What is secular meditation?
Secular meditation draws on the wisdom traditions of the past but doesn't require practitioners to subscribe to any particular religion. The meditation we teach might include elements from Buddhism, psychology, and modern wellness, but avoids religious or specialist language. Secular meditation distills the essential teachings from these traditions, making them accessible to us today.
This means that everyone is invited and welcome to join meditation, no matter if you're a part of a faith tradition or not. For a more in-depth discussion about what secular meditation is, including a list of great books and apps, we recommend by Jonathan Carson.
We also encourage you to explore other spiritual and meditation resources on campus.
What's the schedule?
Meditation is open to everyone! All Â鶹ÊÓƵ students and employees are welcome to attend online or in person, as is anyone in the wider community, even if you do not have a Â鶹ÊÓƵ connection.
Our meditation program operates during the academic year.
We meet via Google Meets.
To access the link, subscribe to our .
A direct link will be updated at the start of fall semester.
You can also sign up for , which will contain the link.
We meet in person at the Bonnier Multifaith Center, main floor of Anderson Hall (south end). Cushions, chairs and mats are available. Please remove your shoes and leave them outside the space when you arrive.
What can I expect?
Â鶹ÊÓƵ Meditation sessions are appropriate and accessible for all audiences. Everyone is encouraged to attend, whether you've practiced regularly for years or are a complete newcomer. All Â鶹ÊÓƵ students and employees are welcome, as is anyone in the wider community who comes across these resources and would like to practice with us.
Bad experience with meditation in the past? Tried it and got bored or discouraged? That's not a problem. In fact, that's a common experience. We teach a variety of different meditation techniques, so you might find a new approach that works better for you.
At every session, the meditation teacher will welcome you and guide you through a practice lasting 12-15 minutes. At the end, there will often be a few minutes for questions or conversation.
If you're practicing online, you're welcome to keep your camera on or off, whichever is most comfortable for you.
If you're practicing at the Bonnier Multifaith Center, please remove your shoes before entering. We share the space with other groups and many of them - like us - sometimes use the floor to practice, so this keeps it clean.
Why should I try meditation?
This is the million dollar question! Meditation can be dull, dry, boring and frustrating. It can be unpleasant and uncomfortable to sit with our emotions and thoughts. So why would anyone even want to try?
Although this is a question we invite you to investigate yourself, many people meditate because they want to be happy, to have less suffering, to weather the ups and downs of life, and to feel more connected to themselves and others. Meditation isn't a magic pill. It won't make you blissed out or stress-free, although sometimes you will feel this way.
Meditation helps us get to know ourselves, our minds, and all our glorious, messy patterns. We start to see how we react when we're stressed or angry or upset or happy or annoyed. We start to notice our habitual patterns. And when we get to know our minds well, we can create some space and begin to experiment with different responses, ones that might better support and nurture us.
Our meditation teachers
Meditation sessions are led by Aaron Geringer, Mental Health Therapist and Assistant Director of the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Counseling Center, Professor John Cha (Religion), and Professor Julie Gilbert (Library); Julie is a Tergar Certified Anytime Anywhere Meditation Teacher.
Newsletter
Connect with us! Sign up for our and stay up-to-date with our programs. We have a newsletter that comes out on Mondays whenever classes are in session. It contains information about upcoming practices, announcements, and reflections about meditation.
Resources
Whether you practice regularly with us or not, we'd like to provide suggestions for ways to explore meditation further. We'll keep adding resources as we come across them. If you'd like information on a topic that's not included here - or if you've got a resource you'd like us to consider adding - please jgilber2 [at] gustavus.edu (reach out).Ìý
Tip: At some point you might consider working with a qualified meditation teacher. A teacher can provide essential structure, guidance and advice for progressing along the meditation path, which you can't get from simply working with apps or reading books (I'm speaking from experience!).Ìý
If you're feeling like your path is stalling, that might be the time to find a teacher. Many meditation teachers (both secular and non) have online communities; you can also look to find in-person teachers near you. Feel free to jgilber2 [at] gustavus.edu (contact Julie Gilbert) for further ideas.
There are a lot of meditation apps available! Here are ones we use and recommend:
- guided meditations, courses, music, etc. While the app has a paid tier, you'll find a large library of free materials from a range of traditions.
- completely free, step-by-step approach to exploring our minds, drawing on the wisdom of neuroscience and contemplative traditions
there are a number of books in about meditation. The selection here includes both secular meditation and Buddhist teachers. This is not a comprehensive list; if you'd like to explore more, please jgilber2 [at] gustavus.edu (contact Julie) (as a librarian, she's happy to help people find books!).
, by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, a renowned meditation master and founder of the meditation community.
by Susan Piver, the founder and lead teacher of the , an online meditation community. The book is on order at our library.
by Courtland Dahl, a meditation teacher and scientist.Ìý
by Kristin Neff and Christopher Gerner. is a leading research and teacher on self-compassion.
by Sharon Salzberg. is a renowned teacher and one of the founders of the .
As meditation traditions have come to the West, they have often happened in predominantly white spaces. As a result, meditation communities frequently have and on practitioners of color. Teachers like , , , and help us do the work to create antiracist communities. Here are additional resources for both practitioners of color and white practitioners:
from in Minneapolis
Ruth King - (scholarships are available and/or )
Rhonda Magee's book:
A lot of is being conducted on meditation. We'll post occasional links to studies here, but you can also explore the groundbreaking work being done at labs such as the at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
There are countless great podcasts out there about mindfulness, as well as many YouTube channels and videos about meditation. Start with or just start browsing some podcasts and see what resonates with you. Many teachers also have podcasts and YouTube videos, so if you encounter a teacher you like, see if they've got additional media resources.
Questions? Class or office visit? conversation?
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Contact jgilber2 [at] gustavus.edu (Julie Gilbert), Â鶹ÊÓƵ Meditation Program Coordinator, with any meditation-related questions. Email Julie directly or use . Julie is a certified meditation teacher and happy to share her expertise with others.
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Julie is also available to talk to classes, offices and other groups (both student and employee) about meditation practices and reasons why people might try meditation.
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Finally, if you would like to schedule a 15-minute practice interview to discuss anything that's arising in your practice, jgilber2 [at] gustavus.edu (Julie is available) for conversation.
Got a meditation question or a topic you'd like Julie to address in the newsletter?