Meditation - Silicon Valley Shambhala Meditation Center

Mindfulness-awareness meditation is the foundation of all that we do at the Silicon Valley Shambhala Center. Originating from Shakyamuni Buddha, this 2,500 year-old practice of self-discovery is a process of resting the mind, opening the heart and appreciating what it is to be fully human. It is rooted in the simple but revolutionary premise that every human being has the ability to cultivate the mind's inherent stability, clarity and strength in order to be more awake and compassionate in everyday life. Multimedia teachings on meditation are available at the Shambhala International website.

"Many of us are slaves to our minds. Our own mind is our worst enemy. We try to focus, and our mind wanders off. We try to keep stress at bay, but anxiety keeps us awake at night. We try to be good to the people we love, but then we forget them and put ourselves first. And when we want to change our life, we dive into spiritual practice and expect quick results, only to lose focus after the honeymoon has worn off. We return to our state of bewilderment. We're left feeling helpless and discouraged. "It seems we all agree that training the body through exercise, diet, and relaxation is a good idea, but why don't we think about training our minds?"

At the Silicon Valley Shambhala Center, introductory meditation instruction with authorized instructors is available to anyone, free of charge. We offer introductory instruction to newcomers every Sunday morning at 10:30 as part of our Open House program, and at other times by request. For more information, please call or email the center.

Once you have received initial instruction, regular meetings with an instructor are encouraged. There is no charge for follow-up instruction. This is highly recommended for anyone interested in looking closer. Key aspects of ongoing instruction include clarifying the view of meditation, working with obstacles to meditation, guidance on the path of practice and study, and guidance on joining meditation and daily life.

Meditation practice is held every Sunday morning, from 10:30 – 11:30 am, as part of our Open House program. Practice includes periods of sitting and walking meditation.

Meditation practice is also held every Wednesday evening from 7:15 – 8:15 pm. Practice includes periods of sitting and walking meditation. For meditation instruction, please arrange in advance.

An opportunity for additional practice is available on the first Sunday afternoon of each month, from 1:30 to 5:00 pm. You are welcome to attend all or any part of the session.

Occasional intensive sitting practice is essential to the development of a strong connection to meditation. Day-long meditation practice, called nyinthun, is offered on a monthly basis at both the San Francisco and Berkeley Shambhala Centers. Everyone who has received meditation instruction is welcome to attend all or part of the nyinthun.

Practitioners interested in retreats longer than the weekend programs are encouraged to attend weekthün or dathün retreats, one-week or one-month group meditation intensives held at Shambhala residential practice centers. These retreats are open to anyone and are a very powerful introduction to and deepening of mindfulness-awareness meditation.