PLEASE NOTE: THE MONDAY NIGHT MEDITATION CLASSES ARE CURRENTLY ON A BREAK. CHECK BACK SOON AND WE WILL ALSO ANNOUNCE VIA NEWSLETTER WHEN WE START CLASSES AGAIN.

What: Senshi Meditation & Mindfulness Practice
When: 7-8pm Monday nights. starting Nov. 9th (please be in the meditation hall a few minutes before 7pm)*
Cost: Free
Where: Meditation Room at Boulder Integral (2805 Broadway Street, Boulder)
Facilitator: Keith Martin-Smith

“Senshi” means “warrior” in Japanese, and this is warrior training for your body, your mind, and your spirit. Becoming an accomplished athlete, artist, businessperson, or author requires discipline of practice. Our spiritual practice is no different.

Senshi Meditation takes seriously the idea that there is nothing more important in your life right now then waking up. Every minute spent asleep is another minute spent in bondage, in contraction, in ignorance, in servitude to old stories, patterns, and obsessions. This is a life and death practice, and we will take our seats as warriors dedicated to our path.

OVERVIEW

• This meditation class will begin informally at 6:45pm, where any questions can be answered, we can talk, warm up, and drop in.
• Meditation will go from precisely 7pm until 8pm.
• We will sometimes engage in one or all of the following as part of our practice: mindful physical embodiment, energy work, and/or discussion of the Dharma.
• The sit ends at 8pm, but there will be another optional 15 minutes of post-sit discussion for anyone interested in staying and discussing anything that might have come up.

DETAIL

• Meditation practice will follow the Rinai Zen tradition, which is derived directly from the Japanese Samurai. Rinzai, more than any other meditative discipline, embodies the energy of spiritual practice as warrior practice. When you take your seat in a Rinzai Zen sit, you take your seat as a warrior, and you resolve to face whatever arises during the sit — emotional, physical, or spiritual — without movement of any kind. No scratching, no shifting in your seat, no adjusting your posture, no eye wandering. The body remains utterly, completely still, as a service to yourself and to those around you. We will use concentration meditation as a way to Clear Deep Heart/Mind and Samadhi (unreasonable joy).
• Physical Embodiment Practice will follow the stretching, breathing, and strength-building used in Northern Shaolin Kung Fu. The focus will be on mindful execution and mindfulness practice, no matter what discomfort the body is experiencing.
• Energy Work will include qi gong movements and sitting qi gong practice.
• Discussion of spiritual classics and other suggested books will fine tune our philosophical understanding of our practice.
• Mondo Zen Protocols (deconstruction and reconstruction of the ego) will occur by appointment only, outside of class time.

PROTOCOL

Will be explained before we seal the container of our group. Instruction will be provided for other activities at the appropriate time. No unnecessary speaking or eye contact during the hour of formal practice — this is a sacred space dedicated to our Awakening!

METHOD

Boulder, CO has many strengths, but a sharp and clear lineage of spiritual discipline, taught in an uncompromising way, is not one of them. While emotional processing, the honoring of all perspectives, and go-at-your-own pace models all serve our emerging, post-conventional selves, they can be toxic to the spiritual path. “There is a way between voice and presence where information flows. In disciplined silence it opens. With wondering talk it closes.” —Rumi

ABOUT THE FACILITATOR

Keith Martin-Smith began studying the Dharma in 1996, and took Red Tara Empowerment and Bodhisattva Vows with Lama Tsering Everest in 2001. In 2007 he met Jun Po Roshi and became a formal student of his, and was given the Dharma name “Ko Gen” (“Tiger Eye”). Keith/Kogen has been authorized by Jun Po Roshi to teach the Mondo Zen deconstruction/reconstruction protocol and meditation.

