The Meditation Center

Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom: "Panel Discussion and Q&A with Members of the TMC Spiritual Committee and Senior Teachers January 18, 2024
2024-01-18 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Chicago)
Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom – January 18, 2024
“Panel Discussion and Q&A with
Members of the Spiritual Committee and Senior Teachers
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CST

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Susan Guthrie

7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Swami Ma Radha Bharati

7:30-8:30 p.m.: “Panel Discussion and Q&A with Members of the Spiritual Committee and Senior Teachers

8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

8:40 p.m.: Snacks

To begin the New Year 2024 bring your questions and thoughts regarding strengthening your spiritual practice for the year. Join a panel of senior teachers for a lively discussion and on the problems and promises of keeping a meditation practice. How does one keep meditation “fresh”? Why aren’t I “enlightened” yet? What are the tricks for keeping a regular meditation time? Am I making spirtual progress? What does spiritual progress look like, feel like?

Formulate your own particular questions now for Thursday Satsang.

Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom: "Continued Panel Discussion and Q&A with Members of the TMC Spiritual Committee and Senior Teachers January 18, 2024
2024-01-25 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom – January 25, 2024
“Continued Panel Discussion and Q&A with
Members of the Spiritual Committee and Senior Teachers
followed by a Full Moon Flower/Water Puja Emilio Bettglio
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CST

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Eric Ness
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Swami Ma Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: “Continued Panel Discussion and Q&A with Members of the Spiritual Committee and Senior Teachers
followed by a Full Moon Flower / Water Puja with Emilio Bettaglio
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m.: Snacks

Details to come. A continuation of the January 18th Q&A and a Full Moon Flower/Water Puja.

Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom: "The Song of Silence" with Swami Ma Radha Bharati and Emilio Bettaglio, February 1, 2024 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
2024-02-01 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom – February 1, 2024
“The Song of Silence”
with Swami Ma Radha Bharati and Emilio Bettaglio
7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Michael Snodgrass
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Swami Ma Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: “The Song of Silence”
with Swami Ma Radha Bharati and Emilio Bettaglio
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m.: Snacks
The spiritual theme for the month of February 2024 is “Silence.” Join Swami Ma Radha and Emilio as they discuss the purpose and the benefits of the practice of silence for us on our spiritual journeys.
Swami Radha and Emilio will read passages from Swami Veda’s profound writings on silence. Between readings we will show the 2007 Dunrovin video clips of Swami Veda speaking on the topic of silence and its purpose. In this lecture Swamiji speaks about the intentional practice of silence as a way to elevate humanity to the next level of being. He discusses the cultivation of the independence of mind by disidentifying with unhelpful thought patterns through cleansing and purifying the mind. Swamiji expounds on the themes of wisdom versus knowledge; contemplation vs logic as a source of wisdom; and achieving freedom from our fears through the practices of silence, stillness, self -examination, and contemplation.
There will be time for discussion. Bring your questions on Thursday regarding the practice of silence that you always wanted to ask.
To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here (suggested donation $15.00) for Thursday Satsang or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.
Note: There is parking available for TMC visitors
in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC and Via Zoom: "An Evening of Spiritual Music with Chris Young, "Songs Dancing into Silence" - February 15, 2024, 7:00- 8:30 p.m. CST
2024-02-15 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC and Via Zoom – February 15, 2024
An Evening of Spiritual Music with Chris Young
“Songs Dancing into Silence”
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CST

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Susan Guthrie
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Meditation Guided by Swami Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: Special Spiritual Music with Chris Young “Songs Dancing into Silence”
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m.: Snacks
The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between.
~ Mozart~
Hushhhhh…Listen! Did you hear the music in the last space?
~Swami Veda Bharati~
Join Chris in this evening of spiritual music, it being an opportunity, a vehicle, to receive an experience of Beauty; a time to drop the worry and the hurry, set aside the intellect, and simply be… with people who are beautiful, in a setting that is beautiful, and with beautiful music.

“Kirtan is a spiritual practice that originated in India centuries ago. The word “kirtan” means singing, chanting, and praising the Divine. It is a sacred practice anyone can do; no special training is required. The music does the work for you, carrying you to a state of tremendous joy and mental clarity…

…But the most important instrument in kirtan is the voice,’There is a sacredness in everyone’s voice. It is like hearing your own soul’, shares Milwaukee-based kirtan wallah Ragani. who leads one of the largest ongoing monthly kirtan events in North America. Your voice comes from within; it is uniquely yours. Unlike an instrument which acts on you, emanating from the outside in, the voice acts internally, emanating from the inside out. When you sing kirtan, you can literally feel the sound resonating inside you. ‘massaging’ your inner organs with sacred mantras…”
(Kirtan! Chanting as a Spiritual Path, pages 7 and 9)

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing Only: "Ayurvedic Study Group: On the Preservation of Health" with Gary Gran DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP on February 22, 2024 at 7:00-8:30 p.m. CST
2024-02-22 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC – February 22, 2024
“Ayurvedic Study Group: On the Preservation of Health”
with Gary Gran DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CST
6:00-7:00 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Eric Ness

7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Swami Radha Bharati

7:30-8:30 p.m.: “Ayurvedic Study Group: On the Preservation of Health”
with Gary Gran, CYT, DAy. and Cynthia Gran DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP

8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

8:40 p.m. – Snacks

Please join us for the next meeting of our Ayurvedic study group. Attendance at prior meetings is not required. All are welcome.
We’ll begin a new section of the “Charaka Samhita” this evening called “On the Preservation of Health.”
Please bring your ‘beginner’s mind’ and join us as we listen deeply and reflect on the words of the sages.

“May we live happily and healthily for 100 autumns,
and see each other with love and respect for 100 years.”
-Atharva Veda

Gary and Cynthia Gran have been treading the Himalayan path since the late 1970s. They met at the old Glenview Center in Illinois and have served the tradition in various capacities over the years. They are both certified yoga teachers and Ayurvedic educators. They have published more than eighty articles on yoga, meditation and Ayurveda. They are once again enjoying desert gardening, cooking and hiking at their home in Tucson, Arizona.
Gary Gran, DAy. CYT
Cynthia Gran, DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP

Gary’s blog is ayurvedalessons.com.

Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom: "Maha Shivaratri, The Great Night of Shiva, Its Spiritual Significance" An Evening with Stephen Parker (Stoma) PsyD, E-RYT-500 - March 7, 2024
2024-03-07 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom – March 7, 2024
An Evening with Stephen Parker (Stoma) PsyD, E-RYT-500
“Maha Shivaratri, The Great Night of Shiva, Its Spiritual Significance”
7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Michael Snodgrass
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Stephen Parker (Stoma)
7:30-8:30 p.m.: Talk with Stephen Parker (Stoma) PsyD, E-RYT-500
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m.: Snacks
Join Dr. Stephen Parker (Stoma) as he presents a talk on the spiritual significance of the observance of Maha Shivaratri, the Great Night of Shiva, for practitioners and meditators in the Himalayan Tradition.
Dr. Stephen Parker was initiated in the Himalayan Yoga tradition by Swami Veda Bharati and was given the initiate name Stoma in 1971. Among the first teachers certified by the Himalayan International Teachers’ Association, H.I.T.A., he began teaching hatha yoga in 1974. During that time he also studied Sanskrit with Swami Veda and South Asian languages and culture for his B.A. at the University of Minnesota.
Stoma is an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher at the 500-hour level of the Yoga Alliance (E-RYT 500). A member of the International Association of Y.T., he serves on the faculties of the Meditation Center in Minneapolis and the Sadhaka Gram ashram in Rishikesh, India. He is also a senior faculty member of the Himalayan Yoga Tradition Teachers’ Training Program. He has lectured on yoga, meditation, yoga psychology, and spiritual practice in the U.S. and Canada as well as in Caribbean countries, Holland, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Lithuania, South Africa, Korea, Hong Kong, and India. In 2004 he helped originate and teach the first course on yoga in an American medical school at the University of Minnesota Academic Medical Center. In 2007 he received preliminary vows of renunciation from Swami Veda and the Shankaracharya of Karvirapitha.
Stoma has been a licensed psychologist in private practice in St. Paul, MN since 1985. He also serves as Adjunct Assistant School Professor of Counseling and Psychological Services at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, MN. He teaches on the faculty of the Introductory Workshops of the Minnesota Society of Clinical Hypnosis. In addition to authoring journal articles and book chapters, Dr. Parker edited volume two of Swami Veda’s definitive scholarly work on the “Yoga-Sutras of Patanjali” and he has been a peer review editor for the “Journal of Men’s Studies,” the “American Journal of Orthopsychiatry,” the “International Journal of Yoga T. and Yoga Mimamsa.” He is also the author of “Clearing the Path, The Yoga Way to a Clear and Pleasant Mind: Yoga, Neuroscience and Emotion”(2017) published by AHYMSA publishers.
To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here (suggested donation $15.00) for Thursday Satsang or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.
Note: There is parking available for TMC visitors in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom: "The Privilege of Praying" with Emilio Bettaglio - March 14, 2024
2024-03-14 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom – March 14, 2024
“The Privilege of Praying”with Emilio Bettaglio
7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Sig Martell
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Swami Ma Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: “The Privilege of Praying” with Emilio Bettaglio
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m.: Snacks
Join Emilio Bettaglio in a discussion regarding the privilege of praying. Bring your experiences regarding the effects and gifts of prayer in your own lives to share with the community.
Emilio will read from Y.S. 1.33 the Brahma Viharas, focusing on karuna, compassion, as a sentiment or trigger for prayer on someone’s behalf. He will read from Swami Veda’s writings on compassion.
Regarding prayer, Emilio will address the importance of mental and emotional preparation, visualization, and holding in one’s heart the specific reason for the prayer.
There will be a discussion regarding the “prayer circle” and possible alternative variations 0f it to use within one’s individual practice. And Emilio will discuss the practice of Tonglen in praying for others. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session. Please bring your questions.

…Prayer gives you strength. The highest of strength is received from that source which is already within you, through prayer. When you pray, whom are you going to pray to? The God Almighty who is everywhere? No. The Lord who is within you, seated deep down, beyond your body, breath and mind, in the innermost chamber of your being. Your prayers are always answered, when you pray in your own language, with mind and emotion joined together, with a one-pointed mind. You can pray at any time, but you should learn to discipline yourself. Morning and evening hours are considered best for prayer. But as I told you, pray directly to the Lord of life who’s seated within you. Gently close your eyes and with all your feelings and thoughts ask the Lord of life to give you wisdom and there you will find strength…
(From Conscious Living by Swami Rama)

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing Only: Ayurvedic Study Group: "Feeling Run Down? It's Time to Slow Down and Take Care" with Gary Gran DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP on March 21, 2024 at 7:00-8:30 p.m. CST
2024-03-21 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC – March 21, 2024
Ayurvedic Study Group: “Feeling Run Down? It’s Time to Slow Down and Take Care”
with Gary Gran, DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran, DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CDT
6:00-7:00 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Chris Young

7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Swami Radha Bharati

7:30-8:30 p.m.: Ayurvedic Study Group: Feeling Run Down? It’s Time to Slow Down and Take Care

with Gary Gran, DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran, DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP

8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

8:40 p.m. – Snacks

Please join us for the next meeting of our Ayurvedic study group. Attendance at prior meetings is not required. All are welcome.
How often do we get so caught up in our daily activities that we don’t take enough time to care for our bodies? Then we find ourselves feeling run down, or slowed by some ailment. This month we’ll share and discuss more time-tested methods for preserving our health and well-being.
Please bring your ‘beginner’s mind’ and join us as we listen deeply and reflect on the words of the sages.
“Then came a time when it hit me, and I learned my lesson.”
~ Swami Veda~

Gary and Cynthia Gran have been treading the Himalayan path since the late 1970s. They met at the old Glenview Center in Illinois and have served the tradition in various capacities over the years. They are both certified yoga teachers and Ayurvedic educators. They have published more than eighty articles on yoga, meditation and Ayurveda. They are once again enjoying desert gardening, cooking and hiking at their home in Tucson, Arizona.
Gary Gran, DAy. CYT
Cynthia Gran, DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP

Gary’s blog is ayurvedalessons.com.

