Meditation in Delaware

Tonight in Lewes, Delaware, Dean Donavan will lead a workshop at St. Peter's Episcopal Church concentrating on the use of Eastern meditation forms by Christians. Donavan specializes in silent meditation and primordial sound meditation. If you're in the area, check it out!

Mindfulness at Work

There's a good article in the Vancouver Sun today about the growing need for mindfulness -- and how meditation is increasingly accepted by academics and researchers. The article also touches on the use of meditation at large companies such as General Mills. Interesting stuff, and worth a quick read.

Outing an Ashram

In her book Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia, Elizabeth Gilbert never quite identifies the ashram that provided the impetus for her transformation. A feature in today's Boston Globe identifies that ashram, Siddha Yoga Meditation Center of Greater Boston in Watertown, Mass.

Founded by Swami Muktananda, the centers are now led by Gurumayi Chidvilasananda -- and the group appears to concentrate on deep meditation and avoid publicity and attention.

What Deepak Chopra Knows

Today's Observer in the UK features a piece concentrating on ideas and lessons learned by Deepak Chopra. He addresses expectations, fulfillment, celebrities, desire, and the benefits of meditation. It's a quick bit, but it's worth checking out.

The Radiance Retreat

Sarah McLean, one of the founding directors of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing and now director of the Sedona Meditation Training Company, has announced the Radiance Retreat, a meditation, yoga, hiking, and creative journaling event at the Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain in Arizona.

Limited to 15 participants, the retreat will cost as little as $595 per person (lodging costs extra). The deep meditation retreat will include sections on Deep Silent Group & Guided Meditations; Harmonizing with the Nature's Rhythms; Creating your Inner Glow; the Yoga of Breath, Pranayama; Gentle Yoga featuring Kundalini Practices; Listening to Your Heart's Desires, Journaling Practices; Mindfulness Practices, Meditation in Motion; and Communion & Reflecting in Nature.

Meditation Trilogy

I'm not sure how this CD hit my radar, but Carol Ann Cardella's Meditation Trilogy seems promising. The trio of guided meditations focus on deep relaxation and visualization; grounding, centering, and manifesting; and cleansing, clarifying, and manifesting.

Several samples are available, and the CD costs $20. Interestingly enough, Cardella appears to be a consultant in the real estate and building management industries who has authored a couple of now out-of-print books on merchandising. Makes me wonder how many other people in the human potential industry maintain their day jobs.

Instant Advanced Meditation

For a limited time, Steven Sashen is offering the first volume of his Instant Advanced Meditation Course for free. I just listened to the introduction, and the realization and recognition meditation technique appears to be an alternative to traditional sitting meditation.

The first full session, "All It Is," runs about 47 minutes. It's basically a guided meditation and talk on the presence of God in absolutely everything and the totality of experience being God's way of appearing to us. Interesting stuff!