Beth Roth, MSN
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| Home | Bio | Meditation Programs | Schedule | Contact Info | Publications | Resources |
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Programs Offered Previously
Below is the list of the programs that have been offered in previous years.
Forgiveness: Path to a Peaceful Heart
Dates: Tuesday evenings May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, June 5, 12, 19, 2007 (8 weeks)
Time: 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Location: The Unitarian Society, 700 Hartford Turnpike, Hamden (in the
Children's Chapel)
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Forgiveness is one of the most misunderstood concepts in our world, and yet one of the most important of all personal qualities to achieve. The Buddha taught that forgiveness is necessary for creating peace within ourselves, in our families, in our communities, and in the world. Through class activities and home practice between classes, we will explore what forgiveness really is, why it is so important, and the process and practices by which it is achieved. Each class session will include lecture, discussion, meditation practice, and a short movement period of either walking meditation or gentle stretching. An established meditation practice is helpful but not required.
Suggested minimum donation:
for USNH members: $96. / non-members $160.
Please note: Suggested minimum donation means one can pay the suggested amount, pay less than the suggested amount, or pay more than the suggested amount. No one will be turned away for financial reasons.
Maximum 25 participants. Registration is on a first come, first serve basis. Courses fill up quickly and pre-registration is required.
Sympathetic Joy: Gateway to Happiness
Dates: Tuesday evenings Feb. 27, March 6, 20, 27, April 3, 10, 17, & 24, 2007 (8 weeks, no session March 13)
Time: 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Location: The Unitarian Society, 700 Hartford Turnpike, Hamden (in the
Children's Chapel)
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The Pali word Mudita is usually translated as �sympathetic joy,� or sometimes as �altruistic� or �appreciative� joy. It is the ability to rejoice in the happiness of others. The Dalai Lama says that given the number of people on the planet, the ability to experience sympathetic joy can increase one�s own happiness by about 6 billion. In this meditation program we will explore what sympathetic joy is and how to cultivate it. We will discuss the obstacles to sympathetic joy that cause so much suffering: judgment, comparison, prejudice, demeaning, envy, selfishness and boredom, as well as the qualities of rapture, gratitude, lovingkindness and compassion that support sympathetic joy. Each class session will include lecture, discussion, meditation practice, and movement. No prior meditation experience necessary.
Suggested minimum donation:
for USNH members: $96. / non-members $160.
Please note: Suggested minimum donation means one can pay the suggested amount, pay less than the suggested amount, or pay more than the suggested amount. No one will be turned away for financial reasons.
Maximum 25 participants. Registration is on a first come, first serve basis. Courses fill up quickly and pre-registration is required.
Insight Dialogue: Interpersonal Meditation Practice
Dates: Tuesday evenings Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, Feb. 6, 13, & 20, 2007 (8 weeks)
Time: 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Location: The Unitarian Society, 700 Hartford Turnpike, Hamden (in the
Children's Chapel)
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As many seasoned meditators have discovered, the mindfulness that we so diligently cultivate in personal silent meditation can be extremely difficult to maintain in our interactions with family, friends, co-workers, and others. Insight Dialogue is an interpersonal meditation practice that includes silence but also encompasses speaking, listening, and shared contemplation. Developed by vipassana teacher Gregory Kramer, it is designed to help us learn how to consistently sustain tranquility and compassion in our everyday relational life. Each class session will include silent personal meditation, walking meditation, and interpersonal dialogue practice. The required book �Meditating Together, Speaking from Silence: The Practice of Insight Dialogue� by Gregory Kramer will be available for $12.00 from the instructor. Prerequisite: An established meditation practice is strongly recommended. Please contact the instructor with any questions.
Suggested minimum donation:
for USNH members: $96. / non-members $160.
Please note: Suggested minimum donation means one can pay the suggested amount, pay less than the suggested amount, or pay more than the suggested amount. No one will be turned away for financial reasons.
Maximum 20 participants. Registration is on a first come, first serve basis. Courses fill up quickly and pre-registration is required.
Deepening
Our Practice
Dates: Tuesday evenings Nov. 7, 14, 21, 28,
Dec. 5 & 12, 2006 (6 weeks)
Time: 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Location: The Unitarian Society, 700 Hartford Turnpike, Hamden (in the
Children's Chapel)
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The wisdom and compassion that we cultivate in meditation practice are not “things” that we get and then hold onto. Rather, our wisdom and compassion grow when we practice meditation regularly, and wane when we don’t practice consistently. This meditation course is for people who wish to deepen their meditation practice in a group setting with instructor support. We will focus on 3 foundation practices of vipassana or insight meditation: awareness of the breath, awareness of body sensation, and walking meditation. Each class session will include 45 minutes of seated meditation and 30 minutes of walking meditation, and time for questions and discussion to explore meditation practice and the relevance of practice to our personal lives and to the world.