Hybrid Thursday Satsang In Person Viewing at TMC and via Zoom: "Commentary on the 'Book of Revelation'" with Gary Gran, CYT, DAy - March 28, 2024
2024-03-28 19:00 - 20:30
Hybrid Thursday Satsang In Person Viewing at TMC and via Zoom – March 28, 2024
“Commentary on The Book of Revelation”
with Gary Gran CYT, DAy
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Eric Ness
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation by Swami Ma Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: “Commentary on the Book of Revelation” with Gary Gran CYT, DAy
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m.: Snacks

The rich imagery found in the last book of the Christian Bible has been interpreted and reinterpreted over the years through many lenses, including various literal, artistic, symbolic, and spiritual interpretations.
In 1982, at the old Glenview Center of the Himalayan Institute, Swami Rama gave a powerful commentary on the text from the yogic point of view. He described the Revelation or Apocalypse of John as a complete guidebook to the spiritual journey, as one crosses the threshold from the rational mind to the unconscious mind and beyond to the eternal. It represents the highest initiation possible for mankind.
Please join us to hear the words that Swamiji spoke as we open and read from the Book of Revelation. All are welcome.
Jesus: “Those who have ears to hear, let them hear.”
Swami Rama: Revelation is “a universal revelation for humankind.”
Swami Veda: “Revelation is a parable of the spiritual journey and the process of breakthrough and transformation. The passage from one ground to the next is often accompanied by a trial or tribulation. This passage could be from waking to sleeping, waking to meditation, living to dying, or epoch to epoch…”

Gary Gran, CYT, DAy. was in attendance at the 1982 seminar and will be sharing the teachings from his personal notes. He and his wife Cynthia have been treading the Himalayan path since the late 1970s. They met at the old Glenview Center in Illinois and have served the tradition in various capacities over the years. They are both certified yoga teachers and Ayurvedic educators. They have published more than eighty articles on yoga, meditation and Ayurveda. They are currently residing in Tucson, Arizona where they enjoy desert gardening, cooking and hiking.

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC: "Tending to Our Sacred Gardens in a Time of Drought" Water Conservation Landscape Techniques for Our Gardens, Our Planet with Fred Rozumalski - April 18, 2024
2024-04-18 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC – April 18, 2024

“Tending to Our Sacred Gardens in a Time of Drought”
Water Conservation Landscape Techniques for Our Gardens, Our Planet
with Fred Rozumalski
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. CT

5:30-6:45 p.m.: In Person Only – Gentle Hatha Yoga with Chris Young
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with with Swami Ma Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: “Tending to Our Sacred Gardens in a Time of Drought” Water Conservation Landscape Techniques for Our Gardens, Our Planet with Fred Rozumalski
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m.: Snacks

We, in Minnesota, have been experiencing 3 years of drought. Gardeners will increasingly be required to address these extremes as the climate continues to change. In this talk Fred will present landscape techniques to address drought tolerance and water conservation along with his favorite drought tolerant plants. It is time to prepare for whatever nature will throw at us this summer.
Fred’s garden was showcased in the May/June 2020 issue of “Northern Gardener.”
Read here the article “Sustainably Scenic “about Fred’s gardening techniques.
Fred is a well-known Twin Cities landscape architect, ecologist, and horticulturist. And Fred is a member of the TMC community.
To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here (suggested donation $15.00) for Thursday Satsang or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.
Note: There is parking available for TMC visitors in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing Only: Ayurvedic Study Group: "Time of the Season Feeling Under the Weather?" with Gary Gran DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP on April 25, 2024 at 7:00-8:30 p.m. CDT
2024-04-25 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC – April 25, 2024
Ayurvedic Study Group:
“Time of the Season Feeling Under the Weather?”
with Gary Gran DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CDT

5:30-6:45 p.m.: In-Person Gentle Hatha Yoga with Eric Ness
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Swami Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.: Ayurvedic Study Group:
“Time of the Season Feeling Under the Weather?”
with Gary Gran, DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran, DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m. – Snacks

It could be the change of the seasons, and it could be the time of the season to change your seasonings! In the fascinating 6th chapter of the Charaka Samhita, we’ll learn how the seasons are related to the seasonings, and how to harmonize ourselves with those changing seasons, with references to astrology, essential qualities, lifestyle, and, of course, food!
Please bring your ‘beginner’s mind’ and join us as we listen deeply and reflect on the words of the sages. Attendance at prior meetings is not required. All are welcome.
“Awareness of these time changes helps one to keep in touch with the flow of energy in the external and internal environments.” – Dr. Vasant Lad
“Living according to Nature’s time is the only way to remain healthy.”
– Dr. Robert Svoboda

Gary and Cynthia Gran have been treading the Himalayan path since the late 1970s. They met at the old Glenview Center in Illinois and have served the tradition in various capacities over the years. They are both certified yoga teachers and Ayurvedic educators. They have published more than eighty articles on yoga, meditation and Ayurveda. They are once again enjoying desert gardening, cooking and hiking at their home in Tucson, Arizona.
Gary Gran, DAy. CYT
Cynthia Gran, DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP

Gary’s blog is ayurvedalessons.com.

Thursday Satsang via Zoom and In-Person Viewing: "A Dialogue with Wolfgang Bischoff" - May 2, 2024
2024-05-02 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC – May 2, 2024
“A Dialogue with Wolfgang Bischoff”
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. CT

5:30-6:45 p.m.: In Person Gentle Hatha Yoga with Michael Snodgrass
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Guided Contemplation with Wolfgang Bischoff
7:30-8:30 p.m.: “A Dialogue with Wolfgang Bischoff”
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m.: Snacks

On Thursday, May 2nd, join Wolfgang for a dialogue on consciousness, meditation, mindfulness, life, joy, and being. Everyone is invited to join the discussion.
Read below a letter Wolfgang wrote to his students on April’s full moon day.

