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.
Your donations, either one-time or with a monthly subscription, help us to pay rent, insurance and other basic expenses. We are a volunteer organization and all of our costs are covered by donations and course fees. Online Canadian donors will receive an annual tax receipt for the full amount of their donations in each calendar year.
One-Time Donation Monthly Donation
NOTE: For monthly donations, use the Qty button to adjust the amount in units of $5. For example, a Qty of "3" is 3 x 5 = $15.
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 @ 8:45 AM ET
Looking for a mindful start to your day? We're launching silent group meditations from 8:45 to 9 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, and Jim for 20 minutes of silent meditation followed by a reading of Wholehearted: Slow Down, Help Out, Wake Up by Koshin Paley Ellison. This week, we'll explore Chapter 6, "Living Fearlessly by Doing Good for Others." There's no need to have or be familiar with the book.
The regrets of the sick or elderly are almost never that they weren't busy or that they didn't achieve enough. No-it's always 'Did I love well?'
– Koshin Paley Ellison
Click here to join on Zoom @ 7 PM ET
Join Kaye-Lee, Gloria, and Marian to continue exploring the "We're in It Now" chapter from Tracy Cochran's Presence: The Art of Being at Home with Yourself. We'll start with 20 minutes of silent meditation. No meditation experience is necessary (instruction can be provided), and there's no need to have read the book.
...At first, many of us turn to a spiritual practice hoping for a way to smooth out our bumpy lives or at least find a little peace and ease.
– Tracy Cochran
Click here for directions
IN-PERSON – MISSISSAUGA
Join us on Wednesday to gather in person and collectively explore a book or article and discuss what arises. Our session will begin with 20 minutes of meditation, and there's no need to be familiar with the book.
Through awareness, we understand the underlying beauty of everything and every being kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.
– Amit Ray
Click here to join on Zoom @ 7 PM ET
ONLINE
Please join Lauren, Adam, and Sandi as we read and discuss Mark Nepo's book, You Don't Have To Do It Alone. In "The Life Of Wood." chapter, Nepo observes that, like a severed branch of a tree, a person can continue to grow, then can incorporate a clean cut and still become a sound oak. If we could see inside another person's wounds, what might we learn? Our session will begin with 20 minutes of silent meditation. There's no need to be familiar with the book.
A person cannot be said to succeed in this life who does not satisfy one friend.
– Henry David Thoreau
Click here to visit our Meetup
IN-PERSON – OWEN SOUND
It's a common belief that stress is harmful and something to be avoided. But is it possible that the way we think about stress affects how we react to it? Could it even be beneficial? We'll begin our session with 35 minutes of sitting and walking meditation. Everyone is welcome!
Our mindsets shape what we attend to, how we interpret events, and how we react, all of which can change how our bodies respond to situations.
– Alia Crumm
Click here to join on Zoom @ 7 PM ET
ONLINE
Please join Debbie to discuss Pema Chodron's "Changing Your Heart Towards Pain" article. In it, she discusses how to transform one's relationship to pain through compassion and loving-kindness practices. She emphasizes the importance of confronting emotional discomfort, remaining present with suffering, and nurturing a compassionate heart. Our session will begin with 20 minutes of silent meditation.
The only way to ease our pain is to experience it fully. Learn to stay with uneasiness, learn to stay with the tightening, so that the habitual chain reaction doesn't continue to rule your life.
– Pema Chodron
Click here to join on Zoom @ 7 PM ET
ECODHARMA
Join Debbie as we watch and discuss a Malin Christensson TEDx video titled "Understanding Collective Trauma and Climate Change". In the video, Malin explores the roots of our current climate crisis. Our session will begin with 20 minutes of silent meditation.
Friday EcoDharma sessions are designed for those experiencing anxiety or grief relating to environmental issues. The aim is to bring mindfulness and Buddhist practices to our distress, and to build community.
Societies built on ecocide, genocide, and colonialism reinforce a sense of separation, yet the impulse to heal remains strong. Drawing on research from neuroscience, social change movements, and mindfulness practices, this session highlights pathways to collective intelligence and emerging solutions.
– Malin Christensson
Click here to join on Zoom @ 10:15 AM ET
Join Debbie and Darina this Sunday to read the "Serve Mind or Fix It" chapter in Michael Singer's book, Living Untethered. Singer suggests that we have a choice: try to make the world conform to our wishes, or learn to let go of that mental habit. Our session will begin with 20 minutes of silent meditation. There's no need to be familiar with the book.
The foundational choice we have in life is either constantly control life to compensate for our [emotional] blockages or devote our lives to getting rid of our blockages.
– Michael Singer
I've long been a fan of the wildly generous folks at ServiceSpace.org, who've been offering a staggering variety of inspiring and enlightening online resources for over 25 years. From the positive articles of DailyGood.org to the insightful videos of KarmaTube.org, our world is undoubtedly a better place because of their tireless efforts. I came across their latest endeavour last week: Awakin.ai (yes, that's "AI").
Awakin.ai's mission is to weave "ancient wisdom into modern technology to nurture human connection, compassion, and consciousness." To achieve this, they've trained Awakin.ai on 1,700+ scriptures as well as the works of contemporary teachers, creating an AI chatbot that's steeped in the writings from many different wisdom traditions. The result is a collection of unique chatbots, including a Compassion bot, a Sharon (as in Salzberg) bot, and a BatGap bot. BatGap? It's short for "Buddha at the Gas Pump", and it's a website that offers "conversations with 'ordinary' spiritually awakening people."
I asked SharonBot for a couple of simple practices to help me deal with overwhelm, and I got the answer below, along with a link to the source document ("What to Do When Anxiety Overwhelms You" from the On Being Project) and suggested follow-up questions.
Hello, and thank you for reaching out. Let's start by inviting some kindness and compassion to yourself for seeking support. Overwhelm can feel all-encompassing, yet there are simple practices to help you navigate it.
Mindful Breathing: Take a moment to pause and focus on your breath. Notice the sensation of your in-breath and your out-breath. If your mind starts to wander, gently bring it back to the breath. Even a minute of this practice can help refocus your mind and bring a sense of peace.
One-Pointed Attention: Choose one task or element right in front of you to focus on intently, whether it’s feeling the weight of your body in the chair or the texture of an object in your hand. By narrowing your focus, you take control of your attention and reduce the feeling of chaos around you.
Remember, patience is key in practice. It's about seeing clearly what's happening rather than trying to change it. Over time, these practices can transform how you interact with overwhelming moments.
Now, I'm a big fan of meeting in person, and being together physically is a singular experience. That doesn't preclude finding tremendous benefits through other means, though. The bots of Awakin.ai just might fit the bill.
PS. If all of these options weren't enough, you can apply to create a bot of your own, provided it falls into one of "three categories of wisdom-oriented bots to help amplify voices of transformation."
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Ken, Sandi, and the Community Meditation Team
Photo by Jeremy Thomas on Unsplash
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
