Open Heart Guided Group Meditation

In this first session, we will do introductions, discuss any past experience with meditation and spiritual practices, and then I’ll lead a group session on finding what’s called the “natural state,” our inherent state of clarity, compassion, and groundedness, through a very simple practice called “whole body smile.” Regardless of whether you’re looking for enlightenment or just want to meet other like-minded people, it’ll be a pleasant afternoon sitting and smiling for no good reason.

Chairs are available for up to 15 people, or, if you prefer, you can bring a mat or cushion. We might also sit outside on the shaded patio when the weather is nice.

Your instructor:

I’m Lindsay Kriebel, an instructor (skt. acharya) with Open Heart Sangha. I’ve practiced with Open Heart for going on 5 years, following 10 years of throwing every self-help solution I could find at addiction, depression, and social anxiety. It’s taken me this long to see that complex problems can’t be solved by more overthinking. Simple solutions like developing compassion for myself and others work exactly because they are so basic. When I’m not seeking spiritual realization, I’m a librarian, seeking information for law students at the University of Arizona.

If you’re curious about meditation, if you’ve practiced it already and wanted to delve further into it, if you consider yourself a “seeker,” someone always looking, always searching for something more, you’ll be in good company with Open Heart, a worldwide community of lay practitioners who have explored traditions from Zen Buddhism to Kriya Yoga and learned from each of them.

Neurodivergent minds (and many neurotypical minds) thrive on structure and deep focus on things they feel invested in, but can often struggle with meditation cues like focusing on the breath for extended periods of time, or vague instructions to "observe thoughts," because these depend on willpower and low-reward focus.

This week I'll introduce a practice called dynamic concentration, used frequently in the martial arts and Zen Buddhism, but not widely applied in western mindfulness culture. It involves periods of sharp focus using muscle contractions, shouted syllables (think that iconic "hi-ya" in karate movies), or sharp exhales, contrasted by periods of total relaxation, and the contrast of the two leads to effortless relaxation and clarity of mind.

Chairs are available for up to 15 people, or you can bring a mat or cushion if you prefer. We might sit outside in the shaded patio area if the weather is nice.

In these hour and a half sessions, we will discuss our experiences and personal practice for the first half-hour, then I will guide us through sitting practice on a different theme each week. Themes will include: