is a practice. So are contemplation, gratitude, and compassion.
As Buckminster Fuller put it:
I live on Earth at present,
and don't know what I am.
I know that I am not a category.
I am not a thing–a noun.
I seem to be a verb,
an evolutionary process–
an integral function of the universe.
This week, we'll come together as a community to practice meditation, contemplation, and more. What constitutes a genuine life is? How do we expand our sphere of compassion? What does it all mean? Why do I fight reality?
🙏
Ken & the Community Meditation Team
Our hearts go out to everyone — all of us are experiencing disruption of our normal lives and various levels of increased anxiety and sadness. It is an important time to pause, be present, and open our hearts.
We at Community Meditation will have completely transitioned to online sitting, discussion, and programs. These new online sessions are available to everyone, not just the local group, creating more opportunities for you to participate. Discussions are led by local teachers, including Debbie McCubbin, Ken Dow, Bob Hollett, Tammy Russell, Stephanie Stewart, Erin Vanderstelt and Adam Wilkinson.
For those of us working from home or self-isolating, these sessions provide a much-needed chance to connect with others in a heartfelt way. We have four sittings a week at this point and will keep you informed as new sessions and programs are launched. All are welcome!
Our future discussion topics will include ways to work with with anxiety and the current situation, along with our usual offerings about meditation, Buddhism, awareness and emotions.
We invite everyone to come together as a community to support each other in working towards a wise, caring, and healthy world.
Sincerely,
The leaders and teachers of Community Meditation Buffalo, Mississauga, Oshawa, and Owen Sound
if you’re new to Zoom, check out The Art of Zoom page we put together.
Good to go with Zoom already? You can join a Community Meditation session using the button below.
We started this meditation network to help you bring more clarity, balance, caring and joy to your life and your community.
Genuine happiness in relationships is not a product of having our expectations met or getting what we want but rather it is the consequence of freely giving in order to bring happiness to another.
― Ezra Bayda
