Deepening into Meditation and Community
With Emily Ballentine | Namchak Facilitator
January 8 - February 12, 2026
Join us on Thursday mornings for another 6-week online course to continue deepening our meditation practice and cultivating community!
About This Course
Are you interested in deepening your meditation to experience more awareness and compassion? Would you like to continue connecting and growing with this great group with whom you have been traveling to continue benefiting through the wisdom of Buddhist practices and teachings?
Continuing in January of 2026, we are offering our Deepening into Meditation and Community course. During this course, we will continue to dive into foundational Buddhist practices and dharma while also inviting participants to continue cultivating the warmth of sangha (community) that they have already begun to create.
*Please note that Part 1: Stepping Into Meditation and Community is a pre-requisite for attending this course. If you have not attended Part 1, but have previous experience with foundational Buddhist practice and meditation, please email Emily, the course facilitator (emily@namchak.org).
What You’ll Learn
- Week 1 (Jan 8): Course Overview, Revisiting & Deepening Intentions, and Impact Tracking
- Week 2 (Jan 15): Shamata Practice w/Visual Object & Working w/Obstacles to Our Practice
- Week 3 (Jan 22): Clearing of the Stale Winds & Exploring the Three Poisons
- Week 4 (Jan 29): Engaged Bodhicitta: The Six Paramitas
- Week 5 (Feb #): Introduction to Mantra
- Week 6 (Feb 12): Sympathetic Joy & Carrying the Gems Forward
- *An Optional Learning Circle will continue to meet after the conclusion of this Meditation and Community course series to continue connecting, practicing, and discussing the Dharma teachings shared during the course.
Who Is This Course Suited For?
- If you’ve recently completed the pre-requisite course, Stepping into Meditation and Community
- If you’re new to meditation
- Curious about or new to Buddhism
- Wanting to create the habit of a daily meditation practice, supported by others doing the same
- A more experienced Buddhist practitioner looking to meditate and contemplate the Dharma with others
- Wanting to connect with the Namchak Sangha
Course Format & Login Info
- We will meet for six consecutive 90-minute weekly sessions on Thursdays. We will have participants joining online from all over the country (and possibly world!) for a sweet sangha experience.
- The Zoom link for this course will be sent out in a confirmation email immediately following registration.
- We encourage online participants to create an immersive and focused environment, free from distractions. Recordings of these teachings will be made available after each course session has ended. These recordings are shared with the intention of making the session content available to those who had a conflict that prevented them from attending live.
Tuition
Our intention is to make this offering financially accessible to all, so we offer a tiered fee structure. Please choose whichever level works best for you. No one will be turned away due to lack of funds. If you would like to apply for financial assistance to attend this offering, please reach out to kate@namchak.org.
- Supported – For those with limited financial resources who will benefit from participating in the course.
- Suggested – For those with sufficient financial resources who can pay for the experience without difficulty.
- Sponsored – For those with the financial resources and the desire to support access for others.
Tuition Options
- Supported Online -$35
- Suggested Online -$50
- Sponsored Online -$75
Invite a Friend!
Sangha or community, is one of our favorite elements of the Buddhist path. That’s why we’re happy to share that when you register for the Stepping into Meditation and Community course, you can bring a friend, family member, or loved one to the course for free!
Upon registering for the course, you’ll receive a discount code via email for your guest to use for complimentary registration. They simply have to register for the course through our website and use the promotional code that you received in your email. We look forward to seeing you and your friend at our next course! Please email kate@namchak.org if you have any questions.
What is a Learning Circle?
At Namchak, we value the deep connection found in sangha—one of the Three Jewels of Buddhism. Learning Circles are small groups of meditators within our larger sangha who meet regularly to connect, practice, and discuss the Dharma together.
Our Stepping into Meditation and Community Course lays the perfect foundation for Learning Circles to form. Through the foundations of knowledge and relationships, these groups are equipped to meet after the course is finished to continue experiencing the connection, inspiration, and accountability that arise when meditating and studying in a group setting. Learning Circles are grounded in a “peer-led” model, so each member’s voice and participation contribute equally to the functioning and success of the Circle.
About the Guide
Emily Ballentine | Namchak Facilitator
Emily has been part of the Namchak family since 2018, dedicating her heart and skills to building community and supporting students’ meditation journeys. As our Community Engagement and Programming Specialist, Emily brings her passion for connection and her rich background in mental health to every Namchak offering. With a degree in Psychology and experience researching […]
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