The Meditation Resort ——— virtual group program from May 13th
If the ground was covered by broken glass, meditation is like putting on a pair of shoes.
Four-week virtual group program running from May 13th - June 10th
The Meditation Resort
This course is for people who want to cultivate a meditation practice they can get excited about.
​Set against a backdrop of your own life, the meditation practices we’ll explore together will make you feel like you’re at an old-time resort, lying in the grass and soaking up the sun. There’s a relaxing and unpretentious whimsy to life here, and you feel connected to something bigger than yourself.
You’ll be forgiven for thinking that "real" meditation is only reserved for people who have shaved their heads and taken vows of celibacy. Or for people who have lots of time on their hands and speak in hushed voices. Or that it's about sitting still and doing . . . well. . . nothing.
When in fact, you'll be delighted to know that the purpose of meditation is not to space out. Or to only think positive thoughts. Or to achieve some blissed-out state.
The Tibetan word for meditation is Gom, which means 'to become familiar with.' So the art of meditation is to become familiar with the mind. And once you become familiar with the mind, you learn how to work with the mind, and that leads to tremendous confidence in yourself.
New to meditation?
You might be new to meditation, but the natural qualities of meditation have been with you since you were born.
Qualities like compassion, wisdom, wakefulness, alertness, joy, playfulness, humor, peace, patience, unconditional confidence, self-love, and courage.
Or perhaps you're not new to meditation at all.
Maybe you've tried to meditate, but it just doesn't stick. As a result, you might have this will they/won't they relationship with meditation. You want to like it, you've read about all the benefits, but you just can't bring yourself to do it.
Super frustrating. I get it.
This is why I've created this course.
Here you will discover why everyone from the Dalai Lama to Sharon Stone loves to meditate.
Specifically, you'll learn:
-The basics of mindfulness practice, from correct posture to relaxing breathing techniques.
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-The three vital ingredients for happy and healthy meditation sessions: tenderness, patience, and humor.
- The art of stabilizing your mind and resting in the present moment.
- The joy of using your thoughts and emotions as fuel for your practice.
Golden Getaway
The Meditation Resort is your golden ticket to cultivating a meditation practice that fits like a glove. One that fills your life with gentleness, courage, and self-knowledge.
Meditation is a vast topic and rich in details, but the basics are very simple.
Everyone can meditate.
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Body still.
Speech silent.
Mind at peace.
My wish for you:
This virtual resort has two specific gifts for you:
1. The gift of treating yourself with unconditional kindness. When the Dalai Lama was asked, 'What do you do if you have low self-esteem?' he didn't understand the question. Why wouldn't you have self-esteem? You're an amazing, beautiful, worthy, unique, lovable human being.
2. The gift of cultivating a meditation practice you love and adore. One that feels like a warm hug, or a friend. Or both. If you like to meditate, you'll meditate, so there is no reason to make it into a big, complicated, overwhelming production.
Aaaaaaaaand. . . . . . in general I also want you to have tons of fun, make a great living, write that book, go on that trip to Italy, get that dog, and launch that program. I want you to expand into a life that is big enough and brave enough to do all the things you came here to do. Life is short. We don't have the time to sit around and let stress, fear, doubt, and perfectionism run the show.
But first, let's breathe, meditate, and smile.
Meditation - making friends with your mind
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If you’re remotely curious about meditation, this practical course will feel like a breath of fresh air.
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Even if you've never meditated before.
Even if you don't see yourself as a meditator.
Even if you're not (gasp!) a vegetarian.
Even if you've never used the words 'joy' and 'meditation' in the same sentence before.
Even if you've tried stuff in the past that made you go, 'This is too hard.'
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Soon, you'll start to glimpse your new life.
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A life where you ask yourself, 'I wonder if these trousers will be comfortable to meditate in?'
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A life where you still make mistakes, but you stop being a jerk to yourself about it.
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A life where you feel more steadfast and start making peace with yourself.
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Can you imagine?
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What a game-changer.
You are the sky. Everything else—it’s just the weather.
- Pema Chödrön
THE RELUCTANT MEDITATOR
Hello, I'm Inger Kenobi and I am a life coach, author, and lifelong Buddhist. Which is not super common for someone who was born and raised in Norway. Not only that, but I never considered myself to be religious or even remotely interested in anything to do with spirituality or meditation. But then, right before my 21st birthday, I went to visit a friend who had just moved to a Buddhist center in California. I was supposed to stay for two months. I stayed for over ten years.
