Mindfulness & Meditation Coaching

My meditation coaching has a somewhat informal & personalized feel to it.  We basically get together for 45 minute sessions, either in person or via Skype, and talk about whatever you’re curious about or exploring in your practice.

Whether you just have a few questions, are seeking a little guidance/support, or want an all out meditation plan w/ accountability and defined practices, I can help!

 

How to Sign Up:

Shoot me an email telling me a little bit about your meditation history, why you’re interested in coaching, and if there’s anything in particular you’d like to get out of our time together.


Who I Work With:

Over time, I’ve realized I offer maximum benefit to three types of people:

1) Beginners looking to get down the basics of mindfulness meditation, and also have total confidence they’re getting the highest calibre personal instruction available.  Typical things we explore together:

  • What are the essential things to know about meditation posture?  What are the options?  What’s the balance of healthy discomfort and unnecessary pain?
  • What are the different options for methods/techniques?  Is it best to always use the same one, or change it up?
  • Practical tools to work with common obstacles, like wandering mind, sleepiness, anxiety, apathy, anger, self-criticism, etc.
  • How to make the practice more consistent and see the benefits in real life!

2) Folks who already know the basics, but want to take their meditation practice to the next level, making it more consistent, less distracted, have better frameworks & tools to work with obstacles, and ultimately experience less stress, more fulfillment, and a deeper sense of being glad to be alive.  Typical things we explore together:

  • Beyond the basic instructions of “be aware of XYZ, and every time you get distracted, soften, relax, and gently guide your attention back to XYZ,” what are the steps you could take to deepen your meditation practice?
  • How to work with psychological stuff that comes up?  Like if there’s a lot of shame or anxiety, do we really just be mindfully aware of it, let it pass through and “do nothing,” or are there ways to skillfully engage with it?
  • What to do when you feel like you’ve plateaued?  e.g. there were some initial big leaps forward, but you’ve been at it for a while, and it’s not feeling like there’s any more big shifts?
  • How to prepare for intensive retreat, or skillfully transition out of retreat & integrate into real life?
  • What are the distinctions between concentration practices, wisdom/insight practices, and heart practices?  And when is one or the other more appropriate?
  • How is the dharma more than just meditation?  How to really live with greater purpose, care, kindness and wisdom?

3) Long-time meditators who are interested in my specific areas of specialization – Vipassana, mindfulness of mind (in the style of Sayadaw U Tejaniya), wisdom-oriented approaches to meditation, and integration of meditation into daily life.  Typical things we explore together:

  • How to turn not-self or emptiness into a central feature of the practice?  And why?  What about dukkha?  Is that just a philosophical idea, or can it actually be worked with meditatively in a liberating way?
  • What are the core techniques and orienting perspectives of the cittanupassana (mindfulness of mind) practice?  Like tangibly & practically?
  • What to do when the mind settles down and “nothing is happening”?
  • How to embody deep insight and not slip into spiritual bypassing or the nihilism that often accompanies early insight into emptiness?
  • What to do after a major consciousness-altering breakthrough?
  • How to turn your entire life into a meditation?

 

Cost:

In our capitalist world, everything has a dollar amount.  However, the Buddhist tradition that lays the foundation of my life & practice has a completely different orientation — it points us directly towards the heart.

And so rather than assign a value to this service, I offer coaching on a donation basis.  Rather than give a price, or even a suggested price, I’d ask you to take a few seconds (or years) to check in with yourself and see what really feels good and appropriate.  

I know this form can make some people uncomfortable, as they’re not sure what is an appropriate amount.  And for others, it basically means “free,” because everything of value has a dollar amount, doesn’t it?  Part of my path is to challenge this cultural idea.  I aspire to help create a culture of generosity, where we give not because we have to, but because we want to.

Please make your donations either paypal (david@pathofsincerity.com), via Venmo (djsudar), cash, or other electronic platforms you prefer.