Mental Development for Self-Help Groups

Talks are oriented meet the primary concerns of groups and communities interested in meditation practice goals. Content is presented in easy-to-understand terms to aid participants in understanding and effectiveness in meditation practice. Instruction segments are blended with brief guided practice exercises followed by concise explanations of their benefits.

Presentations begin with an overview of subject matter to be discussed followed by a 15 to 20 minute expose' of the subject.
Talks are followed by Q&A with the exception of  Meditation Boot Camp which is followed by a short guided practice session and Q&A at the end of the session. Handouts of the course material are provided at each talk to help clarify key point and promote confidence in the practice.

1. Meditation Boot Camp: Buddha’s Original Map for Mindful Living  
This talk features step-by-step instructions for mindfulness of breathing as described in the discourses of the Buddha. It combines the precise meditation directions along with techniques of how to overcome difficulties that may be encountered. Guided group practices are combined with feedback sessions.

  Participants learn:
  • An easy-to-remember method of meditation known as the 6Rs
  • To be aware of how the mind moves from one meant or emotional state to another
  • To enjoy mindfulness observation and to advance in the stages of meditation with confidence.

2. Imperturbable Equanimity: Balancing Mental Factors and Sublime Meditation Experiences
This talk features a description of the “Awakening Factors” as they are experienced during meditation. It explains why the Buddha invented the word Samadhi and what it means along with providing a summary of how to apply the awakening factors as a map to advance in the stages of meditation. Included are the four principles of harmonious practice to overcome obstacles.
   Participants learn:
  • To self-assess and balance mental factors while in a meditative state.
  • To apply selective thinking and dissolve obstacles and distractions.
  • To experience relief from internal dialogue and experience expandsive happiness.

3. The Stages of Meditation: Demystifying the Stages (Jhanas and the Brahma Viharas)
This talk features the importance of attaining deeper stages of meditation widely known as jhana states or states of direct knowledge and serenity. The presentation includes a description and explanation of each jhana stage along with techniques to transition from one stage to another. A practice period includes instructions on how to cultivate and develop to maturity specific mental factors that condition each stage.
   Participants learn:
  • The differences between absorption jhanas and awareness jhanas states.
  • The correlation between the Brahma Viharas and Jhana states
  • How to recognize, practice, and develop the jhana factors.

4. Yoga and Buddhim: Similarities and Differences
This talk compares and contrast Patanjali's Yoga Sutra: called ashtanga, which literally means "eight limbs" and known as the eight limbs of Yoga with the Buddha's Nobel 8 Fold Path articulated in the Maha-Assapura Sutta: The Greater Discourse at Assapura, and the Sammaditthi Sutta: The Discourse on Right View. This expose' is renders the benefits of both systems in practical and useful terms.
   Participants learn:
  • The historic importance of the declarations
  • The fundamental similarities between the two traditions
  • The phenomenological approach taken by Buddha and Patanjali

Classes and Workshops

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Scott A. Jordan






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​Meditation Instruction and
practice for individuals and groups.
Introductory presentations are provided at no charge with in the greater Bay Area.

Neurotherapy and Meditation

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Grant Rudolph
NeuroAwakening at EchoRock Neurotherapy, 45 Camino Alto,
​Suite 204, Mill Valley 
NeuroAwakeing combines advanced biofeedback and proven meditative exercises including the Six Rs methodology
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Psychology and Meditation

We gain a host of mental and psyological benefits by learning how to relax our body and calm mental activity.  emotions to cultivate emotional composure for a more peaceful, harmonious, and happier life. In May, we had a sharing at BGF on Part 1 of a 2-part series on the practical applications of the Buddha's teachings of Satipaṭṭhāna as a Psychotherapy. Below is the video recording of Part-1 at BGF.

Part-1: Satipaṭṭhāna as a Psychotherapy
Youtube link: https://youtu.be/OOs_7Aidtas