meditation Archives - Peace Learning Center

18 12, 2017

Guest Column: Passion Yoga School

Brandi Metzger2021-05-20T17:41:39-04:00December 18th, 2017|Tags: community, Costa Rica, meditation, passion, travel, yoga|

It’s already December and Passion Yoga School has a lot of FREE gifts coming at you in the next months! Take a look at Adi Shakti’s blog posts today and tell us what you think. Click the image below to get access to all the blog posts! Happy Holidays from all of us at Passion Yoga School! “ I am a blessed soul. I have been given opportunities, hand over fist, to expand my consciousness, connect with my sisters all over the globe, and to actively pursue stillness in the nosiest of places. I am a yoga student and teacher, committing my life to expanding my capacity for bliss, to healing the traumas of this life and others, and to supporting others in that same journey. “ Adi Shakti, Travel, Leadership, Grief & Resilience through Yoga https://www.passionyogaschool.com/blog/2016/12/28/lelakwiw4xdcmfo4ir7z7xlvgyyuun For more information or any questions, please email us at support@passionyogaschool.com or visit us here. Did you know that we are hosting a Yoga Alliance Certified 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training + Self Empowerment Course at the Peace Learning Center in 2018? It includes weekends at the Peace Center + a Costa Rica immersion! The program will feature 5 weekends of training in Indianapolis at The Peace Center starting on July 27th. Once done with the Indianapolis weekends, you will come to join us in the beautiful jungle of Costa Rica, Caribbean coast, for a 10 day Immersion, all-inclusive, at our permaculture

17 11, 2017

Guest Column: Passion Yoga School

Brandi Metzger2021-05-20T17:41:39-04:00November 17th, 2017|Tags: community, Costa Rica, meditation, passion, travel, yoga|

Did you know that we are hosting a Yoga Alliance Certified 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training + Self Empowerment Course at the Peace Learning Center in 2018? It includes weekends at the Peace Center + a Costa Rica immersion! The program will feature 5 weekends of training in Indianapolis at Peace Center starting on July 27th. Once done with the Indianapolis weekends, you will come to join us in the beautiful jungle of Costa Rica, Caribbean coast, for a 10-day Immersion, all-inclusive, at our permaculture center in Puerto Viejo. The program is priced at $3000 ($2400 for the program + $600 donation to The Peace Center). The $600 is Tax-Deductible and goes to support a Peace Education initiative in the inner cities of Indianapolis. With the Holidays arriving so fast, Passion Yoga School would love to offer you the opportunity to buy a $250 Gift Card for your loved ones for Christmas (or any other occasion)! This card could act as a special deposit on the Indianapolis & Costa Rica Training or any of our other upcoming programs of 2018! Click the image below to get access to the Gift Card. Happy Holidays from all of us at Passion Yoga School! For more information or any question, please email us at support@passionyogaschool.com or visit us here. Schedule Indianapolis Weekends: JULY 27-29, 2018 AUGUST 24-26, 2018 SEPTEMBER 14-16, 2018 OCTOBER 5-7, 2018 OCTOBER 19-21, 2018 Weekend Schedule: Fridays 6pm -

17 10, 2017

Guest Column: Passion Yoga School

Brandi Metzger2021-05-20T17:41:42-04:00October 17th, 2017|Tags: community, Costa Rica, meditation, passion, travel, yoga|

Yoga Alliance Registered 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training coming to Peace Learning Center We are excited to officially announce our new Indianapolis + Costa Rica 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training coming up for the summer 2018! Our program is a dynamic fusion of traditional yogic wisdom, creative harmonizing posture sequencing, top-notch business support and development training, deep spiritual searching, and training in self-love and acceptance. We wanted a safe space to express our wild, deepen our yogic study, challenge our capacity for freedom, and develop lasting loving friendships. So, we created it. The program will feature 5 weekends of training in Indianapolis at The Peace Learning Center starting on July 27th. Once done with the Indianapolis weekends, you will come to join us in the beautiful jungle of Costa Rica, Caribbean coast, for a 10-day Immersion, all-inclusive, at our permaculture center in Puerto Viejo. Passion Yoga School uncovers the alchemy of pristine technical training and deep supported spiritual inquiry. Akhanda Shakti is an integrative fusion rooted in tradition. It is the blend of two approaches. We are dedicated to the traditional ancient teachings of lineage. We also commit to a re-wilding; to the liberation of the divine feminine. Our Method is the marriage of solid anatomical training and the heart of spiritual evolution. Our mission is EMPOWERMENT for our students. We lay the foundation of sequencing energetics, educate you on the principles of

