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WHO WE ARE:
Welcome. The Meditation Circle is a meditation group in the Buddhist tradition, practicing vipassana or insight meditation. We’re based in Charleston, West Virginia, and meet every Tuesday from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 520 Kanawha Blvd.
Those wishing instruction in basic, breath-centered Buddhist meditation are welcome to arrive from 5:30 to 6 p.m., along with seasoned meditators who may wish to sit longer or for whom that time period is better for their schedules.
We’re a lay support group for people interested in meditation or who wish to deepen their practice through the support of a meditation sangha. Our members come from a wide variety of spiritual traditions and backgrounds. You do not need to be Buddhist to enjoy the benefits of a meditation practice. The circle’s facilitators are not teachers and we encourage people to seek out seasoned teachers to further their practice. Cushions, meditation benches and chairs are available or you are welcome to bring your own cushion, if you wish.
WHAT WE DO:
The time from 5:30 to 6 p.m. p.m.. is set aside for basic instruction in sitting, standing, and walking meditation for those new to meditation, along with discussion about maintaining a regular meditation practice. Regular meditators are also welcome to come and sit during this period.
From 6 to 7 p.m, time is set aside for seated meditation. The format consists of two rounds of meditation, each lasting about 20 minutes, with a 5 minute period of standing or walking meditation between rounds. We close the evening with a short Metta meditation. (Metta is the Pali term for loving-kindness or friendliness.) There is an opportunity for questions or discussion about practice at the end of the meditation period. Feedback welcome!
Those new to meditation practice may visit our Resource page for more information about the type of meditation we practice at the Meditation Circle.
There is no cost to join the circle. We do accept donations in a box titled ‘dana’ to offer to the Unitarians for their kind use of the space and also to help defray the costs of occasionally bringing Buddhist monks to town.
Come join the Circle! (Although sometimes it resembles an oblong or parallelogram, but the Meditation Parallelogram of Charleston didn’t have quite the right sound.)
I am a tibetan style buddhist living in Woodstock VT. My daughter lives in Charleston, and I am coming in October for a three week stay. I would love to come and join your group on tuesday nites.
Thanks
Robin
Dear Robin: We would love to have you join us. We are also hosting Bhante Gunaratana, the abbot of the Bhavana Society Therevadan Buddhist monastery and retreat center (http://bhavanasociety.org) on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., for a meditation and talk, at the same place we hold our Tuesday meditations, if you are in town by then.
I am not a buddhist but want to find a meditation group and would to learn and practice daily. Ineed guidance and understand. Is this a group that id welling? And since it the 4th of July will you have it today?