Dear ones,
On Wednesday, April 24, the spring full moon shines in the starry sky. Let us become still from 9 to 10 pm and contemplate the essence of meditation.
If you can no longer do anything because you are perhaps ill or otherwise absorbed by life, if your mantra has left you and you have difficulty contemplating, if your mind is full of restless movements and you don’t feel well at all, what do you have left?
With every breath, you can sink into the depths of your consciousness and connect with your pure being, your mindfulness, your awareness, your consciousness. This has always been there, is always there and will always be there. Now it looks in wonder at your restlessness and discomfort. When you experience this, a smile emerges within you and you get a shy glimpse of the first inner envelope that surrounds your pure being – joy, peace and bliss. With this inner awareness you can then look at everything in the world within you and around you and experience that you do not have to identify with it.
I wish you all a contemplative, peaceful, quiet hour
in loving solidarity
Wolfgang

Wolfgang Bischoff , Spiritual Director of the “Himalaya Institute Germany”.
Wolfgang Bischoff is the founder of several, mainly non-profit organizations as well as the Himalaya Institute Germany and has been supporting the Manini land development project in Odisha, India, for twenty years. As founder of the Human Culture Academy and as a former consultant to the World Bank and UNESCO, he strives to carry a human culture into companies. His main work today is personal destiny counseling to help people to understand, change and order their own lives. In fateful times such as these, we wanted to get to know his perspective on the current upheavals and talked to him about how to shape the life and future of the human community. Wolfgang Bischoff has been taught by masters of the Himalayas in their traditional meditation methods for 37 years.
Wolfgang is a mantra initiator and a member of the AHYMSIN Adhyatma Samiti, or Spiritual Committee.
To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here (suggested donation $15.00) for Thursday Satsang or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.
Note: There is parking available for TMC visitors
in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing Only: Ayurvedic Study Group with Gary Gran DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP on April 25, 2024 at 7:00-8:30 p.m. CDT
2024-05-23 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC – May 23, 2024
Ayurvedic Study Group: Time, Space & Causation:
Harmonizing Ourselves with Nature & the Cycles of Time”
with Gary Gran DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CDT

5:30-6:45 p.m.: In-Person Gentle Hatha Yoga with Sunita Gangopadhyay
6:15-7:00 p.m. Vegan Soup Light Supper
7:00-8:00 p.m.: Ayurvedic Study Group:mTime, Space & Causation:
Harmonizing Ourselves with Nature & the Cycles of Time”
with Gary Gran, DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran, DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP
8:00-8:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Swami Radha Bharati
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m. Clean-Up and Departure after Prayers

Tradition tells us we are all subject to time, space, and causation. In this session, we’ll contemplate some verses on the nature of Time from the Atharva Veda. Then we’ll share Swami Rama’s explanation of how our minds are conditioned by time. We’ll conclude with more verses from Chapter 6 of the Charaka Samhita on how the fluctuations of time affect our health, with tips on how to stay balanced this summer!
Please bring your ‘beginner’s mind’ and join us as we listen deeply and reflect on the words of the sages. Attendance at prior meetings is not required. All are welcome.
“Time is a filter. Anything that happens goes through the filter of time.”
– Swami Rama

Gary and Cynthia Gran have been treading the Himalayan path since the late 1970s. They met at the old Glenview Center in Illinois and have served the tradition in various capacities over the years. They are both certified yoga teachers and Ayurvedic educators. They have published more than eighty articles on yoga, meditation and Ayurveda. They are once again enjoying desert gardening, cooking and hiking at their home in Tucson, Arizona.
Gary Gran, DAy. CYT
Cynthia Gran, DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP

Gary’s blog is ayurvedalessons.com.

Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC and Via Zoom: "Introduction to the 2024 40-Day Spiritual Festival" - June 6, 2024
2024-06-06 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC and Via Zoom – June 6, 2024
Introduction to the 40-Day Spiritual Festival 2024
TMC Spiritual Committee
June 12- July 21 (Guru Purnima), 2024
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. CDT

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga with Sig Martell
7:00-8:00 p.m.: Introduction to the 40-Day Spiritual Festival 2024
8:00-8:30 p.m.: Meditation guided by Swami Radha Bharati
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m.: Snacks
Like a Benevolent Mother, She guides and protects those on the Path of Yoga – Path of Wisdom. With sattvic intention and affirmation: “May I attain the Highest Purpose of Life – Here and Now.”

Join us for an in-person talk on the theme of the 2024 40-Day Spiritual Festival on Thursday, June 6th. This special satsang will also be offered via Zoom to those who can not join in person at The Center.
The TMC Spiritual Committee will introduce the 40-Days Spiritual Festival which begins on June 12th and concludes on Guru Purnima, July 21st. They will discuss the history and purpose of the festival; and how our sankalpas and tapas in our chosen practices will inform our spiritual unfoldment during the “Decade of Loving Transformation” leading to SVB’s 100th Birthday in 2033.
Read here “41st Annual 40-Days Spiritual Festival June 12-July 21, 2024”
courtesy of AHYMSIN.org.
The festival is 40-days of purification of all aspects of our being through chosen practices.
Some options for practices are :
Begin or increase the Sangha Ganesha mantra japa…practice embodying Ganesha in stillness, in his stillness.
Decrease screen time, especially in the evening; put down the phone, turn off the computer.
Find ways to honor Earth Mother: walk in silence in the woods, feed the wild animals, nourish the ants, pick up trash in nature, contemplate one of the five elements in nature.
Fast one day a week, could be partial fasting or simply eliminating one preferred food item.
Contemplate that which helps you be still.
Do self-study and journal your experiences.
Study “Sutra 1.33,” the Brahma Viharas, especially Upeksha (equanimity in the face of evil.)

