The Sri Chinmoy Centre of Ann Arbor is one of hundreds of meditation centres established worldwide by Sri Chinmoy’s students. The centres are dedicated to teaching meditation and spirituality in the ancient yoga tradition. We offer introductory and advanced classes. All classes are offered free of charge as a community service.
Mastering Meditation – Introductory 3-week series
1 – The Essentials of Meditation This introductory class addresses basic questions, such as, What is meditation? How do I get started? How can I relax? How can I quiet my mind? Technique: Breathing exercises for relaxation.
2 – Exploring a Meditative Lifestyle The class introduces the concept of ‘vital,’ or life energy, and proceeds to explain how meditation affects the various parts of our being: body, mind, heart, and emotional self. It further introduces the meditative lifestyle – a series of activities that complement and support our meditative practice. Technique: Concentration to help focusing and clearing the mind
3 – Bringing Meditation to our Outer World The class dwells on the impact of meditation on our daily life and proceeds to explore how, through the gained self-awareness, meditation leads us to experience our life to its fullest potential. Technique: Chanting to bring peace and joy to the heart
Advanced 3-week Series
The introductory classes are followed by an advanced series which revisits at greater depth some of the topics from the introductory series and then touches on the philosophy behind meditation. Topics include:
- What is the aim of life?
- What is spirituality?
- What is Yoga?
- Bhakti, Karma and Jnana Yoga
- Sri Aurobindo’s Integral Yoga
- Sri Chinmoy’s Sunlith Path
Textbook: Yoga and the Spiritual Life by Sri Chinmoy. Please contact us for more information about our programs.
Ayurveda and Meditation Series
Ayurveda and Meditation share the same goal: helping us to regain the lost connection with our true nature and thud to achieve the body-vital-mind balance that brings about harmony and happiness in our life. Topics include:
- Awareness and conscious living
- Discovering our Ayurveda constitution
- Secrets of balanced living
- Ayurveda meets meditation
- Relaxation, concentration and meditation techniques
Textbook: Ayurveda – Ancient Wisdom ~ Modern Life, by Kumudini Shoba
Frequently asked questions
Q. What type of meditation do you teach?
A. We offer “heart centered” meditation. This is a method wherein we calm the mind using proven meditation techniques in order to enter the spiritual heart. It is one of the fastest ways of making spiritual progress.
Q. What meditation techniques do you offer?
A. We offer the essential meditation techniques that you can practice anywhere, at anytime, for the rest of your life. Breathing techniques – how conscious breathing can transform thought and emotion Mantra – how repeating a single spiritual word or sound calms the mind Heart meditation – how to concentrate on the heart center (chakra) for fastest progress Visualization techniques – how guided group meditations expand individual practice
Q. What else is taught besides techniques?
A. The introductory workshop spans three meetings during which the following topics are discussed: The essentials of meditation – What is it? How do I get started? How do I quiet my mind? The benefits of meditation. Exploring a meditative lifestyle – How meditation affects our body, mind and emotions. Adding music, readings and other activities to our daily meditation. Meditation and our outer world – The impact of meditation on our daily life. Building and maintaining poise in our work environment. …and more
Q. Who is Sri Chinmoy?
A. Sri Chinmoy is our meditation teacher whom many of us have studied directly with for decades. He travelled the world over offering free public meditations, meditative concerts and sporting events to encourage the blending of inner and outer strength.
Q. Is this a religion?
A. No. Meditation is not a religion but a method for each individual from any background to dive deep within on a journey of self-discovery. Everyone can learn to meditate. All spiritual traditions embody the essential principles of meditation.
Q. Why are the classes free?
A. We offer free meditation classes as a public service in the belief that peace is everyone’s birthright and should be available to anyone. The only fee is your sincerity and regularity.
Q. What should I bring to the class?
A. Bring your sincere aspiration to start or enhance your own journey of self-discovery. On a practical level it helps, if possible, to shower and wear clean, loose clothing.
Q. Are there more meditation classes after this workshop?
A. If you feel connected to the heart-centered meditation method and would like to go further, we offer free advanced classes where you can explore more in-depth the philosophy behind meditation.