Kogen is also the most senior disciple and only lineage holder of Grandmaster Jeon Hoon Jeon, 3rd Generation White Tiger Master, and has been given the title of “Co-Master” in the instruction of Northern Shaolin Kung Fu and Qi Gong. He has been training since 1994 and teaching since 2003. His training in Kung Fu and Qi Gong is ongoing on the way to becoming a Master. He has also studied Jin Woo, Hung Gar, Wing Chun, and Jinqui Qi Gong.

“What is better, satisfying 1,000 desires or conquering one?”

INTEGRAL FRAME FOR THOSE INTERESTED

An absolutistic (Amber) frame for teaching has been used for millennia in spiritual and physical disciplines, but has been increasingly abandoned as we moved into modernity (Orange) and postmodernity (Green). But we are seeing in places like Boulder, CO, some of the problems when one throws out the Amber, hierarchical frame for teaching: namely, it is the most effective way to create change. Amber is wonderful at helping to break the body and the mind into a difficult discipline. Orange interpretations of these disciplines can focus too much on the status and ranking of the student, while Green interpretations are, among other problems, reluctant to force one kind of training and philosophy onto students. The result of the loss of Amber teaching methods applied to marital arts and spiritual practice has been a reduction in the quality of students and of their overall competency.

We can add Orange and Green emergent truths and understandings into pre-and-post practice structures, to honor the insights of those worldviews. But putting those structures into the Amber frame destroys the pressure that Amber has been so carefully formatted to create, and lengthens the entire process when it doesn’t destroy it utterly.

In his book Grace & Grit, philosopher Ken Wilber writes: “we are living in a world of sin, separation, or duality—that is, we are living in a fallen, illusory, or fragmented state.” He, amongst countless other eminent teachers of spirituality of all traditions throughout history, has taught that there is a path to living as fullness and freedom even in the midst of this sometimes difficult human condition.

In living an integral lifestyle,we try to bring practice and awareness to at least four main aspects of the self: spirit, mind, body, and shadow.  Meditation, then, is prescribed as one of the best medicines for getting to know our deep, interior being, especially in the realm of spirit, but also, in bringing simple awareness to all everyday activities and realities in our complex lives.

This is why we think a meditation course is critical to all happenings at Boulder Integral. And who better start off with than parents, since parents are a special bunch! We want to invite you–under the fine guidance of Charlotte Rotterdam–to start your practice, to refresh, rest, heal and understand the gift of who you are, your family and life.

About the course

Who, as a parent, has time for such a luxury as meditation? Here is a chance to not only rest your body but also your mind, and draw on your inner wisdom to bring greater awareness to your everyday life. The Buddhist teachings remind us that our spiritual practice can flourish within the messiness of everyday chores and obligations. They point to the inherent spaciousness of life and offer practices that can help us access our innate compassion, restfulness and insight within the whirlwinds of our lives.

In our sessions together we will explore

• Introduction to Shamatha meditation – finding calm within; what is true ‘rest’?
• Tonglen – developing compassion for ourselves and others; a powerful technique for healing when there is nothing else ‘to do’
• Feeding your Demons – working with our obstacles and struggles by facing and feeding them; accepting the ‘bad mother’
• Working with the Body – accessing the insights and wisdom of our physical bodies

We’ll take a look at our own wrath, compassion, humor, and stress, and how the myriad of our emotional experiences can be held in a light yet fully engaged manner as we traverse the winding path of parenthood. This class is an opportunity to spend time in actual practice and to explore ways of bringing mindfulness to the everyday concerns and challenges of raising our children. Our time together will be divided between meditative practice, teachings, and discussion, drawing on the shared wisdom of the group.

• No previous meditation experience is necessary.
• Parents of all ages are welcome! It does not matter how young or old your children are or whether your children live with you or not. It could also be that you are currently expecting your first child or you are considering starting a family.
• You may attend on your own or with partner
• Although some of the practices are from the Buddhist tradition, this course is not just for Buddhists and is not a course in Buddhism.  Practitioners within any tradition are welcome.
• Childcare is available on site. Parents who bring children will need to pay for childcare separately from course fees.  To pre-register your child or to find out more about childcare, please contact Charlotte Rotterdam at czrotterdam@gmail.com.