To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here (suggested donation $15.00) for Thursday Satsang or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page. Or donate through PayPal.
Note: There is parking available for TMC visitors in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.
AHYMSIN Full Moon Illuminations May 2024

Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC and via Zoom: "Spiritual Journaling" with Eric Ness and Simone Delos Santos - June 13, 2024,
2024-06-13 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC and via Zoom – June 13, 2024
“Spiritual Journaling”
with Eric Ness and Simone Delos Santos
The 40-Day Spiritual Festival 2024
June 12th- July 21st (Guru Purnima)
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. CDT

Note New Schedule
5:30-6:45 p.m.: In-Person Gentle Hatha Yoga with Michael Snodgrass
6:15-7:00 p.m. Vegan Soup
7:00-8:00 p.m.: “Spiritual Journaling”
with Eric Ness and Simone Delos Santos
8:00-8:30 p.m.: Meditation Guided by Swami Ma Radha Bharati
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m.: Snacks
Journaling can be a powerful tool for self-care and inner processing. It can help facilitate the energies of life forward into freedom, expansion, and liberation. We can become free of the stagnant, stuck energies that repeat old habits and patterns of mind often resulting in reactive responses. It can also help clarify direction and keep track of progress and growth.
Please join Eric and Simone in a lively, rich discussion and exploration of this practice.
Bring a favorite pen and blank notebook for a writing example exercise.
To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here (suggested donation $15.00) for Thursday Satsang or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.
Note: There is parking available for TMC visitors
in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC and via Zoom: "The Guru and Vyasa's Guru Gita" with Dr. Stephen Parker (Stoma,) PsyD- June 27, 2024,
2024-06-27 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC and via Zoom – June 27, 2024
“The Guru and Vyasa’s Guru Gita”with Dr. Stephen Parker (Stoma,) PsyD
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. CDT

Note New Schedule
5:30-6:45 p.m.: In-Person Gentle Hatha Yoga
6:15-7:00 p.m. Vegan Soup
7:00-8:00 p.m.: “The Guru and Vyasa’s Guru Gita” with Dr. Stephen Parker (Stoma,) PsyD
8:00-8:30 p.m.: Meditation Guided by Swami Ma Radha Bharati
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m.: Snacks
Join Stoma in a discussion the text, Vyasa’s Guru Gita. Details to come
To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here (suggested donation $15.00) for Thursday Satsang or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.
Note: There is parking available for TMC visitors
in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Happy 4th of July Holiday - No Thursday Satsang at TMC
2024-07-04 19:00 - 20:30
Happy 4th of July 2024!!!
No Thursday Satsang Program at TMC – July 4, 2024

Note New Schedule
5:30-6:45 p.m.: In-Person Gentle Hatha Yoga Cancelled
7:00-8:00 p.m.: Presentation Cancelled
8:00-8:30 p.m.: Meditation Cancelled
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers Cancelled

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC: "Miscellaneous Metaphysical Musings" with Michael Smith - July 25, 2024
2024-07-25 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC – July 25, 2024
“Miscellaneous Metaphysical Musings” with Michael Smith
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. CDT
5:30-6:45 p.m.: In-Person Gentle Hatha Yoga with Sig Martell
6:15-7:00 p.m.: No soup is being served on July 25th.
Soup will be offered again on August 8th.
7:00-8:00 p.m.: “Miscellaneous Metaphysical Musings” with Michael Smith
8:00-8:30 p.m.: Meditation with Michael Smith
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

Join us tonight, Thursday, July 25th, for a wonderful and compelling discussion with Michael Smith…not wanting to leave anything out, Michael’s talk will have the theme of Guru and Unity — transcendent and imminent Balance, Harmony, and Integration.
Michael Smith has been practicing & teaching yoga for over 50 years and is currently a curriculum coordinator for the International Himalayan Yoga Teachers Association. He has also been certified by the Himalayan Institute Teachers Association and the Behram Guard School of Yoga Meditation (an Iyengar-based Hatha Yoga School). He was a public school teacher for 35 years and also a professor of Comparative Religion at North Hennepin Community College. He has edited and/or illustrated several books on yoga and has lectured widely on stress management (the topic of his Masters Thesis) and also on holistic health. His main work has been to transcribe and to get the teachings of Swami Rama, Swami Veda and the Himalayan teachers out to as many people as possible.
To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here (suggested donation $15.00) for Thursday Satsang or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.
Note: There is parking available for TMC visitors in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

No Guided Hatha Class or Thursday Satsang Either In Person or Via Zoom Tonight - August 1, 2024
2024-08-01 17:30 - 20:30
There Will Be No In Person or Zoom Program for The Meditation Center’s Thursday Satsang
on August 1, 2024
The Drop-In Hatha Class is cancelled for Thursday evening.

Thursday Satsang will resume on August 8, 2024

Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC and via Zoom: Unity, a Forest of Old Growth Trees" Atma-Tattva-Avalokanam with Dr. Stephen Parker (Stoma) PsyD, E-RYT 500 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. CDT
2024-08-08 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC and via Zoom – August 8, 2024
“Unity, a Forest of Old Growth Trees” Atma-Tattva-Avalokanam
with Dr. Stephen Parker (Stoma) PsyD, E-RYT 500
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. CDT

5:30-6:45 p.m.: In-Person Gentle Hatha Yoga with Chu Chen
6:15-7:00 p.m. – Vegan Soup
7:00-8:00 p.m.: “Unity, a Forest of Old Growth Trees”
Atma-Tattva-Avalokanam with Dr. Stephen Parker (Stoma)
8:00-8:30 p.m.: Meditation Guided by Dr. Stephen Parker (Stoma)
Join Stoma in a discussion of “Unity” an old growth forest with a complicated network of communication among individual trees… Atma-Tattva-Avalokanam or “watching for the essence of atman everywhere around you”, awareness of Atman the Self.
Stephen Parker (Stoma) was initiated in the Himalayan Yoga tradition by Swami Veda Bharati and was given the initiate name Stoma in 1971. Among the first teachers certified by the Himalayan International Teachers’ Association, H.I.T.A., he began teaching hatha-yoga in 1974. Stoma is a Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher at the 500-hour level of the Yoga Alliance (E-RYT 500). A member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists, he serves on the faculties of the Meditation Center in Minneapolis and the Sadhanamandir and Sadhaka Gram ashrams in Rishikesh, India.
He is also a senior faculty member of the Himalayan Yoga Tradition Teachers’ Training Program. He has lectured on yoga, meditation, and spiritual practice in the U.S. and Canada as well as in Caribbean countries, Holland, Italy, Austria, Hungary, South Africa, Korea, Hong Kong, and India. In 2004 he helped originate and teach the first course on yoga in an American medical school at the University of Minnesota Academic Medical Center. In 2007 he received took preliminary vows of renunciation from Swami Veda and the Shankaracharya of Karvirapitha.
Stoma has been a licensed psychologist in private practice in St. Paul, MN since 1985. He also served as Adjunct Assistant School Professor of Counseling and Psychological Services at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, MN. He has taught on the faculty of the Introductory Workshops of the Minnesota Society of Clinical Hypnosis. In addition to authoring journal articles and book chapters, Dr. Parker edited volume two of Swami Veda’s definitive scholarly work on the “Yoga-sutras of Patanjali” and he has been a peer review editor for the “Journal of Men’s Studies,” the “American Journal of Orthopsychiatry,” and the “International Journal of Yoga Therapy.”
To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here (suggested donation $15.00) for Thursday Satsang or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.
Note: There is parking available for TMC visitors
in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom: "At Home, Inside and Out, Feng Shui for Heart and Space" with Michelle Skally Doilney - August 29, 2024
2024-08-29 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom – August 29, 2024
“At Home, Inside and Out Feng Shui for Heart and Space”
with Michelle Skally Doilney