17 02, 2015

The Mindful Path – Meditation and Yoga

Brandi Metzger2021-05-20T17:42:26-04:00February 17th, 2015|Tags: meditation, Mindfulness, yoga|

Hello from guest blogger, Lisa Robinson! Previously in this blog, although we’ve explored different examples of mindfulness meditation and also touched on yoga, we haven’t put them together to create the wonderful experience of them combined. Recently, I came across the excellent book, “Moving into Meditation: A 12-Week Mindfulness Program for Yoga Practitioners” by Anne Cushman. Her website at www.annecushman.com lists some benefits of combining mindfulness and yoga in the program: • Move into intimate connection with your body, heart, mind, and life. • Practice yoga as meditation in motion. • Cultivate a daily home practice of seated meditation that’s grounded in your body. • Nourish inner peace and stability through specific breathing practices that work directly with your nervous system to calm you when you’re anxious and energize you when you’re down. • Connect with your intuitive wisdom and creativity through an inner-body approach to yoga and meditation that can help you whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned practitioner. Also on the web site, you can sign up to gain access to three free video practices that will help you deepen your understanding of the teachings in the book. A full video program is available for purchase that includes 12 hour-long, downloadable guided sessions of mindful yoga and meditation—one for each chapter of the book. If you want to experience practicing mindfulness and yoga, I hope you will take advantage of the videos at Anne Cushman’s site. If

20 01, 2015

The Mindful Path – A Guided Meditation

Brandi Metzger2021-05-20T17:42:27-04:00January 20th, 2015|Tags: meditation, Mindfulness|

Hello from guest blogger, Lisa Robinson! In 2015, we’re changing some things about this blog to make it more focused and connected with the work of the Peace Learning Center. There will be two posts per month on the first and third Tuesdays, and a theme for each quarter. For the first quarter, the theme is Personal Mindfulness. So, in my posts through March, you’ll be seeing information and resources to help you explore how to be mindful as an individual. In this last post for January, to close out the month, here’s a link to a guided meditation to bring you peace: https://ow.ly/HB68O This meditation will help you to feel more calm and centered. It’s titled Mindfulness of Body and Breath, and comes from the wonderful book “Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World” by Mark Williams and Danny Penman. To find out more about the book as well as other resources, see the site at https://www.franticworld.com. I have experienced this meditation many times, and it helps me to get grounded in the moment. To do this for even a brief time is useful, especially when I’m feeling overwhelmed and need to gain some perspective. I hope that you enjoy this meditation and consider making it a tool to use again as needed. I look forward to bringing you more resources on Personal Mindfulness in my posts next month.

23 12, 2014

The Mindful Path – Be in the Present Moment

Brandi Metzger2021-05-20T17:42:30-04:00December 23rd, 2014|Tags: meditation, Mindfulness|

Hello from guest blogger, Lisa Robinson! As the new year approaches, are you thinking about welcoming more mindfulness into your life? A great way is to learn to practice mindfulness meditation, where you can start by noting when your mind wanders and bring it back to the present moment by focusing on your breath. To learn more, here’s a link to an excellent post from the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley: https://ow.ly/GksHS Lots of interesting and helpful information includes: • How frequently our minds wander (you may be surprised by how much) • What happens in our brain when we’re not focused on the present • A quiz to find out how mindful you are • How mindfulness meditation can help you disengage from counter-productive rumination That last point really resonated with me. I know that when I have negative experiences, I can tend to go over them again and again in my mind. But replaying all the details in exquisite detail doesn’t help me get past the negative experience to learn, grow, and have better future experiences. Practicing mindfulness meditation can help you train your brain over time to let go of negative experiences more easily, assisting you to feel more happiness. If you have any comments or questions, you can either post them below or email me directly at mindfulpath@outlook.com. In my next post, look for more resources and ideas about mindfulness. I

16 12, 2014

The Mindful Path – Mindfulness in the Media

Brandi Metzger2021-05-20T17:42:30-04:00December 16th, 2014|Tags: media, meditation, Mindfulness|

Hello from guest blogger, Lisa Robinson. On December 14, 2014, journalist Anderson Cooper presented a segment on the CBS news program, “60 Minutes,” that was about mindfulness. Here’s a link to the video about Cooper’s experience as well as interviews he held with others who benefit from practicing mindfulness: Video Link After participating in a mindfulness retreat, Cooper found that mindfulness changed his life, although he didn’t expect this outcome at all. He asked himself if failing to be present meant that he was missing things in his life. After Cooper began meditating frequently, he found that by paying attention to his breath, he could intentionally assist his brain to not react negatively to stress. This enhanced awareness helped Cooper to feel as if he had more time in his life because he was paying attention instead of just rushing through the day. If you aren’t practicing mindfulness now, but want to consider it, the video will provide you with more information to think about. Please leave any comments or questions below, or send an email directly to me at mindfulpath@outlook.com Enjoy a mindful week! I look forward to providing more resources and ideas about mindfulness in my next post.

