Meditation classes

Where: Schunck room, first floor, in Burlington Rooms. Burlington Rooms are in Burlington street. If you face the entrance to John Rylands Library (the main library of the University), the entrance to Burlington Rooms will be on your right, above the Vegetarian Cafe.

The type of meditation taught is called Samatha, which mean calmness. Samatha meditation is an effective way of training the mind to develop inner strength and freedom from turmoil, leading on to clarity, happiness and understanding. It involves stilling the mind by being mindful of the breathing process. In meditation the constant activity can be stilled allowing a basis for seeing directly how the mind works.

This Samatha meditation is in the tradition of mindfulness of breathing (ana-pana-sati = inbreath-outbreath-mindfulness) meditation. The meditation is practised in stages, from the grosser to the subtler. As in most meditation traditions, it is taught on a teacher-student basis.

The classes are open to anyone who would like to give it a try. There is no need to be a 'Buddhist' or in fact have any interest in Buddhism as a religion. Most people who mediate practice daily and the instructions in the class are taught in a way to enable all the basics of the technique to be learnt in a few months.

The group meeting begins at 6pm and afterwards there is tea or coffee and you are able to discuss one to one with the teacher how your practice is developing. If you are coming for the first time, it is helpful if you can come a little before 6.

It might be advisable to bring a pillow or cushion along with you when you come to the meditation, as it might help in sitting comfortably.

Sometimes, we also have 'Taster' meditation sessions, where we can have Zen meditation, visual (Tibetan) meditation, walking meditation, Vipassana meditation (insight), metta (loving kindness) meditation or chanting. During some of our Thursday speeches, some of the speakers may also choose to conduct meditation sessions.

All the classes are free of charge and refreshments are provided.

Other local Buddhist groups mentioned in the Manchester page have their own meditation classes.

Please note: The meditation classes will resume after the freshers fair in September 2007. The first class will be on 24 September 2007.