5:30-6:45 p.m.: In-Person Gentle Hatha Yoga
7:00-8:00 p.m.: “”At Home, Inside and Out, Feng Shui for Heart and Space” with Michelle Skally Doilney
8:00-8:30 p.m.: Meditation Guided by Swami Radha Bharati
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

How do we see ourselves reflected in our living and working spaces? How do our conscious and unconscious thoughts affect our physical spaces? What do we love about where we live, and what are the challenges? Everything is energy – the stories and emotions behind our objects, spaces, selves and our actual objects, spaces, selves.
Join Michelle to explore the connection between space and self. Interactive time to learn about your own space and what you can do to make it more comfortable and useable for you, in practical, everyday use and also to further your deeper work.
Bio:
Michelle Skally Doilney is a student and initiate in the Himalayan Tradition since 1997. She is a Certified Feng Shui Consultant, working with private and corporate clients, and teaching practical do-it-on-your-own Feng Shui since 2003. Michelle is currently consulting and teaching using feng shui and writing practice and is working on several writing projects drawing from her love of travel and photography, and from her yoga and Feng Shui experiences.
www.practicalenvironments.com
To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here (suggested donation $15.00) for Thursday Satsang or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.
Note: There is parking available for TMC visitors min the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC and via Zoom: Presentation of a Recorded Audio Talk by Dr. David Frawley at SRSG: "Ritual, Sacred Space, and Sacred Time" (the Timeless Presence) Introduction by Emilio Bettaglio and Michael Smith - September 5, 2024
2024-09-05 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC and via Zoom – September 5, 2025
Presentation of a Recorded Audio Talk by Dr. David Frawley at SRSG:
“Ritual, Sacred Space, and Sacred Time”
(the Timeless Presence)
Introduction by Emilio Bettaglio and Michael Smith
7:00-8:30 p.m. CDT

5:30-6:45 p.m.: In-Person Gentle Hatha Yoga
7:00-8:00 p.m.: Presentation of a Recorded Talk by Dr. David Frawley at SRSG:
“Ritual, Sacred Space, and Sacred Time”
(the Timeless Presence)
Introduction by Emilio Bettaglio and Michael Smith
8:00-8:30 p.m.: Meditation Guided by Swami Radha Bharati
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

Join us on Thursday, September 5, 2024 to hear Dr. David Frawley’s profound recorded talk. There will be time for discussion, comments, and questions.
From Dr. Frawley’s 2013 talk
“…as Swami Veda says, the chitta-prasādana. And here “ritual” also means “right action,” because action done with awareness becomes a ritual. And in this regard, everything in the universe follows a certain organic rhythm or order, which is a ritual, and which also is a yajna(sacrifice) – or we can say, creating the right lifestyle, routine or rhythm to our lives. We have biological rituals, like eating, breathing and sleeping. Everything we do has some sort of ritual connection.

And our yoga sādhana should also have its own ritual order. And ritual is also the foundation of the bhakti-yoga, or the devotion. These actions done in worship of the deities become a ritual: mudrā (sacred gesture), pūjā, yajna, mantra, the recitation the divine names. It has that ritualistic component where your action follows a certain structure designed to have a certain beauty…”
…So it’s very important that we have that sacred dimension to what we do. And then here also [it is important to understand that] yoga only works in sacred space and sacred time. It does not work in chronological time, and it doesn’t work in property, you know, space that is owned by somebody. So we need to create our own sacred space and our own sacred time in order to do the practice. And ritual is a way of creating sacred space and sacred time…

To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here (suggested donation $15.00) for Thursday Satsang or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.
Note: There is parking available for TMC visitors in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom: Ayurvedic Study Group: "The Preservation of Health - Working with our Biological & Psychological Urges" with Gary Gran DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP on September 19, 2024 at 7:00-8:30 p.m. CDT
2024-09-19 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC and Via Zoom – September 19, 2024
with Gary Gran DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CDT

5:30-6:45 p.m.: In-Person Gentle Hatha Yoga
7:00-8:00 p.m.: Ayurvedic Study Group:
Ayurvedic Study Group: The Preservation of Health:
Working with our Biological & Psychological Urges
with Gary Gran, DAy. CYT and Cynthia Gran, DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP
8:00-8:30 p.m.: Guided Meditation with Swami Radha Bharati
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m. Clean-Up and Departure after Prayers

Once again, we’ll use the “Charaka Samhita” to guide us in our discussion of Ayurvedic principles and practices for the preservation of health. In this session, we’ll first consider some timely health tips and yoga practices for entering the fall season.
The autumnal equinox is considered to be the sunset of the year,
when day and night are in equal balance.
Then we’ll begin chapter seven on how to work with our biological urges and our psychological urges. We’ll be encouraged to restrain certain urges and to express others.
“Give way to your natural human urges—the urge to give, the urge to share, the urge to make sacrifice for others, the urge to knowledge, the natural urge to peace.” – Swami Veda Bharati

Please bring your ‘beginner’s mind’ and join us as we listen deeply to the words of the sages and share our reflections. Participation is invited! Attendance at prior meetings is not required. All are welcome.

