Meditation, Mindfulness & Emotions 5-Week Class

MEDITATION, MINDFULNESS AND EMOTIONS
5-Week Class
Tuesdays, 5:00 - 6:30 PM
Nov. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Pacific Cultural Center Studio (small building in back)
1307 Seabright Ave, Santa Cruz, CA
Teacher: Carla Brennan

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED: Contact Carol at: [email protected].
Please only register if you can attend at least 4 of the 5 classes.

This class is an introduction to meditation with an emphasis on mindfulness of emotions. It is for people new to meditation as well as experienced students who would like support for their practice.

Each class will include group meditation, explanatory talks and Q & A. You will be expected to meditate daily during the five weeks of this class. Handouts and readings will be distributed each week along with assignments. A guided meditation audio will be emailed after each class.

We will:
Learn to meditate, including several approaches for focusing the mind and paying attention
Explore what mindfulness is and is not.
Define emotions and discover the purpose they serve.
Learn approaches for working with strong and difficult emotions.

Mindfulness is the practice of bringing nonjudgemental awareness to our moment to moment changing experience. This approach can be applied to all aspects of life, whether we are experiencing physical sensations, sensory input, thoughts, fantasies, or the vast range of feelings and emotions. Learning to be present and open with emotions can be the most challenging - and the most important.

Much of the conflict, dissatisfaction and difficulty in our lives can be traced back to habitual patterns of emotional reactivity. If we are unaware of these patterns and are not skilled in working with them, they can repeatedly cause us suffering. For example, we may struggle with fear, anxiety, anger, irritation, sadness or shame. We may judge our feelings, reject them, ignore them or try to “fix” them. But eventually, we discover that none of these efforts to control them work in the long term.

Mindfulness is an alternative to all our strategies. We instead acknowledge, allow and feel our emotions without identification or suppression. Within us is a spacious compassionate awareness that can be present with experience just as it is. We can then learn from our feelings rather than struggle with them.

Come with curiosity and an open mind and heart. Discover how to befriend, balance and find wisdom in your emotions.

Mindfulness is part of a larger group of teachings in Buddhism that can lead to spiritual maturity, increased compassion and inner freedom. These qualities contribute to more peace in our lives and in the world around us.

CARLA BRENNAN, M.Ed., is guiding teacher for Bloom of the Present Insight Meditation and has been practicing meditation for over 40 years. She was a psychotherapist in private practice and taught Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for 18 years.

COST: This 5-week class will be offered by donation. We have a suggested sliding scale of $50 – $90 for the series. However, more or less is gratefully accepted. No one will be turned away due to lack of funds. Non-monetary donations are also accepted. Checks should be written to “Bloom of the Present.”