These weekly "drop-in" classes are designed to let people come when they can and progress at their own pace. We focus on breathwork, posture, and internal energy activations. The practice builds from week to week, but you'll have a basic practice you can take home with you after the very first session.
This donation-based class is given at the
Unity Spiritual Center in Palo Alto. It is given from 12 noon to 1pm, after the 10am Unity service, every Sunday except the 4th Sunday of the month.
Energy Flow Meditation produces stress relief, inner calm, a more positive outlook, and a happier life. It helps you rise above life’s little upsets, let go of frustration, and know your purpose on this earth. You gain a clear sense of direction and have solutions appear as if by magic to your mind and in your life. Best of all, it creates a joyful connection with something far greater than yourself–-an experience often described as enlightenment (not to be confused with "perfection". :_)
Wear easy on/off shoes and loose, comfortable clothing, but don't expect to sweat. Bring a meditation cushion and/or yoga block, if you have them. (A yoga mat is not needed.)
ABOUT THE PRACTICE
Energy Flow Meditation combines the Asian tradition of chi (internal energy) with the traditions of pranayama (breathwork) and chakras (energy centers) from India (aka Kriya Yoga), merging them with the modern tradition of affirmative prayer. At its best, it’s about experiencing a substantial, recognizable flow of internal energy.
Energy Flow Yoga focuses on developing the specific combination of strength and flexibility required to maintain a balanced, upright posture for the duration of your meditation--while an active version of the energy breath turns the strengthening isometrics and yoga asanas into energy flow practices in their own right.
As you progress, you begin to experience yourself as an energy being, and become aware of your connection with the greater energy that pervades the universe (a physical reality we will touch upon in class).
ABOUT THE CLASS
The first 20 minutes is a “drop-in” meditation. (Some may call it “guided,” but I prefer to call it “instructional”.) You learn the basic energy breath and are taken on a journey of inner discovery. In the process, you learn a practice you can do and will want to do, pretty much every day-- a practice that will inevitably make you a happier, more positive person.
The next 10 minutes will focus on a posture or breath practice that can be added to your daily routine. (People short on time may leave at this point or after the meditation.)
The final 30 minutes will be a Satsang (gathering of spiritual practitioners), where we can share experiences and explore more advanced topics. People ready for the next level of the Energy Flow Meditation practice will be instructed in the technique(s) for that level.
(The practice has 7 levels, each building on the previous. To be ready for the next level, you should have practiced the previous techniques daily for at least a week or have practiced them in some other setting.)
ABOUT ERIC
Eric Armstrong describes himself as an “inspired bubble of imperfection with important things to share’. The author of Bench Yoga (volume 1 of the Subtle Energy Yoga series) and The “Secret Science” of Weight Loss, he created the “Instant Alignment’ Yoga Meditation Bench, and founded MeditateBetter.com.
Eric spent 30 years studying the internal energy arts with a variety of masters. A former volleyball coach and martial arts instructor, he focuses on practical, efficient techniques that can make a difference in your life, sharing his deep understanding of the subject in his workshops, articles, and books.