Gary & Cynthia Gran have been treading the Himalayan path since the late 1970s. They met at the old Glenview Center in Illinois and have served the tradition in various capacities over the years. They are both certified yoga teachers and Ayurvedic educators. They have published more than eighty articles on yoga, meditation and Ayurveda. They enjoy desert gardening, cooking and hiking at their home in Tucson, Arizona, and are currently in summer residence in Minneapolis.
Gary Gran, DAy. CYT
Cynthia Gran, DAy. E-RYT 500, YACEP

Gary’s blog is ayurvedalessons.com.

Thursday Satsang via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC: "Devotion to the Divine Mother as Exemplified in the Lives and Teachings of H.H. Sri Swami Rama and Swami Veda Bharati " with Stephen Parker (Stoma), PsyD, 500 E-RYT - October 10, 2024
2024-10-10 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang via Zoom and In-Person Viewing at TMC
October 10, 2024
“Devotion to the Divine Mother as Exemplified in the Lives and Teachings
of H.H. Sri Swami Rama and Swami Veda Bharati “
with Stephen Parker (Stoma), PsyD, 500 E-RYT
7:00-8:30 p.m. CDT

5:30-6:45 p.m.: In-Person Gentle Hatha Yoga with Maja Radovanlija
6:15-7:00 p.m. – Vegan Soup
7:00-8:00 p.m.: “Devotion to the Divine Mother as Exemplified in the Lives and Teachings of
H.H. Sri Swami Rama and Swami Veda Bharati ” with Stephen Parker (Stoma), PsyD, 500 E-RYT
8:00-8:30 p.m.: Meditation Guided by Stephen Parker (Stoma)
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
8:45 p.m.: Listen to Swami Veda’s recorded recitation of “1,000 names of Lalita, Sri Lalita Sahasranama.”The 8th night of Navaratri

During this time of Navaratri, join Stoma for a compelling discussion regarding the devotion of Swami Rama and Swami Veda to the Divine Mother. Come with your questions and stories of your experiences.

“Love Whispers”
by H.H. Sri Swami Rama
It whispers from the heights,
It whispers from the depths,
It whispers from the mountains and the streams.
It whispers from above and below,
From the petals of flowers,
From my little brooklet’s flow.
It whispers from there and everywhere.
Love is a whisper divine.
But among all the whispers I have ever heard,
Her whisper is supreme,
Fulfilling all my wishes
And life’s greatest dream.
( Love Whispers, page 1)

To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here (suggested donation $15.00) for Thursday Satsang or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.
Note: There is parking available for TMC visitors in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang In Person and Livestream via Zoom : Wudang Mountain Taiji and Meditation" with 14th generation Wudang San Feng Master Zhong Xuecao (Master Bing) - October 24, 2024 - Note Schedule Change
2024-10-24 19:00 - 20:30
Special Thursday Night Satsang – October 24, 2024
Schedule has been modified from the regular schedule…begin time is at 6:00 p.m.
In Person and Livestream via Zoom
“Wudang Mountain Meditation”
with 14th generation Wudang San Feng Master Zhong Xuecao (Master Bing)
Donation $25.00 for the entire evening.
A Zoom link to you after you register.
Register here

6:00-7:15 p.m.: Wudang Taiji with Xuecao Zhong (Master Bing)
7:15-8:15p.m.: “Wudang Mountain Meditation Presentation”
with 14th generation Wudang San Feng Master Zhong Xuecao (Master Bing)
8:15-8:30 p.m.: Meditation with Master Bing
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers

Beginning at 6:00 p.m.(subject to change) join us for an Introduction to Wudang Taiji with Xuecao Zhong (Master Bing) Learn from a true master from the mountain… fundamental movements and principles of the beautiful and healing practice of Wudang San Feng Tai Chi. Accessible to all appropriate for all levels of experience.
Following the Taji class, Master Bing will speak on the topic of Wudang Mountain Meditation.
Master Bing, head instructor at the Wudang Dao Cultural Institute in the Wudang Mountains, will discuss and demonstrate various meditation styles (including sitting, standing and reclining) and techniques as they are practiced today and have been for hundreds and some, thousands of years in mountain temples and the remote mountain hermitages of Wudang.
Please join us for this fascinating glimpse into Wudang Mt. culture and internal cultivation.
For more information about Master Bing please visit wudangdao.com

Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom: "Tales from the dark side: Asuras east and west" with Paul Emerson PhD - October 31, 2024
2024-10-31 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person at TMC and via Zoom
October 31, 2024
“Tales from the dark side: Asuras east and west” with Paul Emerson, PhD
7:00-8:30 p.m. CDT

5:30-6:45 p.m. – Gentle Hatha Yoga – TBD
6:15-6:40 p.m. – Vegan Soup
6:40-7:00 p.m. – Diwali Puja with Emilio Bettaglio
7:00-7:30 p.m. – Meditation with Swami Radha Bharati
7:30 -8:30 p.m. – “Tales from the Dark Side: Asuras East and West” presented by Paul Emerson Ph.D.
8:30 p.m. Evening Prayers
8:40 p.m. Join Us for Birthday Cake in Honor of Paul Emerson

When the seasons change and light becomes less, imagination stirs. We remember departed souls, tell stories of ghosts and think about other creatures that go “bump” in the night. The beings of light are temporarily forgotten and replaced and replaced by shadows. But of course the shadows also point us back to the light. Both eastern and western spiritual traditions have these stories of dark beings and their Ravanas (villain of the Ramayana) are Legion. Today being Halloween I thought would be a good time to tell some of these stories and remind ourselves of the light behind them.
Paul Emerson is a biomedical engineer with a Ph.D. He is the authority on the physiology of breathing for The Meditation Center and has been teaching yoga for over 30 years. Paul has worked as a research scientist, has been a manager of clinical research with a major biomedical company and a university instructor. In addition, he holds eight patents in the areas of dialysis and sleep therapy. he is a scholar of ancient yoga texts. Paul was certified by the Rockford School of Yoga and began teaching in 1975.

