Meditation

I started meditating in 1994 when I discovered that despite finishing my dissertation my mind was still quite busy.  I studied with Shinzen Young for six years, then with Jason Siff for two years and with Rev. Hye Wol Sunim since 2001 .  I started this path with the desire to quiet my mind and to experience a greater sense of peace in my daily life.   Since 2002 I have been teaching others what I have learned.

I teach mindfulness meditation, what is often called insight or vipassana meditation. My classes and workshops provide the basic skills and experience required for the development of a lifelong mindfulness practice. My approach to meditation is based on the Buddha’s discourse on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (the Satipatthana Sutta) in which he explains the conditions under which mindfulness arises and how to navigate the hindrances we experience along the way.

I organize my classes around short periods of meditation and an exploration of the meditation experience. I help students identify their mental habit patterns by exploring what they actually do while meditating.  As our attention becomes more stable, we feel more concentrated, calm and peaceful. Cultivating a daily practice trains the mind to respond with less reactivity as it changes the physical structure of the brain to better process emotion and new information. We become less judgmental, more appreciative of others, more openhearted towards the world and happier in our lives.

I video record and live stream dhamma talks with Rev. Hye Wol Sunim.  Use this link to access them.