Suggested minimum donation:
for USNH members: $72. / non-members $120.
Please note: Suggested minimum donation means one can pay the suggested amount, pay less than the suggested amount, or pay more than the suggested amount. No one will be turned away for financial reasons.
Maximum 20 participants. Registration is on a first come, first serve basis. Courses fill up quickly and pre-registration is required.
A Day of Mindfulness
Date: Saturday, October 21, 2006
Time: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Location: The Unitarian Society, 700 Hartford Turnpike, Hamden (in the
Children's Chapel)
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This is a day to nourish yourself with silence
and mindfulness in a supportive group setting. There will be periods of
breathing meditation, walking meditation, eating meditation, and gentle
yoga, with time for discussion at the end of the afternoon. No
experience necessary. Please wear loose, comfortable clothing, and
bring a foam pad or blanket, and a sack lunch complete with beverage
and utensils.
Suggested minimum donation:
for USNH pledging members $ 30. / non-members $45.
Please note: Suggested
minimum donation means one can pay the suggested amount, pay less than
the suggested amount, or pay more than the suggested amount. No one
will be turned away for financial reasons.
Maximum 25 participants. Registration is on a first come, first serve basis. Courses fill up quickly and pre-registration is required.
Equanimity: Finding Balance
in the Midst of Life
Dates: Tuesday evenings Sept. 5, 12, 19, 26, Oct. 10,
17, 24 & 31, 2006 (8 sessions; No session Oct. 3)
Time: 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Location: The Unitarian Society, 700 Hartford Turnpike, Hamden (in the
Children's Chapel)
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Equanimity meditation is a
traditional Buddhist practice that helps cultivate balance and calm in
our minds and hearts while being fully present to the constantly
changing circumstances of our lives and our world. During this 8 week
course we will explore the nature of equanimity and its many obstacles,
clarifying the difference between equanimity and indifference or
detachment. We will practice equanimity meditation in the traditional
“directions”, beginning by cultivating equanimity
for ourselves, and expanding the meditation each week to offer
equanimity to a benefactor, a friend, a neutral person, a difficult
person, and all beings everywhere.
Suggested minimum donation:
for USNH pledging members $ 96. / non-members $160.
Please note: Suggested
minimum donation means one can pay the suggested amount, pay less than
the suggested amount, or pay more than the suggested amount. No one
will be turned away for financial reasons.
Maximum 25 participants. Registration is on a first come, first serve basis. Courses fill up quickly and pre-registration is required.
Working with Fear:
Teachings and Practices from the Buddhist Tradition
Dates: Tuesday evenings May 9, 16, 23, 30, June 6, 13,
20 & 27, 2006 (8 sessions)
Time: 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Location: The Unitarian Society, 700 Hartford Turnpike, Hamden (in the
Children's Chapel)
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Fear – in the form of angst, worry, anxiety, panic, or terror – arises periodically in the hearts and minds of all. Our fears may be about our own flaws and imperfections, about our mortality, or may arise in the context of interpersonal relationships, or may be a response to the current world situation and the fate of the earth. Our attempts to deny, diminish, conceal or succumb to our fears only exacerbate their influence over us. The Buddhist tradition offers both wise teachings and skillful meditation practices to help us discover fearlessness, which is defined not as the absence of fear but as the capacity to live freely in the face of fear. Each class session will include lecture, discussion, meditation practice, and a movement period of either walking meditation or gentle stretching.
Prior meditation experience is
recommended but not required.
Suggested minimum donation:
for USNH pledging members $ 96. / non-members $160.
Please note: Suggested minimum donation means one can pay the suggested amount, pay less than the suggested amount, or pay more than the suggested amount. No one will be turned away for financial reasons.
Maximum 25 participants. Registration is on a first come, first serve basis. Courses fill up quickly and pre-registration is required.
The Practice of Happiness
Dates: Tuesday evenings Feb. 21, 28, Mar. 7, 21, 28, April 4, 11, 18
& 25, 2006 (10 sessions, no class March 14)
Time: 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Location: The Unitarian Society, 700 Hartford Turnpike, Hamden (in the
Children's Chapel)
Class limit: 25 people (registration on first-come basis)
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"All human beings wish to be happy,
yet so very few know how." The Buddha made this statement over 2,500
years ago, and if we look honestly at ourselves and our world, we might
make the same observation today. In this meditation program we will
explore a variety of Buddhist teachings that relate directly to the
experience of happiness. Through lecture, discussion, and meditation
practice we will address the following questions: What is happiness?