Happy Thanksgiving!!! No Thursday Satsang Tonight - November 28, 2024
2024-11-28 19:00 - 20:30
No Thursday Satsang Tonight – “Have a Happy Thanksgiving”
November 28, 2024

Thursday Satsang will resume on December 5, 2024

Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom: "The "Divine Mother and Mother Mary - Her Symbolism" with Michael Smith, Emilio Bettaglio, and Michael Showalter - December 5, 2024
2024-12-05 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In Person and Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing – December 5, 2024
“The Divine Mother and Mother Mary – Her Symbolism”
with Michael Smith, Emilio Bettaglio, and Michael Showalter
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga
7:00-7:30 p.m. – Meditation with Swami Ma Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m. – “The Divine Mother and Mother – Her Symbolism”
with Michael Smith, Emilio Bettaglio, and Michael Showalter
8:30 p.m.: Prayers
Everyone is welcome!!!
Join us for a talk with Michael Smith as he explains the history of the image of Mother Mary that was in The Center when the building was a convent for St. Boniface Church, across the street. A slide show of many famous paintings of Mother Mary will be shown with explanations of some of the images. Michael will show a picture book of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Emilio Bettaglio will the share with us his own experiences regarding Our Lady. Michael Showalter will talk about his pilgrimage in Spain.
To support the work of The Meditation Center make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the”Support TMC” website page or donate through PayPal.
There is parking available for TMC visitors in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing: "Yoga, Christianity, and Light " with Gary Gran - December 12, 2024
2024-12-12 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang Via Zoom and In-Person Viewing – December 12, 2024
“Yoga, Christianity, and Light ” with Gary Gran

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga
7:00-7:30 p.m. – Meditation with Swami Ma Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m. – “Yoga, Christianity, and Light ” with Gary Gran
8:30 p.m.: Prayers

Everyone is welcome!!!
Please join us as we reflect on the teachings of Christianity through the lens of yoga. Advent is the beginning of the liturgical year in Christianity leading up to the birth of Christ at Christmas. This four-week period also marks the beginning of a new astronomical year as the sun reaches its solstice on December 21st. Many global traditions honor this turning of the year with the lighting of candles.

· What is behind the correlation of light with the Christmas season?
· What does yoga have to say about the winter solstice?
· Can yoga be practiced in the context of religion? Do they conflict?
· Is meditation taught in the Bible?
· How are we to interpret some of the sayings of Jesus?

“I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.” – John 8:12 KJV

Jesus is well-known for teaching with parables. As a wisdom teacher, he tells us: “He that has ears to hear, let him hear.” – Matthew 11:15 KJV

In this evening’s contemplation, we’ll listen deeply to the teachings of the sages as reflected in art, in nature, in religious culture, and in language (including Aramaic, the language that Jesus spoke). Our goal will be to enter and rest in the heart’s core. May we experience together the wisdom, the love, and the light of the wisdom teachings.

“Blessed is anyone who meditates on Wisdom and studies Her ways in their heart and ponders Her secrets.” – Ecclesiasticus 14:20

Gary Gran, CYT, DAy.
Gary first began to appreciate the depth of the Christian tradition when listening to Swami Rama, Swami Veda, and Swami Jaidev talk on the yogic interpretation of the Christian scriptures at the old Glenview center.
Gary and his wife Cynthia have been treading the Himalayan path since the 1970s. They met at the Glenview Center in Illinois and have served the tradition in various capacities over the years. They are both certified yoga teachers and Ayurvedic educators. They have published more than eighty articles on yoga, meditation and Ayurveda. They are currently in winter residence in Tucson, Arizona
To support the work of The Meditation Center and register you can donate here or make a general donation by clicking on the “donate” button on the “Support TMC” website page.
Or donate through PayPal.
There is parking available for TMC visitors in the St. Boniface lot across the street from the Center.

Thursday Satsang in Person and Via Zoom: "Musika Medica" with Maja Radovanlija and Molly Sturges - January 2, 2025
2025-01-02 19:00 - 20:30
Thursday Satsang In-Person and Via Zoom – January 2, 2025
“Musika Medica” with with Maja Radovanlija and Molly Sturges
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

5:30-6:45 p.m.: Gentle Hatha Yoga – TBD
7:00-7:30 p.m.: Meditation guided by Swami Radha Bharati
7:30-8:30 p.m.:“Musika Medica” with with Maja Radovanlija and Molly Sturges
8:30 p.m.: Evening Prayers
Everyone is welcome!!!

About Musika Medica
Musika Medica is a women-led improvisational music, collective healing and meditation project that weaves together deep listening, musical exploration, and embodied inquiry. Rooted in the practice of attunement, the project responds organically to each unique context, creating experiences that transcend traditional performance boundaries. By collaborating with guest musicians, storytellers, and diverse community voices, Musika Medica crafts immersive concerts, workshops, and restorative performances that invite rest, reflection, and creative wondering.
Founders
Maja Radovanlija is a versatile guitarist and musical explorer whose artistic journey spans continents and musical traditions. Born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia) in 1975, she brings nearly two decades of classical guitar training from Eastern Europe, and Indiana University, Bloomington. Her musical path has been defined by a rich tapestry of collaborations that traverse diverse genres, from Balkan traditional music to jazz, intuitive free improvisation, and experimental soundscapes. Radovanlija is an active member of multiple distinguished ensembles, including the Szilard Mezéi ensemble, Minneapolis Guitar Quartet, Ensemble Studio6, MM Guitar duo, the Linda Chatterton-Radovanlija guitar/flute duo, and the Satu Jiwa improvised music collective. Her innovative approach to music-making reflects a deep commitment to cross-cultural musical dialogue and creative expression.
Molly Sturges is a healing-centered composer, soundrest artist, musical improviser, meditation teacher, and community healing facilitator, with over three decades working at the intersection of music, ceremony infused improvisation, collective healing, contemplative practice, and social justice. A United States Artist Fellow in Music, Molly brings depth and innovation to her research and creative endeavors. She has led and participated in a wide range projects including community sourced arts activations, creating and performing music for circus, sound installation creation, directing creative music ensembles and creating-directing Lifesongs, an intergenerationald music and end of life project for over twelve years. Currently Molly serves as a senior researcher in music and health and as founder/director of Waking The Oracle, an arts, earth kinship, and wellbeing project at University of Minnesota’s Medical School and Center for Spirituality & Healing. www.mollysturges.com
CONTACT
Maja Radovanlija, mradovan@umn.edu , 763-300-9795
Molly Sturges, mollysturges@gmail.com , 505-660-9473
