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 although our roots are Buddhist, 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.
Sunday November 3rd, 7–8:30 PM
We're excited to host a conversation and meditation experience with Craig Mollins, a seasoned mindfulness teacher of over 25 years who lives with Tourette syndrome. Join us on a journey to celebrate the incredible diversity of the human brain! Neurodiversity is all about recognizing and valuing the unique perspectives and experiences that make each of us who we are.
All online sessions, except our short morning sessions, include a 20-minute silent meditation. New to meditation? Instruction is available.
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Click here to join on Zoom @ 8:30 AM ET
NEW! ONLINE
Looking for a mindful start to your day? We're launching silent group meditations from 8:30 to 8:45 AM ET, Monday to Friday. There is no meditation instruction available in these sessions–if you'd like instruction, email hello@communitymeditation.net.
Click here to join on Zoom @ 7 PM ET
Please join Brenda, Gordon, Jim, and Sharon for 20 minutes of silent meditation, followed by our ongoing reading of Bhante Gunaratana's book Mindfulness in Plain English. This week, we'll continue our discussion of distractions during meditation, and explore ways to approach the habit of conceptualization. No need to be familiar with the book–all are welcome!
You want to really see each sensation, whether it is pain, bliss, or boredom. You want to experience that thing fully in its natural and unadulterated form.
– Bhante Gunaratana
Click here to join on Zoom @ 7 PM ET
Gloria and Ryan will host this week, beginning with 20 minutes of silent meditation. We'll continue with "The Story Telling Mind", a chapter from Jack Kornfield’s book, The Wise Heart.
The mind is a master storyteller, and it is telling us stories all the time. The question is, which stories do we choose to believe?
– Venice AI
Click here to join on Zoom @ 7 PM ET
There are times when the power of fear constricts us and it feels like okayness is just out of reach. Join Adam, Lauren, and Sandi to examine this through "Finding Birdsong", a chapter in Mark Nepo's book, Seven Thousand Ways to Listen. Everyone is welcome, and you don't have to be familiar with the book. We'll begin with 20 minutes of silent meditation.
I put my hands on my heart and exhale slowly, trying to draw fear into my hands, and let it steam out of me without landing on anyone else.
― Mark Nepo
Click here to visit our Meetup
IN-PERSON – OWEN SOUND
We all experience desire and it can generate suffering unless we learn to recognize and engage with it skillfully. Join Ken in Owen Sound this week to explore Stephen Levine's writing on the role of love when working with desire. Our session will start with 35 minutes of sitting and walking meditation.
👉 Planning to join this session? Consider joining Meetup and RSVPing to the session. It gives people a better idea of how many are attending and helps us grow.
But desire is not, as rumor would have it, “bad” it is just painful.
― Stephen Levine
Click here to join on Zoom @ 7 PM ET
NEW! ONLINE
Join Debbie online this Thursday to watch and discuss a short video in which Pema Chodron talks about fear and anxiety. We'll start with 20 minutes of silent meditation and everyone is welcome.
Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth.
― Pema Chodron
Click here to join on Zoom @ 7 PM ET
Join Debbie for a journey through five awareness teachers and what they see as the keys to mindfulness. We'll begin this Friday with a look at the development of insight. The session will start with 20 minutes of silent meditation.
Using the power of clear observation that we develop through mindfulness, we can gain a deeper understanding into the nature of reality and our own being.
― Gulli Singh
Click here to join on Zoom @ 10:15 AM ET
Join Debbie, drawing on Jon Bernie's book The Unbelievable Happiness of What Is, to consider ways to include the body in our aspiration to be present. The session will begin with 20 minutes of meditation.
We can open to the intuitive, to the guidance that is always present, and one of the many ways guidance comes to us is through the body.
― Jon Bernie
I began meditating around 2003 and it's interesting to recall my view of meditation at the time. Some of my ideas held up, like finding a quiet, comfortable place to sit, and trying to practice daily. Others were, let's say, limited. For example:
I could go on (compassion? *ahem*) but I definitely had some curious notions back then 🙂 My point is not to lay bare these perfectly natural misconceptions but to ask for your help. I'll be running some short sessions for people who are new to meditation, and I'd love to hear your answers to this question:
What do I wish someone had told me when I was learning to meditate?
Anything that would've helped with your meditation practice is fair game, whether you discovered it on your own or someone else shared it with you. Send your suggestions to ken@communitymeditation.net. If there are enough responses, I'll compile and share them. Thanks in advance!
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Ken & the Community Meditation Team
Image by Saurabh Sarkar from Pixabay.
We started this meditation network to help you bring more clarity, balance, caring and joy to your life and your community.
The truth that many people never understand, until it is too late, is that the more you try to avoid suffering, the more you suffer.
― Thomas Merton