2 12, 2014

The Mindful Path – What is Mindfulness?

Brandi Metzger2021-05-20T17:42:32-04:00December 2nd, 2014|Tags: meditation, Mindfulness|

Hello from guest blogger, Lisa Robinson! If you are new to mindfulness, you might want to know more about it. From the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, mindfulness is about: “ maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment. Mindfulness also involves acceptance, meaning that we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them—without believing, for instance, that there’s a “right” or “wrong” way to think or feel in a given moment. When we practice mindfulness, our thoughts tune into what we’re sensing in the present moment rather than rehashing the past or imagining the future.” How powerful it is to focus on the present instead of a past that’s finished, or a future that hasn’t yet arrived! Being present in the here and now can encourage kindness and compassion that we benefit from extending to ourselves as well as to others. See many resources about mindfulness at Greater Good Science Center here: https://ow.ly/F6CJc I’m very interested in research showing that mindfulness meditation can positively influence the brain, increasing the density of its gray matter in key areas. A dear family member of mine is struggling with cognition issues, and I’m helping him to learn about meditation in the hope that it may increase his ability to utilize concentration and memory. For a list of reasons to practice mindfulness from Greater Good Science Center, click on the link

11 11, 2014

The Mindful Path – What are You Grateful For?

Brandi Metzger2021-05-20T17:42:35-04:00November 11th, 2014|Tags: gratefulness, meditation, Mindfulness|

Hello from guest blogger, Lisa Robinson! In my post last week, I provided a link to a wonderful compassion meditation. If you’re interested in trying the meditation, you can find out how in the post here: https://ow.ly/E2q6M. I have found that this meditation helps me feel a deep sense of gratitude. There are so many good things in this delightfully imperfect life; silently extending kindness to myself and others through meditation reminds me of small, joyful moments that I cherish. With this being November and Thanksgiving coming up quickly, I think even more of gratitude. In this holiday season, sharing good food and conversation with family and friends is a perfect time for mindfulness. In the past, my holiday interactions were not always without friction. Today I have a different experience because I have changed. I’m much more open to seeing my world through a more broad perspective, and that has made a very positive difference. As an enthusiastic, beginning photographer who still has much to learn, I think sometimes of scenes in life as opportunities to frame up a shot of what I’m experiencing. I can choose where to place my focus. I found an interesting web site from mindful photographer Maurice Spees, where he offers workshops that provide the opportunity to “experience how refreshing your eyes, unattached from mental cluttering, can enhance your entire life.” His site is here: https://www.mindfulphotography.info/. It would be amazing to attend one of

4 11, 2014

The Mindful Path – Compassion Through Meditation

Brandi Metzger2021-05-20T17:42:36-04:00November 4th, 2014|Tags: compassion, meditation, Mindfulness|

Hello from guest blogger, Lisa Robinson! Here in this blog, we’ve introduced how meditation may enhance mindfulness, which can result in many benefits. Research conducted by the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at The University of Wisconsin – Madison is exploring the effects of meditation that teaches the brain to feel more compassion for others and for ourselves. Would you like to try the same experiment used in the research and learn compassion meditation training? To sign up to download the training, click here: https://ow.ly/DHmMN. Here’s a link to a “Fast Company” article written about the UW-Madison research: https://ow.ly/DHmlg. The findings suggest that learning to become more compassionate could be beneficial where improved relationships and communication are important. What this says to me is that compassion meditation is a great tool for everyone traveling on their own mindful path. I just signed up to receive downloads of the compassion meditation training from the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, and I can’t wait to get started with it. As I go through the training, I’ll share details about my experience with it. If you sign up for the training and want to share any comments about what you learn, please either leave them below or email me directly at mindfulpath@outlook.com I hope you enjoy a mindful week. I look forward to providing more ideas and resources about mindfulness in my next post.