Some people would argue that I'd landed myself in a cult, but I have never felt more at home in my entire life. Everything fell into place. In my particular tradition, we have sacred ceremonies with dancing and music, we do long retreats all by ourselves in tiny cabins in the forest, and we have 84.000 teachings on meditation and the nature of mind.
We're not going to go that deep. I'm not that kind of teacher and we don't have that kind of time.
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However, in this course, we'll dive into the realm of meditation in a way that feels fresh and joyful.
Everything you'll get:
Four live video classes: Each class will be part guided meditation, part learning about the remarkable benefits of meditation, and there will also be time for questions and conversation. The purpose of meditation is straightforward, to transform the mind. Or to put it another way, to come home to yourself.
Uplifting challenges: Did you know there's a lot more to meditation than just sitting still on a cushion? There is walking meditation, writing exercises, and lots of everyday activities that fall under the category, "Liberation upon taste, smell, sight, touch, and sound." In other words, there is meditation with support and meditation without support. No one expects you to meditate like a pro without any warmup or guidance. That would be like dropping a hipster into the jungle and saying, 'Good luck surviving! See you in two weeks!'
Four audio recordings, plus a new community of joyful meditators, and lifetime access to all the material.
Want all the practical details? That's what's coming next.
The Practical Details
Dates: Monday, May 13 - Monday, June 10(4 weeks total)
Price: £199/approx 255 dollars
Lessons and live Q&A calls every Monday at (6 pm UK time/ noon CT, USA) on Zoom. All calls will be recorded and replays will be sent straight to your inbox.
Access to a private Facebook group for the length of the live program.
(This program is free for SHINE members, so don't purchase separately.)
Short and Sweet Student Testimonials​
"Thank you Inger! You bring so much fun to the deep hard work of life." -E
"OMG. Such a beautiful time! I wanted to cry all day." -M
"THANK YOU for the workshop! I love how you give us things we can USE ." -T
"You have helped me feel braver and trust myself in ways that feel magical, and in many ways surprising. " -P
PS: final words
This course is very much a:
Start where you are.
Do what you can.
Grow your practice as you go.
If you don't like to sit, start with walking meditation. I didn't sit sit until a year in. Simply sitting is actually quite advanced. For many people, it's too much, too soon. You have to be skillful about it and ease your way into meditation in a way that works for you, not against you.
Frequently Asked Questions
I've tried meditation before. It wasn't for me. What makes this course different?
Ha ha! I get it. There are loads of meditation practices (and the way they're being presented) that make me want to run for the hills. Mostly because it feels a bit forced and boring. And even though I can't guarantee you'll love the practices presented in this course, several people have told me, 'You're the only person I know who actually enjoys meditating.' I've also been told, 'You don't look like a meditator.' Both things are true. And I think that is the point: you don't have to be a certain kind of person or wear certain kinds of clothes to meditate. Punk-rockers meditate. People eating nothing but fruit meditate. People who look exactly like you meditate. One of my teachers told me, 'You have to develop a mind that works for you, not against you. ' If that sounds like something you'd be interested in, I hope to see you on May 13th! ​
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How much time will this course require of me? In addition to the weekly one-hour session, you'll be practicing meditation by yourself between the sessions. If you have time to sit for 5 minutes a day, fantastic. If you're a seasoned meditator, you might want to stretch it to 30 minutes or two hours a day. Up to you. But whatever you land on, make sure it's something you can commit to for the duration of this course. You'll get more out of sitting for 2 minutes a day - every day- then 15 minutes here and there.
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Do you still have a meditation teacher? Yes, I do. I've studied with him for over 25 years. I feel really, really lucky that I met him when I was so young. In addition to my main teacher, I've also had the good fortune to study with countless other meditation masters. Even so, I'm still a beginner. I'm full of flaws and limitations. I'm still learning. As an ongoing student, I'm happy to pass on the information that has helped me along the way.
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Do I have to be a Buddhist to sign up? Absolutely not. I belong to a specific lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, but the basic principles of meditation are universal. So are the countless benefits. In fact, brain imaging techniques (MRIs) are revealing that meditation and mindfulness can profoundly change the way different regions of the brain communicate with each other – and therefore how we think – permanently. This is why one of my teachers jokes, 'Science is finally catching up to a 2000-year-old tradition.!'
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I'm going through some heavy shit at the moment. Will meditation help? First of all, I'm really sorry to hear that. And secondly, meditation is not a quick fix or a cure-all. If you broke your leg, you'd still need to see a doctor. If you're starving, you have to find food. So if you're on medication, keep taking it. If you have a therapist, keep seeing them. And then ask yourself, 'Is this course something I want to take on right now?' Trust the answer.