Meditation Center

The Center for Applied Meditation

The Center for Applied Meditation is dedicated to promoting the benefits of meditation for the individual and society. We are part of the Won Institute of Graduate Studies, an emerging leader in holistic, integrative education on the East coast. The Center offers the following programs and activities:

  • Stress Management

  • Meditation Sitting Group

  • Day-long Retreats

  • Week-long Retreats

  • Lecture and Workshop Series

We also offer a Masters Degree and Certificate programs in Applied Meditation Studies. Click here for more information on the Masters program.

To learn more about our programs and activities, use the navigation at left.

 

Meditation Activities at the Center

At the Center for Applied Meditation, affiliated with the Won Institute for Graduate Studies, meditation is viewed as a form of skill cultivation. Through its practice, mental qualities that are beneficial to well-being are developed and increased, while those that are detrimental are weakened and dissolved.

Based on the premise that our lives -- our emotions, perceptions, moods and feelings, reactions to external and internal stimuli, thoughts, words, and actions -- are the direct result of our mental state at any given moment, meditation can be seen as a practice that operates at the most fundamental level of our being. A mind that is clear, calm, and at ease engenders a life that is clear, calm, and at ease.

There is, furthermore, a considerable body of scientific research to suggest that meditation has deep and lasting effects on the practitioner's cardiovascular and central nervous systems, brain function, and overall physical health. By relaxing the body and calming the mind, meditation effectively diminishes the harmful effects of tension, stress, and disquiet. Click here to learn more about the health benefits of meditation.

The Center offers the following meditation related activities:

APPLIED MEDITATION PRACTICE GROUP

Services: The Applied Meditation Practice Group is a non-sectarian Buddhist community. Our basic aim is to provide a supportive environment for cultivating the skills required for an effective exploration into the kinds of questions posed above. The shorthand term for the cultivation of these skills is "meditation." So, the purpose of the group is to create an environment that fosters meditative development. This environment includes a beautiful meeting space, guided meditation instructions, and a community of committed practitioners. All levels of experience are welcome! Sessions are guided.

Time: Monday and Thursday, evenings, 7-8:30 pm.

Cost: $5.

Contact: 215-884-8942, ext. 211, or cam@woninstitute.edu

PRACTICE WORKSHOPS

Services: Meditation can be a deeply enriching practice. But, like learning a musical instrument or a foreign language, it requires that we become skilled at the basic elements. In these five-hour workshops, we take a slow, clearly defined step by step approach to the practice of meditation. The following workshops are examples of prior offerings:

Workshops include:

Beginning Buddhist Meditation

Sunday Sanctuary: Silence, stillness, peace

Buddhism 101: Specific topics, such as karma, consciousness, enlightenment, etc.

The times and dates vary each semester. You can find specifics on the community calendar. Click here.

INDIVIDUAL, COUPLES, AND GROUP INSTRUCTION

Services: Individual or group instruction may be tailored to fit specific needs and concerns or to address problems and issues related to meditation practice. Couples sessions can serve to establish a fresh basis for a relationship. Meditation enables us to become more aware of speaking patterns, listening habits, and feelings. In so doing, we become less reactive and more receptive to others.

Time: by appointment

Cost: $70 per person or couple per session (an hour and thirty minutes)

Contact: 215-884-8942, ext. 211, or cam@woninstitute.org

MASTERS DEGREE IN APPLIED MEDITATION STUDIES

Services: This 33-credit program, offered by the Won Institute for Graduate Studies, leads to a master's degree in Applied Meditation Studies (MAMS). The program prepares graduates who are uniquely skilled in the practical, professional, and theoretical dimensions of Buddhist meditation. Applied meditation can be adapted to many settings; for instance, to education, psychotherapy, social awareness, business, bereavement counseling, couples counseling, hospice care, pain management, corporate management, and Buddhist sangha building.

The program combines classroom study with fieldwork and practical experience. Sitting meditation practice is the central component of the meditation aspect of the program, while a practicum is central to the application aspect. Two intensive meditation retreats are built into the schedule to ensure deepened meditation practice.

The program employs a mentoring approach to education, in which the student is an active participant in the creation of understanding, knowledge, and expertise. The Applied Meditation Studies program, while founded on Buddhist principles, is non-sectarian and non-religious in nature. We welcome students from all traditions, or none, to enroll in the program.

For complete information, go to the Applied Meditation Studies section of this web site.