Students

The Silent Meditation Program explores meditation on practical and intellectual levels. The three parts of practicing meditation, sharing our experience, and engaging the intellect are essential to the development of a successful and powerful meditation practice.

Designated Section

We have created a designated section for students in order to communicate

1. Class materials
2. Assignments and homework
3. Interesting links
4. Questions and answers

This access is restricted so that we can ensure the same privacy online that we have in class. Every student is assigned to his or her class and can freely share within that known environment.

We will also use this section to put up links to articles, books or recordings discussed in class and provide an environmentally friendly way to share class materials, assignments and homework.

Lastly, this section is very much a work in progress. As students reflect their needs and desires we will adapt to what serves best.

Signing Up and Registration

In order for students to get access, they need to sign up by filling out a form mentioning the class they are signing up for. We then will assign permissions of the appropriate class to the student to gain access to the information and materials.

Newsletter

Upon registration, you will be signed up for our newsletter, which is sent irregularly and not too often, but contains information relevant to the courses. In case you don't want to be signed up for the newsletter, then we ask you to mention this in the message section along with your class information.

Frankly, we don't like this approach, but we are very restricted in what kind of web form we can use here (it doesn't give us the option of adding a simple checkbox for you to choose yes or no rather than us doing it for you.) We'll work on that and get it sorted as soon as possible. Please bear with us.

You can always sign up here if you would like to receive our newsletter in the future.

Social Media

You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook in order to keep up to date.

We have also a Google+ account. In case you need an invitation to join Google+, here it is.

Feedback

Like everything in life, we learn by getting feedback and being willing to listen and adjust. Your feedback is important to us, so please feel free to contact us with suggestions, praise, criticism, etc.

Similarly, your feedback to the venue provider of the class is essential. It shows them if the class is registering interest and if more classes should be scheduled.

The Goal of Perpetuity

The Silent Meditation Program is designed to be an ongoing learning experience. The word "program" suggests that it is not about taking a limited number of classes and then stopping; rather it means continuing the practice, the sharing and the engagement on a regular basis and enjoying the support of a safe environment in the group.

There are more than a 100 lessons that are designed to be discussed in class which build the foundation of a meaningful practice of meditation. That alone amounts to over two years of weekly classes not taking into account that some of these lessons most likely will be repeated over time.

Progression in meditation is not necessarily linear, but a regular practice alone and in the group will provide the solid foundation for a great experience.

The Silent Meditation Program is unique as it doesn't replace but supplements the learning of traditional meditation techniques. One can have a great experience during a weekend in a meditation retreat but without the ongoing support afterwards, chances are that either the practice will suffer or it will eventually stop. This can be prevented by committing to the practice and study on a regular basis rather than just a few times a year.