Registration and other details

Course dates: Every Wednesday, October 7-November 18 (excluding November 4)
Meeting time: 5:30pm – 7pm
Venue: 2805 Broadway St. Boulder, CO 80304

Course fees:
Individual  Boulder Integral Member $165/ Individual non-member  $180
Couple Boulder Integral Members $320/ Couple non-members $345

5  Scholarships available to those who really need financial assistance.

Scholarship rate: Couple $190/Individual $135 (please send email to nomali@boulderintegral.org with brief email stating your need for a scholarship)  Scholarship amounts must be paid by check as soon as you are approved. 

Register soon as this course is only taking in 30 participants.  Day 1, Oct. 7 is open to all, so that some of you can decide whether to register for full course. Drop-in day is $20 (non-members) and $15 for Boulder Integral members and this can be paid at the door.  If you decide to register on that day, you may pay by check or register online.

Click here to register

To get the discounted rate, become a member here.

Refund Policy

Your full amount minus $30 of admin fees will be refunded if you cancel no later than Sep. 26.  There is no refund after Sep. 27 unless we have others waiting to take your place.  This is because the course is closed (30 people max.) once everyone has registered in order to maintain a safe container for the deep process oriented work that we will be doing.  If someone drops out, we cannot replace your seat at a later date. Therefore we do not offer any refunds. If you have any questions, please contact Nomali@boulderintegral.org.  Thank you.

About the teacher
Charlotte Rotterdam has been teaching meditation and Buddhism for the last several years. The mother of two boys, she has written on the intersection of spiritual practice and motherhood. Most recently, she served as Executive Director at Tara Mandala Buddhist Retreat Center in southern Colorado; previously she was Program and Managing Director of Naropa University‘s School of Extended Studies. She received her Masters in religious studies from Harvard Divinity School, currently teaches as adjunct faculty in Naropa’s Core College and works as a coach, teacher and consultant. www.feedingyourdemons.wordpress.com

Sunday, June 14th at 7pm
Sliding Scale $5 – $10

Join us for a fascinating hour with Eric Knouse, as he introduces a method of meditation called “The Practice”.  By opening himself to internal guidance, Eric has found a way to access deep levels of meditation, and has created a simple and straightforward way to teach others to do the same.    Eric’s presentation will focus on the scientific aspects of mind/body chemistry as well as meditative technique.    For those who have ignored meditation, have tried it unsuccessfully, this presentation will provide new insights explaining why the daily practice of meditation can provide a great antidote to today’s stressful living.

Although Eric has not formally explored meditation or spiritual work, he has been gifted with natural and reliable access to inner states through dedicated practice involving body posture, breathing and focused attention.  Through intense study of neurobiology, brain plasticity, brain chemistry and other related bodies of work, he began to see the external scientific validation for his inner experience and state of awareness.

Join us to learn about what happens chemically and on a cellular level when the mind/body achieves these deeper states.  Eric will explain why practitioners of meditation enjoy better health and well being through what occurs biochemically.

Here ‘s what one of our community members has to say about this work:

“I recently completed Eric’s eight week course.  What Eric has to offer is simplest, most direct and well-explained introduction to meditation that I have encountered.   I highly recommend his work to anyone, and especially those who want to start or reinvigorate a practice that encourages the body and mind to surrender into deep peace, bliss, healing, and expansion.”

Ross Hostetter, Director and Co- Founder, Boulder Integral.

Monday & Friday Mornings
Starting August 18th – 8am-9:30am
Suggested Donation: $1 – $5

We will open the meditation hall and the movement area every Monday & Friday mornings from 8am – 9:30am starting Monday, August 18th.  These sessions of sitting, walking and/or movement meditation will be either on your own or guided.  You are free to choose whether you want to sit, walk or dance/move.  Depending on the needs of the practitioner, the last 30 minutes of the session will be for discussion and instructions.  Email nomali@b-cil.org, if you are interested in leading a session.