What are the conditions that cause happiness to arise in us? How can we
consciously create these conditions in order that we may experience
greater happiness? How does our personal happiness relate to peace and
happiness in the world?
No experience necessary.
Suggested minimum donation:
for USNH pledging members $120. / non-members $200.
Please note: Suggested minimum donation means one can pay the suggested amount, pay less than the suggested amount, or pay more than the suggested amount. No one will be turned away for financial reasons.
Maximum 25 participants. Registration is on a first come, first serve basis. Courses fill up quickly and pre-registration is required.
"Mommy, How did the Buddha
know so much?": Sharing Buddhist Teachings and Meditation Practices
with Children
Date: March 4, 2006.
Time: 9:00 am – 12 noon
Location: The Unitarian Society, 700 Hartford Turnpike, Hamden (in the
Children's Chapel)
Class limit: 25 people (registration on first-come basis)
Childcare will be provided upon request, by contacting Michael DeMarsico at (203) 288-1807, ext. 203 by Feb. 26, 2006.
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This workshop is for parents,
grandparents, teachers, therapists and others who are interested in
sharing Buddhist teachings and mindfulness meditation practices with
children in families, schools, and other settings. We will explore ways
to introduce mindfulness practices with children: breathing meditation,
walking meditation, eating meditation, speaking/listening meditation,
and loving-kindness meditation. We will also discuss how to integrate
fundamental Buddhist teachings such as The Four Noble Truths, The Five
Precepts and the Law of Karma to children in meaningful ways in
everyday life.
These teachings and practices can help children with stress reduction,
school anxiety and performance, sports and music, emotional awareness,
self-confidence and interpersonal relationships. Some familiarity with
basic Buddhist teachings and mindfulness meditation practices is
helpful.
Suggested minimum donation:
for USNH pledging members $18. / non-members $30.
Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation
Dates: Tuesday evenings, Jan. 17, 24, 31, & Feb. 7, 2006 (4 sessions)
Time: 7:00 � 9:00 pm
Location: The Unitarian Society, 700 Hartford Turnpike, Hamden (in the Children's Chapel)
Class limit: 25 people (registration on first-come basis)
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Meditation may be helpful for stress reduction, pain relief, mood enhancement, personal growth, and spiritual development. This 4-week introductory program will offer instruction in mindfulness (or insight) meditation in a context of basic Buddhist teachings. A variety of mindfulness practices will be taught, including eating meditation, awareness of breathing meditation, walking meditation, awareness of body sensation, and mindfulness of thoughts, emotions, and interpersonal communication. These practices will be considered in relation to the Buddha�s teachings of The Four Noble Truths, The Five Precepts, and the Law of Karma. Each class session will include lecture, discussion, and meditation practice. A sincere commitment to attend all four sessions and to devote 30 minutes per day to home meditation practice is requested.
Suggested minimum donation for USNH pledging members $48 /
non-members $80
Materials fee: $12 (audiotapes & handouts) or $18 (CDs & handouts)
Lovingkindness Meditation: A Buddhist Path to Peace and Happiness
Dates: Tuesday evenings, Nov. 29, Dec. 6, 13, & 20, 2005 (4 sessions)
Time: 7:00 � 9:00 pm
Location: The Unitarian Society, 700 Hartford Turnpike, Hamden (in the Children's Chapel)
Class limit: 25 people
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Lovingkindness meditation is a traditional Buddhist practice that helps connect us with our natural impulse to love and care for ourselves and others. During this four-week course we will explore the universal nature of lovingkindness and its many obstacles. We will practice the meditation in the traditional "directions", beginning by cultivating lovingkindess for ourselves, and expanding the meditation each week to direct lovingkindness to a benefactor, a friend, a neutral person, a difficult person, and all beings everywhere.
The recommended (not required) book for this course�Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness by Sharon Salzberg�will be available from the USNH book cart.
Suggested minimum donation for USNH pledging members $48 /
non-members $80
"Mommy: How Did the Buddha Know So Much?": Sharing Buddhist Teachings and Meditation Practices with Children
Dates: Tuesday evenings, Nov. 15 & 22, 2005 (two sessions)
Time: 6:45 � 9:00 pm
Location: The Unitarian Society, 700 Hartford Turnpike, Hamden (in the Children's Chapel)
Class limit: 25 people
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These two workshops are for parents, grandparents, teachers, therapists and others who are interested in sharing Buddhist teachings and mindfulness meditation practices with children in families, schools, and other settings.
