Explore and Experience Meditations

Meditation is a time-honored practice key to developing desirable inner qualities. Confusion can arise because many types of meditation have been developed. In this presentation we first provide a broad overview from eastern, western, religious and secular perspectives, discussing their disparate goals and ethos. Eastern and religious traditions tend to emphasize spiritual values like love, compassion, mindfulness, and/or connection with spirit. Other perspectives may emphasize peacefulness and self-knowledge, though there is naturally significant overlap. We will also delve into current neuroscience studies and discuss the four stages of brain activation that occur during meditation. We will demonstrate and briefly experience four common meditations that roughly line up with the four perspectives, giving you a short “taste” of each to see which type resonates best with you.