Top Meditation Instruction in Boulder, Colorado
The Boulder Shambhala Center (http://www.boulder.shambhala.org) offers an extensive array of classes, talks & workshops, all based in the Shambhala Lineage, founded by Trungpa Rinpoche. A basic truth of the Shambhala teachings is that we all want to lead sane, dignified and confident lives, and that this is possible. The mindfulness-awareness meditation practices taught through the Shambhala “levels” (a series of classes one progresses through on the Shambhala path) as well as via individual meditation instruction are all intended to nourish and support this vision of the sanity, dignity and confidence of our original goodness. Another prominent feature of the Shambhala path is the importance it lends to Dharma Art: Ikebana (flower arranging), Kyudo (archery), Calligraphy and any other art-form which is practiced in a contemplative manner. A great way to get an introductory “taste” of the Shambhala teachings is by attending one of the Boulder Shambhala Center’s Monday night Open Classes, which are held on Monday evenings from 7-9 pm, and consist of a half-hour meditation session followed by a talk and discussion. The Boulder Shambhala Center is located at 1345 Spruce Street, Boulder CO 80302. Phone: 303-444-0190.
Richard Freeman’s Yoga Workshop (http://www.yogaworkshop.com) offers the practice of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga as a form of moving meditation. The linking of physical movement with breath and the internal energetic confluences of the Bandhas create a context in which meditation arises naturally, in the course of the practice. As this happens, the body becomes (at least potentially) a gateway to Enlightenment. This is quite a claim, but if you attend one of Richard’s classes, you’ll understand that it’s quite well-founded! In the context of richly-metaphoric descriptions of the poses that comprise the Ashtanga Vinyasa system, Richard offers skillful physical and energetic adjustments, supporting beginners and challenging seasoned practitioners to new levels of subtlety. Classes at the Yoga Workshop ~ located at 2020 21st Street in Boulder, CO ~ are offered primarily on a drop-in basis, from early in the morning to well into the evening, seven days a week. The cost for a single class is $14, or a five-card punch for $55. (Monthly passes are also available.) When Richard is in town, he often gives talks on various yoga-related topics, from 5:45 – 6:45 pm on Sundays, after the Mysore class. Once or twice a year, month-long or two-week teacher-training intensives are offered; these are by application only.
Anyen Rinpoche (http://www.anyenrinpoche.com) is a holder of the Longchen Nyingthig lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, and the author of The Union of Dzogchen & Boddhichitta (Snow Lion Press). Rinpoche was raised from birth by an accomplished Dzogchen yogi, and his subsequent training included more than fourteen years of intensive study combined with solitary retreat. He obtained the degree of khenpo and served as the head scholar of his root Lama’s monastic university in Kham, Tibet. Anyen Rinpoche has recently moved to Evergreen, Colorado, and now offers a weekly class in Boulder on Sundays from 6:30 – 8 pm. This class is held at the home of a student, whose address is 3165 17th Street, Boulder CO. A donation of $15 – $20 is requested. Each of these classes consists of a 45 minute talk, a 15 minute meditation, and a half-hour of question-and-answer. Rinpoche is also available after the official program for one-on-one consultations/questions. This class/meditation is a rare opportunity to receive teachings from a highly-accomplished Tibetan Master, in a very intimate setting. Not to be missed!
