Guided Mindfulness Meditations Sessions & Dharma Talks with Dr. Karen Walant

At times, all of us have found ourselves wishing for things to be different than the way they actually are, which is what causes most humans to suffer great distress. However, through mindfulness practices and meditation, we learn how to turn toward what is actually happening in the present moment. This opens us to an awareness and acceptance of what’s already here and helps us better navigate our responses to life’s ups and downs.

By using the breath, body and skills of inquiry, kindness and present-moment awareness, we can access the wisdom that resides inside each of us and offers comfort when we’re struggling and curiosity when we’re embarking on something new.

The Benefits of Mindfulness, Meditation & Community

Mindfulness practices and meditation help you gain more familiarity with your mind, heart, body and breath, and, as you cultivate more presence, kindness and inner insight through these practices, you may find yourself paying less attention to negative, intrusive thoughts and become more able to listen to your intuition and innate wisdom.

The ancient practice of mindfulness meditation has been shown to enhance resilience, strengthen immune systems, improve attention and help us develop skills, practices and strategies to better navigate our everyday lives. You may also notice yourself feeling more energized, centered, well-resourced, compassionate and connected to your internal landscape, as well as the people and world around you..

As a long-term meditator, psychotherapist and meditation teacher, I’ve witnessed both personally and professionally the extraordinary ability of meditation to help reduce suffering, foster mind-body-spirit healing and even transform lives. Research shows that a regular meditation practice can lead to better focus and concentration, improved self-awareness and self esteem, lower levels of anxiety and stress and reduced emotional reactivity and feelings of burnout. It’s also known to help foster kindness and compassion toward the self and others.

Practicing together, currently on Zoom, with other people in our community—both near and far—also has tremendous benefits. The Buddha emphasized that the Sangha (community) was the most precious jewel of all and is what best supports us all in the pursuit of increased awakening and contentment.

The Details…

The mindfulness meditations sessions consist of a short dharma talk and a guided meditation, both designed to help expand our awareness, wisdom, presence and the sacredness and vitality of our lives. The practices help you quiet the thinking mind by getting into your breath and body, noticing any wandering thoughts and gently bringing your attention back into present moment awareness.

Every month we focus on a different theme, and the talks, guided meditations and other practices draw from Buddhism, Buddhist psychology, psychotherapy, Jon Kabit-Zinn’s work in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), ancient wisdom and practices, and cutting-edge science in neuroscience that is proving to the West what meditators and yogis in the East have known, understood, practiced and benefited from for thousands of years.

We meet via Zoom every other Monday evening from 7:30-8:30 EST.

All classes are offered freely/donation-based, in the tradition of dana. Dana (giving) is an essential Buddhist practice and is an acknowledgement of our interconnectedness and interdependence. At its essence, dana is about generosity, openness and our capacity to embrace others with compassion and love.

Learn, Practice & Connect In Community

If beginning, strengthening and/or deepening your mindfulness and meditation practices is of interest to you, we’d love for you to join us in this lovely community practice! The only requirement to join is an interest in increasing mindful awareness and skills through practice and growing your inner wisdom.

Please feel free to contact me via email at kwalant@gmail.com if you’re in need of financial assistance to participate in the meditation class and/or if you have any other questions.

Dr. Karen Walant has been a practicing psychotherapist for almost three decades and holds a MSW and PhD in Clinical Social Work from New York University. Karen has given lectures around the country on issues related to attachment; mindfulness and meditation; addiction and recovery; deepening the therapeutic relationship; parenting with kindness; and fostering compassionate relationships. She is the author of Creating the Capacity for Attachment: Treating Addictions and the Alienated Self. A long-time meditator, Karen is a 2021 graduate of the 2-year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training Program (taught by meditation experts Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield), and also certified as a Mindfulness Meditation Mentor. She is a certified Level I Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) Instructor through Brown University.

Mindfulness Meditations Class Registration Form

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In sending the form back to me, at kwalant@gmail.com, rejoice in knowing that you are embarking on a process of self-discovery, inquiry, and kindness that may benefit not only yourself, but your family and the larger world. Welcome! ☺

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) Course

A Nurturing Exploration of Your Heart, Body & Mind

This 8-week Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) course is designed to help you drop into your inner experience by using mindfulness strategies designed to help you better manage anxiety and low moods, so that you can experience greater ease and joy in life. In a small group online setting with professional, compassionate support, you’ll learn specifically tailored meditations and cognitive behavioral strategies to access inner wisdom and connect with and cultivate your inner nurturer. As you become friendly with your mind and kinder to your inner self, you’ll gain invaluable resources to navigate life’s inevitable challenges and become a trusted partner to your Self. Integrating current developments in neuroplasticity with ancient wisdom, this course offers powerful mind-heart-body tools and techniques to break free from prolonged periods of suffering and turn your mind into a skilled and loving ally that supports you in both long-term wellbeing and in healing and managing the ups and downs of everyday life.

The next course begins Wednesday, March 6, 2024.

For detailed information, go to the link for MBCT on my website.

Grow Your Inner Wisdom … In the Midst of it All - Monthly Newsletter —

NOW IN IT’S SECOND YEAR!!

If you haven’t already, I invite you to sign up for the monthly newsletter, which provides additional information, resources, practices and wisdom that build on and support the theme that we work with in the meditation class each month.

This free newsletter offers an anchor to help each of us deepen and strengthen our mindfulness and meditation practices, as well as stay connected to a mindful intention to pay attention to what is present in each moment—within us, outside of us, all around us. In deepening our attention, we hope to slow down enough to more deeply appreciate the reverence of NOW. In the midst of it all, we are reminded that every moment has the potentiality to contain 10,000 joys, sorrows and everything in between.

In each newsletter, you’ll receive a little note from me discussing a different theme each month; a link to my most current blog post, which includes a recorded guided meditation that you can access and enjoy at no cost; important and/or interesting news and information; suggestions on what to read, watch and listen to; and a poem or practice to help you feel into and connect with the theme of the month.