INNER PEACE, OUTER PEACE
Energy Matters Sangha
After attending the 6-week class, there is an ongoing, bi-weekly opportunity to practice with the Energy Matters Sangha (meditation group). Whether or not you have a home practice, sangha is for you! There is guided meditation, singing meditation, a short talk by Prajna, and optional sharing in community. Visitors (those who have not attended the 6-week course) are welcome, and can pre-register by calling our office.
Why practice?
Meditation is not just something we do for a certain period of time in a very specific place (i.e., the meditation cushion). It is a way of being – present, awake, receptive, non-reactive, compassionate, and taking appropriate action – with ourselves and all that is. It is a way of cultivating peace within ourselves, and by so doing, cultivating peace in the world.
Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation
In this 6-week course, we will explore how to increase happiness and transform suffering through mindfulness practice. We will start out with fully guided meditations to help you enter deep relaxation, explore postures that help support your practice, and engage in discussion and ‘homework’ to help you deepen and benefit from your practice. This class is appropriate for those new to meditation as well as those who are open to practicing with a beginner’s mind
About the Instructor
Prajna Choudhury
On a spiritual path from childhood, Prajna found her home as a mindfulness meditation practitioner in the tradition of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh in the early 2000’s. She has facilitated meditation groups for many years and in 2013 was ordained by Thich Nhat Hanh as a lay practitioner (Buddhist chaplain) in his Order of Interbeing. She has first-hand experience with the deep healing and inner resources that mindfulness practice offers, and loves sharing the benefits of practice with others through her class and ongoing practice group. Knowing that mindfulness practice requires safety, Prajna offers special classes for POC and LGBTQ affinity groups.
What Folks Think of the Program
Anon, Oct. 2020
Nov 01, 2020
I appreciated...: Prajna's gentle strength, presentation methods, her ease of smile and most especially her time of sharing her knowledge, wisdom & guidance.
I noticed...: A calmer reaction to negative situations and an enhanced ability to find even more sweetness in my daily life.
BB, Oct. 2020
Oct 31, 2020
I really enjoyed Prajna's joyfulness and encouraging spirit she brought with her to every class. She is a lovely teacher and I felt fortunate to have been able to study with her.
RVV, Oct. 2020
Oct 31, 2020
It is a class for anyone who seeks to begin a practice of meditation, understand and learn how to practice, and how to deepen and strengthen practice. This class is for anyone who desires deeper self-awareness, a practice that can help with staying present every day or at least in moments when we...
Financial Aid Available
This class has been awarded funding by the Red Envelope Giving Circle and other private donors to provide financial assistance for low-income BIPOC interested in attending an Inner Peace, Outer Peace series. Please use our online form to apply.
ApplyReflections on Inner Peace,
Outer Peace
Practicing on the Edge of Despair
Oct 04, 2021
This post is based on a talk I gave at the Energy Matters Sangha on the heels of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report. You may wish to listen to the recording of the talk, and practice with the guided Tonglen meditation at the end. This post also includes some additional...
Don’t Believe Your Thoughts: Freeing Our Minds, Part IV
Sep 09, 2021
In this final installment of freeing ourselves from the unhelpful stories of our minds, we’ll explore the final step in Byron Katie’s process of Inquiry, which are the Turnarounds. After we’ve identified and written down our stressful thoughts, as well as answered...
Why a People-of-Color Only Meditation Class?
Aug 24, 2021
Buddhist Meditation practice can provide an important path of healing and awakening for all people, regardless of background. Unfortunately, the social context in the U.S. has historically made it less accessible for people of color.
Historically, Buddhist communities in the...
Energy Matters Sangha
After attending the 6-week class, there is an ongoing, bi-weekly opportunity to practice with the Energy Matters Sangha (meditation group). Whether or not you have a home practice, sangha is for you! There is guided meditation, singing meditation, a short talk by Prajna, and optional sharing in community. Visitors (those who have not attended the 6-week course) are welcome, and can pre-register by calling our office.
