Coming to the end of an 8 week course, many people express the view that practicing meditation in a group is a lot easier than practicing alone. 

While the aim of the 8 week course is to give you the tools to practice mindfulness, both formally, using the practices, and informally, as you move about the tasks of your day to day life, there is no doubt that meditating in a group can support your practice and make it much more likely that you will continue.

Without formal practice, we can get caught up in the doing mind, running on our old habit energies, sucked into automatic pilot.  And before we know it, we can begin to “miss” our lives and ourselves again.   Keep in mind Jon Kabat-Zinn’s reminder to us to weave our parachute every day, a little at a time, that way when we really need it, it’s more likely to hold us. Meditating regularly with a “sangha” – a community of meditators – supports us in our own daily practice.

Josephine and Helen invite all graduates of 8-week courses to attend their new secular drop-in Thursday evening class:

Venue: Dublin Herbal Clinic, 5 Lower Mount St, Dublin 2.
Day: Every Thursday, starting 12th January 2012
Times: 7-8pm    Cost: €10

Each week Josephine or Helen will give a short teaching and lead the group in a formal practice.  There will also be an opportunity for discussion.  (All 8-week course graduates are welcome, not just those who have completed courses with www.mindfulness.ie partners).

There are also a number of weekly meditation groups in operation in Dublin and further afield.  Some of the Dublin ones are listed below.  Most of these are operate on a drop-in basis and payment is by anonymous donation (the practice of “dana” – generosity).  Contact details are provided.

South Dublin Sangha (Plum Village Tradition)
Oscailt,
8 Pembroke Road, Ballsbridge,Dublin 4.
Contact: Josephine Lynch
t: 087-2372130
Tuesdays 7.30pm – 9.30pm

The Sanctuary Meditation Group
Stanhope Street, Dublin 7.
Wednesdays,  7.30-9.00pm
See www.sanctuary.ie for details & directions.

Shambala Meditation Centre
19 Herbert Street, Dublin 2. 
Monday and Wednesday evenings:
See http://dublin.shambhala.info for details

Rigpa Meditation Centre
12 Wicklow Street (3rd Floor)
Dublin 2
email: dublin@rigpa.ie
t: 01-6703358

Zen Christian Meditation Group
Dominican Retreat Centre, Tallaght Village, Dublin 24
Tel. (01) 404 8189 / 404 8123; Fax (01) 459 60 80
www.goodnews.ie

Kagyu Samye Dzong Tibetan Buddhist Centre
Kilmainham Well House, 56 Inchicore Rd., Kilmainham, Dublin 8
www.buddhism.ie

Monthly Days of Mindfulness are held on the last Saturday of the month from September to November and from January to June in The Sanctuary.  These days are facilitated by Josephine and Helen, but are run by The Sanctuary, so you need to book directly with them.  See www.sanctuary.ie.

8-Week Course Days of Mindfulness: all graduates of 8 week course are welcome to attend the Days of Mindfulness run by Josephine and Helen as part of their on-going courses.  We will post dates, times and venues in the Events column of this website as they arise, so keep checking back.

For Plum Village Sanghas throughout Ireland, check the Sangha Directory on www.mindfulness-ireland.org

If you know of any other meditation groups please contact me at Helen Byrne and I will include them in this page.