Introduction to NeuroMeditation Course
6-week live online course
Tuesdays
Sep 23 - Oct 28
6:30-8:00 pm Pacific
Finally, a step-by-step course to discover your best style of meditation
People start meditating for various outcomes: stress reduction, emotional balance, physical health, spiritual exploration, creativity, focus, and just plain old curiosity without considering that different types of meditation have different affects on the mind, body, and emotions.
The Introduction to Meditation Course offers a comprehensive overview of different styles of meditation practice and their corresponding benefits. Based on neuroscience and how meditation affects the brain, you'll discover which practice offers the results you're looking for. You'll also learn how to stabilize your meditation and deepen your experience.
Who is this course for?
Regardless of your meditation experience, there is something here for everyone:
- If you're new to meditation ... we'll help guide you to a quieter mind
- If you're challenged by lots of thoughts, have tried meditating and given up ... you'll get back on track by assessing your best style of meditation
- If you're an experienced meditator ... we'll share a variety of meditation styles to expand your awareness
But first, some startling statistics about your thinking!
We think up to 70,000 thoughts every day and 90% of them are repetitive. While our thoughts can be a mixture of negative, positive, and inquisitive, according to the National Science Foundation 80% of our thoughts are negative. So if your mind is a constant stream of pesky thoughts, you're not alone, our brains are built with a negativity bias that's always on the look out for that saber tooth tiger lurking in some dusty corner.
In addition to all the negative thoughts, our brains age just like the rest of our body. As we age, our brain shrinks in size, slows down in speed, and becomes less adaptable to change making it more challenging to find inner calm.
However, thanks to neuroplasticity our brains are trainable. Thousands of research studies highlight the benefits of regular practice of meditation. In fact, meditation and it's benefits has been around and practiced in one form or another in every culture and tradition going back thousands of years. While the ancients were more likely to live in a cave and follow a reclusive life the techniques can be practiced by anyone.
If you've given up on meditation because it was too challenging, think again.
Many people try meditation for its numerous promised benefits. After only a short time they give up because it's too challenging and difficult to clear their mind of thoughts. They mistakenly believe they should sit like serene monks, clearing their minds for a blissful 20 minutes. But for most of us, achieving even 2 minutes without a stray thought is unrealistic. Frustration sets in, and we abandon meditation, convinced it’s not for us or that we’re doing it wrong.
This doesn't have to be the case. You can learn how to meditate and the form of meditation most suited to optimize your brain's functioning. For example, if you're new to meditation Focus meditations are a great place to start with retraining your brain and settling your mind.
During the course you'll get to sample different styles of meditation and gain first hand experience of how you respond to a specific technique. When you've completed the course you'll have a clear understanding of the benefits of each style, how they work, and the impetus to continue with a regular practice.
Course Outline
During each week of the course we'll focus on one specific style of meditation. We'll cover the benefits, how your brain is effected, and practice several different meditations. They'll also be plenty of time for discussion and connecting as a group.
Week 1 - Focus
Focus meditation is a training for the mind and a great place to start with meditation. Regular practice helps to clear the mind for clearer, sharper thinking. It's a great practice for older adults and ADHD.
Week 2 - Mindfulness
Mindfulness has been popularized in the West and has a strong following. It's also a great choice for easing stress and anxiety to help you feel more calm, centered, and peaceful.
Week 3 - Open Heart
Focusing on feelings of open heartedness helps to develop empathy and improve relationships with the world around you. It's also an antidote for depression.
Week 4 - Quiet Mind
This style of meditation combats constant mind chatter from your inner critic. It can also be very effective for softening chronic pain and helpful with releasing addictive behaviors.
Week 5 - Deep States
Deep States meditation offers the opportunity to develop your sixth sense, your intuition by becoming more familiar with your energy system and the energetic world around you. It's also very grounding and can lead to flow states.
Week 6 - Review
You'll have an opportunity to deepen your meditations as we review and practice each style of NeuroMeditation.
Meditation Testimonials
Deeper Understanding of Myself
The meditation courses have helped me to live my life in a more authentic and joy-filled way. Jill has taught me tools to release what doesn't work for me any longer, and to build upon and create what does. The content and meditations have provided me with a deeper understanding of myself and have given me much-needed healing. Jill is truly gifted.
New to Meditation
I’ve taken Jill’s intuitive meditation series twice now. She’s highly skilled in cultivating an intimate shared experience over Zoom for class participants. I was new to meditation compared to many of my classmates and found her guidance easy to follow and retain. I could really feel the energy moving throughout my body and learned techniques to identify and apply the skills throughout my week.
Wonderful Investment in Self-Care
The meditation course is a wonderful investment in self-care, a terrific skillset for grounding, clearing, healing, and maintenance of well-being. Jill is a fantastic teacher -- warm-hearted, compassionate, patient, and very clear in her instructional style. I highly recommend this course to anyone interested in gaining skills or enhancing their energetic practice.
What the course covers
- Neuroscience related to meditation and how it affects the brain
- The practice of different meditation techniques and the mechanics of meditation
- How to overcome barriers to meditation
- Support in getting started with a home practice
- How to benefit from meditation during daily life not just when you're sitting quietly
How you'll benefit
- Improved ability to quiet your mind
- Clearer thinking and less brain fog
- Reduce stress and anxiety
- Decreased pain and tension
- Calming of anxiety and emotional outbursts
- Reduce overwhelm
What's included
- Six 90-minute live Zoom classes
- What, why, and how to meditate
- Meditation style assessment
- Discussion of experience
- E-mail support throughout the program
- Meditation training to support your home practice
- Guided meditation recordings
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I need to practice meditation at home?
This is highly recommended and entirely up to you. The more practice you have with meditation the quicker the results. Initially it's a good idea to start with 5 minutes once a day and gradually work up to longer meditation of 10-20 minutes.
Are the online classes live?
Yes classes are live and interactive using Zoom video conferencing.
What if I can't make it to one of the classes, will replays be available?
Replays will be uploaded to the course curriculum the day after a class and will be available for streaming for three months from the course end date.
How will I receive the Zoom Login Information?
Zoom login details will be emailed to you the day before each class.