The first session will focus on how to introduce and practice mindfulness meditation techniques with children: breathing meditation, walking meditation, eating meditation, speaking/listening meditation, and loving-kindness meditation.
The second session will focus on basic Buddhist teachings such as The Four Noble Truths, The Noble Eightfold Path, The Five Precepts and the Law of Karma to children in meaningful ways in everyday life.
These teachings and practices can help children with stress reduction, school anxiety and performance, sports and music, emotional awareness, self-confidence and interpersonal relationships. You may register for one or both sessions. Some familiarity with basic Buddhist teachings and mindfulness meditation practices is helpful and strongly recommended.
Suggested minimum donation for USNH pledging members $27 ($13.50 per session) / non-members $45 ($22.50 per session)
Self-Acceptance: Teachings and Practices from the Buddhist Tradition
Dates: Tuesday evenings, Sept. 13, 20, 27, Oct. 4, 11, 18, 25, & Nov. 1, 2005 (eight sessions)
Time: 7:00 � 9:00 pm
Location: The Unitarian Society, 700 Hartford Turnpike, Hamden (in the Children's Chapel)
Class limit: 25 people
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The Buddha taught that pain and suffering are inevitable in this life, and that mindfulness, wisdom, and compassion can help us to suffer less and experience greater peace and happiness. Many contemporary Western Buddhist teachers have observed that lack of self-acceptance is one of the most pervasive types of personal suffering in the world today, and that this sense of �something is wrong with me� is at the root of many problems that threaten interpersonal, communal and international harmony and security. The required companion book for this meditation course, Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life with the Heart of a Buddha by Tara Brach, will be available for $12.00 (including tax) at the USNH Book Cart, and is also on sale at most bookstores. Each class session will include discussion, meditation practice, and movement. No prior meditation experience necessary.
Suggested minimum donation for USNH pledging members $96 /
non-members $160
A Day of Mindfulness
Date: Saturday, October 22, 2005
Time: 9:00 am � 3:00 pm
Location: The Unitarian Society, 700 Hartford Turnpike, Hamden (in the Children's Chapel)
Class limit: 25 people
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This is a day to nourish yourself with silence and mindfulness in a supportive group setting. There will be periods of breathing meditation, walking meditation, eating meditation, and gentle yoga, with time for discussion at the end of the afternoon. No experience necessary. Please wear loose, comfortable clothing, and bring a foam pad or blanket, and a sack lunch complete with beverage & utensils.
Suggested minimum donation for USNH pledging members $30 /
non-members $45
Mindfulness of the Body
Dates: Tuesday evenings, June 28, July 5, 12, 19 & 26, 2005 (5 sessions)
Time: 7:00 � 9:00 pm
Location: The Unitarian Society, 700 Hartford Turnpike, Hamden (in the Children's Chapel)
Class limit: 25 people
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The Buddha taught that mindfulness is one of the main gateways to happiness, peace, and well being, both in the individual and in the world. In this meditation program we will explore the First Foundation of Mindfulness: mindfulness of the body. This teaching contains precise instructions on how to develop mindfulness of breathing, bodily position, bodily actions, body parts, body elements and the impermanence of the body. Practicing mindfulness of the body nourishes our sense of health and wholeness, increases self-awareness and self-knowledge, and helps us appreciate the preciousness of our human life. Each class session will include discussion, meditation practice, and movement. No prior meditation experience necessary.
Suggested minimum donation for USNH pledging members $ 60. /
non-members $ 100.
Healing Grief and Loss: Teachings and Practices from the Buddhist Tradition
Dates: Tuesday evenings, April 26, May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, June 7 & 21, 2005
(8 sessions, no class June 14)
Time: 7:00 � 9:00 pm
Location: The Unitarian Society, 700 Hartford Turnpike, Hamden (in the Children's Chapel)
Class limit: 25 people
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The gift of a human life brings with it many losses�deaths of loved ones, loss of relationships due to divorce, separation or estrangement, loss of identity due to aging, illness, or injury, and the loss of hopes and dreams that accompanies major disappointments in our personal and professional lives. Despite the inevitability of grief and loss, we may find we lack the guidance, support, or inner resources to grieve thoroughly and heal effectively. In this meditation program we will explore Buddhist teachings and practices designed to help us navigate the landscape of grief in order to more fully accept the past, more peacefully live in the present, and more gracefully move into the future. Each class session will include lecture, discussion, guided meditation, and a brief movement period. Prior meditation experience and a willingness to work with potentially difficult emotions are recommended. Please feel free to contact the instructor to discuss your interest.
