Wednesday Drop-in Meditation

led by various instructors

Wednesdays
7:00pm – 8:00pm

Our Wednesday drop-in meditation sessions provide an ideal environment for new students to learn how to meditate, and for seasoned meditators to deepen their practice.

We use meditation to work with our minds and to cultivate the potential of the mind to experience more happiness. Both neuroscience and medical research have studied the effects of meditation and discovered many benefits of this practice. These include stress reduction, lower blood pressure, increased attention, less anger, greater positive mental states, and an increase in our capacity for peace and happiness.
Beyond that, meditation is an essential part of our spiritual practice if we are wanting to attain spiritual realizations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can attend?
Everybody is welcome to attend. You can be a beginning student or a seasoned meditator.
Do I need to bring anything?
The center provides chairs, as well as mats and cushions if you prefer to sit on the floor. You can also bring your own meditation props.
What is the format of the class?
After a brief introduction we start with a period of meditation, followed by a short break. Depending on the meditation leader we may have another meditation session after the break, or a short Dharma talk. Usually there is some time at the end for discussions and Q&A.
How much does it cost?
We ask for a donation of $5 - $15 to cover expenses. Your generous donations are essential for the continuation of programs like this. Nobody is turned away for lack of funds.

Our Meditation Leaders

Venerable Yangchen has been a nun since 2001. She lives at Land of Medicine Buddha in Soquel, where she also leads meditations and practices on a regular basis.

Rosemary Berwald has been seriously meditating for many years. She has attended the Discovering Buddhism classes at our center as well as some of the Basic Program modules.

Bill Kostura has been sitting since 2001, and has studied primarily with Gil Fronsdal in Redwood City. At present he explores the teachings primarily through perspectives on suffering and non-attachment. He feels fortunate to teach Buddhist meditation regularly at a couple of places, including at a state prison in Monterey County. He works as an architectural historian, and has published widely in that field.

Amy Wang fell in love with the teachings of Dharma in 2009 and has been practicing in the Zen and Insight Meditation traditions ever since. She loves the simplicity and depth of retreat practice, and is also curious about bringing the practice to the challenges of daily life. The Dharma has deeply changed her views of life, and she wishes to share the Dharma for the benefit of all beings.