Entering the Stream of the Meditative Life
A Beginner’s Path to Buddhist Meditation
WMC Introductory Level Course
Sept 9 - Dec 16, 2025
In person at the Aligned Center, Irvington, and also on Zoom, for those unable to attend in person.
Taught by Jane Kolleeny, Paul Griffin and David Frankel
Suggested offering: $60* or $10 per class for drop ins
This Tuesday evening course is intended for those establishing or deepening a regular meditation practice. We will begin with the basics of mindfulness-awareness meditation, from proper posture to learning to settle with gentleness, patience, and humor—the three ingredients for a well-balanced practice. We will also study the art of stabilizing the mind, shamatha (calm abiding), and explore how to remain present with whatever thoughts and emotions arise in our practice. To inspire our meditation, we will be reading and discussing selections from the book How To Meditate by Pema Chödrön. Participants are encouraged to obtain a copy.
For this Introductory Course* we especially welcome those just beginning or even just curious about meditation, or students of any background interested in an in-depth approach to the practice.
Registration for the course is encouraged, but drop-ins are also welcome on any of the dates.
* Each Fall, WMC offers different levels of study for different types of student: Introductory, Intermediate, and Advanced. For more information, follow this link.
“Our life is an endless journey: the practice of meditation allows us to experience all the textures of the roadway, which is what the journey is all about.” — Chögyam Trungpa, Rinpoche
“When something is bothering us—someone is bugging us, a situation is irritating you, or physical pain is troubling you—you must work with your mind, and that is done through meditation. Working with our mind is the only means through which we’ll actually begin to feel happy and contented with the world we live in.” — Pema Chödrön.
*WMC maintains a policy of making our programs affordable to all.
Those with limited income, please note our student/fixed income rate on the registration page.