Suggested minimum donation for USNH pledging members $ 96. /
non-members $160.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
Dates: Tuesday evenings, Feb. 15, 22, March 1, 8, 22, 29, April 5
& 12, 2005
(8 sessions, no session on March 15)
Time: 7:00 � 9:00 pm
Location: The Unitarian Society, 700 Hartford Turnpike, Hamden (in the Children's Chapel)
Class limit: 25 people
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A variety of mindfulness meditation practices will be taught, including the body scan, hatha yoga, sitting (breathing) meditation, walking meditation, and eating meditation. In addition to practicing meditation, there is an emphasis on incorporating mindfulness into all aspects of daily life.
A set of two required cassette tapes or CDs will be available from the
instructor, and the (optional) companion text "Full
Catastrophe Living" by Jon Kabat-Zinn, is available at most book
stores, libraries, the USNH book cart, and at class.
Suggested minimum donation for USNH pledging members $
96. /
non-members $160.
Please note: Individuals registering for Mindfulness-Based
Stress Reduction are strongly encouraged to also participate in A
Day of Mindfulness, described below.
The Inner Art of Meditation
Dates: Tuesday evenings, Jan. 4, 11, 18, & 25, 2005 (4 sessions)
Time: 7:00 � 9:00 pm
Location: The Unitarian Society, 700 Hartford Turnpike, Hamden (in the Children's Chapel)
Class limit: 25 people
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This course is for meditation practitioners who wish to
deepen their practice in a group setting. During each class
session we will spend 45 minutes doing �sitting� (awareness of
breathing) meditation, and alternate weekly between 30 minutes of yoga
or walking meditation. We will discuss our experiences with these
practices, clarifying how to work with difficulties that arise, and how
to strengthen mindfulness and concentration. We will explore
changes that occur in the body, mind, and heart during meditation
practice and as a result of bringing greater mindfulness to everyday
life.
Suggested minimum donation for USNH pledging members $
48. /
non-members $80.
Healing Anger: Teachings and Meditations from the Buddhist Tradition
Dates: Oct. 28, Nov. 4,11, 18 & 25, Dec. 2, 9 & 16, 2004 (Eight weeks)
Times: Tuesday evenings 7-9 pm
Location: The Unitarian Society, 700 Hartford Turnpike, Hamden (in the Children's Chapel)
Class limit: 25 people
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Anger is one of the primary obstacles to individual happiness and to world peace. In this course we will investigate the origins of anger, and explore the continuum of anger beginning with impatience and frustration, continuing to disappointment and sorrow, and extending to self-righteousness, rage and violence. We will practice specific meditations designed to develop patience, tolerance, forgiveness and loving kindness. Discussion of readings by Stephen Levine, Thich Nhat Hanh, The Dalai Lama, Pema Chodron and others will be integrated into the program. Each class session will include discussion, meditation, and movement. No prior meditation experience necessary.
Suggested minimum donation for USNH pledging members $ 96.
/ non-members $ 160.
The Four Noble Truths: Moving from Suffering to Freedom
Dates: Tuesday evenings, Sept. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, Oct. 7, 14, & 21, 2004 (8 Weeks)
Times: 7:00 - 9:00 pm
Location: The Unitarian Society, 700 Hartford Turnpike, Hamden (in the Children's Chapel)
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The Four Noble Truths is a fundamental teaching of the Buddha that is as relevant today as when it was first offered 2,500 years ago. The First Noble Truth acknowledges that we experience pain and suffering in our lives. The Second Noble Truth describes the causes of our suffering. The Third Noble Truth affirms that freedom from suffering is possible. The Fourth Noble Truth shows us the path toward happiness and well-being. We will explore the Four Noble Truths and their relevance to our personal and communal lives. Class time each week will include discussion, meditation practice, and a short period of either walking meditation or gentle yoga.
Suggested minimum donation for USNH pledging members: $ 96 /
non-members: $160
Yale University Meditation Hour
Free and open to the public
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Group sitting with basic meditation instructions given. Short question and answer / discussion period following the sitting. Please bring a zafu, pillow, or other meditation seat if desired. For exact dates, times, and locations, and to register for the Meditation Hour, please visit the Yale Learning Center website: http://www.yale.edu/learningcenter or the course info page: http://learn.caim.yale.edu/lcdb/courses/classinfo.asp?CourseID=210