Where can I learn mindfulness meditation?

Weekly drop-in group, downtown

Open to all. No previous meditation experience required. Tuesdays from 6:30 to 7:45pm near Quadra & Pandora in Victoria. No sessions on January 6, 13, and 20, 2015. 

Sessions comprise guided meditations, brief explanations, and silent practice. Please arrive between 6:15 and 6:25pm and wait in the entry area until called into the meditation room. Free street parking after 6 pm.

  You may sit on a chair or floor cushion; we also have a few zero-balance recliners for people feeling frail. Please bring a throw cushion for some padding on folding chairs, also a meditation cushion (zafu) if you have one. Blankets provided.

A donation of $3 per session helps cover expenses BUT no-one will be turned away for lack of funds. Click for more details.

Four-session course in Oak Bay

For the third year in a row, “Cultivating mindfulness to cope with stress and pain” will meet for four sessions at Oak Bay Recreation, Monterey Centre. Mondays, 7:00 to 8:30 pm, February 23 to March 16, 2015. The next course after that is scheduled for May 4 to June 1, 2015 (no class on May 18). 

Fee $62. To register, phone (250) 370-7300. Open to all. No previous meditation experience required.

Mindful awareness means paying attention to the experiences of the present moment: with openness, curiosity, and a willingness to welcome our changing circumstances as they are. It invites us to stop, breathe, observe, and connect with our inner experience and the world around us. 

Although based on Buddhist practices, the course content is free of religion. These classes comprise brief talks, sensory awareness practice, simple yoga movements (done seated, standing, or lying down), attentive discussions, and at-home practice. For the duration of the course, participants are asked to meditate between 5 and 10 minutes every day. Online support will be freely available.