Charlotte Meditation Classes
The Peaceful Dragon offers courses in authentic and traditional Chinese Zen (Ch’an) meditation, following in the tradition of the late great master, Venerable Sheng Yen, founder of Dharma Drum Mountain and a senior monk who was considered the leading proponent of Zen (Ch’an) in Taiwan and China before his death.
Various kinds of Charlotte meditation classes have grown in popularity, ranging from mindfulness meditation to Transcendental, guided, mindfulness, spiritual, Mantra, and many more. For traditional Zen meditation, Charlotte meditation practitioners have been coming to The Peaceful Dragon for over 20 years. Our Zazen (Zou Chan) sitting meditation programs are a perfect complement to the several “moving meditation” arts taught at The Peaceful Dragon, including Tai Chi, Pakua, and Qigong.
Why Meditate?
Meditation offers countless physical, mental and spiritual benefits.
Physical benefits of meditation include improved breathing, greater energy, fewer illnesses, faster healing, lowered blood pressure, improved athletic performance, better posture, and more efficient blood and energy flow.
Mental benefits of meditation include better stress management, increased mindfulness and awareness, deeper relaxation, improved focus and concentration, better anger management, and a greater ability to notice and change negative habits into positive ones.
Spiritual benefits of meditation can include a greater sense of oneness and connectivity with the divine, cultivation of greater compassion and loving-kindness, increased tolerance and acceptance of people and situations, a deepening of one’s faith or religious practices, and the potential for true awakening or enlightenment.
Who Meditates?
Anyone and everyone can meditate, and around the world, hundreds of millions of people of all ages meditate daily or at least regularly for any number of reasons.
Many people meditate for religious purposes. Nearly every major world religion has meditative or contemplative practices, with some sects highlighting meditation as an integral part of the religious practice.
Therapists and medical professionals often recommend meditation as a way to improve one’s physical or mental health. From children on up to seniors, patients are taught meditation techniques and methods that have been shown through clinical studies to have a positive impact on health.
Athletes now regularly use meditation and visualization techniques to improve game-time performance, and many coaches and sports psychologists incorporate meditation into their training routines.
Even business people and sales people use meditation and visualization as preparation for important meetings or sales calls, and they claim significant improvement to the bottom line as a result of their meditation.