Sunday May 18th, 2025 (9am-4pm)
Join us for a one-day intensive meditation session in the samatha practice. Beginners and experienced practitioners alike are welcome. Supported by three teachers in the practice, folks new to samatha meditation will be introduced to the beginning stages of practice in this form, and folks with more experience in samatha will have a chance to deepen their practice.
The practice is freely given. All are welcome. All cultures, ethnicities, and gender identities are welcomed and affirmed.
Registration and costs
Registration is for the full day (9am-4pm). There are no half-day or partial days options. If you are *not* available for the whole day Sunday May 18th and you would like to learn the practice locally in Rogers Park, please fill out a form to join the local beginners series. There is no cost to the day, aside from the optional catered lunch. This event is made possible by the past generosity of others. If you are so inspired, there will be an opportunity to give at the end of the event.
We will have multiple seated practices, standing practices, and movement sessions and discussions throughout the day and pause for tea, coffee, and breaks briefly throughout. We will begin promptly at 9am (please plan to arrive by 8:45am latest) and will finish for the day by 4pm.
Food and drink
There will be a lunch break. Tea, coffee, and cookies will be provided for all at no cost. An optional catered lunch (“Build Your Own Protein Bowl”) will be provided at cost ($16.95 per person) by Paramount Events. Gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options will be provided. If you prefer to bring your own food instead of the catered food, please indicate on the registration form.
What to bring/wear
Cushions, chairs, bolsters, and blankets will be provided. If you have a meditation set-up that you prefer, feel free to bring it. Folks should arrive in clothing you they find most comfortable. Many people find “soft” pants ” (leggings, sweatpants, yoga pants, etc.) comfortable. Others may prefer khakis, cargo pants, or even jeans. Plan to bring layers as the space is old and difficult to regulate temperature. Culture of Safety is a shoes-free space. Feel free to bring a pair of slippers or extra pair of socks to help yourself feel more comfortable. If you require shoes for medical reasons, they should be clean, indoors-only shoes (that have never been worn outside).
Location and Accessibility
The event will be held at Culture of Safety Dojo and Wellness Center (6961 N Clark St) in Rogers Park. We are a few feet from the #22 bus, and 1/4 mile from the Red line Morse Stop. Metered street parking is available. The building is ground floor level, and bathrooms and hallways are wheelchair accessible. We are a 3-person volunteer crew, and will do our best to support requests for accommodations for accessibility reasons. Please include any accessibility needs or requests in the registration form.
Questions? Add the to your registration form or email chicago@samathameditation.org
Benefits of samatha meditation
Samatha means calm. We practice breathing mindfulness to develop enhanced concentration, calm & clarity through the Buddhist practice of samatha meditation. Through becoming more calm, centered, relaxed, and focused, we find greater clarity in our day-to-day life. Whether you think of yourself as a naturally calm person or a more restless or anxious person, samatha meditation can help you find more stillness, focus, clarity, and calm, both during and outside of meditation practice.
One of the first benefits students notice is feeling less reactive to things in life that used to bother them more. As their practice progresses over the months, they begin to notice greater ease both in their meditation practice and in their daily life. Over the years this has a cumulative effect, allowing students greater access to calm amidst daily struggles.
All regular classes are free of charge, always. Donations are warmly accepted and go back into supporting the practice.
Giving / Dāna
The practice is always freely given. There is no charge for the practice, nor will there ever be. We encourage generosity (dāna). If you are so inspired, you may either give online, or donate by cash or check in-person to the following organizations:
More about Samatha Meditation
We practice meditation in the samatha tradition as taught through the Samatha Foundation of North America and the Samatha Trust of the UK, which are both non-profit organizations, run by experienced meditation teachers on the basis on dāna (generosity). You can learn more about the practice through either of these websites.
Samatha meditation has its roots in Buddhist practice. You can learn more the lineage and history of this samatha practice here. Many discussions in groups will center around teachings from Buddhism which directly support our meditation practice. There may occasionally be some chanting in Pāli as well. Identifying as Buddhist is neither a requirement, nor expected. The practice is open to all, whatever your religious beliefs.
In this tradition, we practice in groups, led by–but never centered on–a teacher. Samatha teachers help support each person in their meditation practice through both group and one-on-one conversations, and in turn are supported by the community of samatha teachers, in North America, and worldwide. Through practicing in groups, all who practice samatha meditation are supported both by peers and more experienced meditators. As a community of meditation practitioners, our focus in conversations is how to deepen our meditation practice and connect what we learn from our practice to life experiences.