Free Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness is noticing the present moment. When applying this technique to meditation, we have the opportunity to bring attention to whatever arises (thoughts, emotions, sensations) in the present moment without judgment. While it may sound simple, this can be a challenging practice! In this course, we will break it down over five weeks so that you can take away tools that work for you!

The roots of Meditation are found in India and China, in Buddhism, Hinduism, and Taoism. The earliest written records date back to 1500 BCE. The practice spread across the globe and can be found in many different forms. While we honor the origins of Meditation and the people who continued this practice to the present day, it is not necessary to practice Hinduism, Buddhism, or any other religion to benefit from Mindfulness Meditation.

Mindfulness Meditation has been studied extensively! From increasing neuroplasticity to enhancing attention and emotional regulation to decreasing stress in times of crisis, Mindfulness Meditation has been shown to bring meditators many benefits. I hope you’ll join to us to learn how this practice can support you.

Basso, J. C., McHale, A., Ende, V., Oberlin, D. J., & Suzuki, W. A. (2019). Brief, daily meditation enhances attention, memory, mood, and emotional regulation in non-experienced meditators. Behavioural brain research, 356, 208–220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2018.08.023

Behan C. (2020). The benefits of meditation and mindfulness practices during times of crisis such as COVID-19. Irish journal of psychological medicine, 37(4), 256–258. https://doi.org/10.1017/ipm.2020.38

Lardone, A., Liparoti, M., Sorrentino, P., Rucco, R., Jacini, F., Polverino, A., Minino, R., Pesoli, M., Baselice, F., Sorriso, A., Ferraioli, G., Sorrentino, G., & Mandolesi, L. (2018). Mindfulness Meditation Is Related to Long-Lasting Changes in Hippocampal Functional Topology during Resting State: A Magnetoencephalography Study. Neural plasticity, 2018, 5340717. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/5340717

You are welcome in this course in all the richness of your identity – your origin, background, age, ethnicity, race, gender, sex, class, ability, education, learning style, and all of the other important aspects that make you YOU. Know that you belong here. 

We will use the East Bay Meditation Center Agreements for Multicultural Interactions as guidelines for the dialogue portion of our gatherings. All participants will be fully honored and respected as we also acknowledge the power dynamics within the group.

The Agreements for Multicultural Interaction are created by ©VISIONS, Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides training and workshops that empower the creation of environments where multicultural differences are recognized, understood, appreciated, and utilized for the benefit of all.

This course is divided into two five-week sessions. You are welcome to attend one or both sessions! Within each session, attendance for all five weeks is highly encouraged. Please commit to attending four of the five sessions.

For the purpose of evaluation for Naomi’s program, students will be asked to fill out short feedback forms.

Naomi is a coach and teacher who has been meditating for over 15 years. She is currently a student in the Meditation Teacher Certification Course led by Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield through the Awareness Training Institute and the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California Berkeley. She will be graduating in Spring 2023. In addition to sharing the wealth of information learned in this course, Naomi will also weave in her decades of experience as a human rights advocate, swim coach, as well as her study of East Asian Medicine.

This course is offered free of charge for the dual purpose of providing transformative instruction to participants from all backgrounds and income levels, and opening a space for feedback as I complete this training program.

 This course will be taught on Zoom, which can be accessed from a computer, tablet, or smartphone. The course will be presented in English with spoken and visual instruction, and available closed captioning. 

For purpose of evaluation for Naomi’s program, one lesson will be recorded. Students will be notified in advance and any adaptations will be made for everyone’s comfort. Please reach out to Naomi for any other accommodations.