- Address:646 Brookline Ave, Brookline, MA 02445
- Phone:(617) 734-1498
- Website:http://www.shambhalaboston.org/
- Rating:4.2
Shambhala Meditation Center
Reviews
Rated 4.2/5 based on 19 customer reviews.
Mandy .
November 16, 2019 15:50
Just no.
Ben
July 30, 2019 21:06
Very relaxing
lakota sandoe
April 18, 2018 09:38
Warm community. Lots of programming for all ages and stages of life and practice. No dogma. Very generous teachers. Can't recommend more highly.
A Google User
April 18, 2018 09:38
Warm community. Lots of programming for all ages and stages of life and practice. No dogma. Very generous teachers. Can't recommend more highly.
lakota sandoe lilaloka radical embodiment therapy
April 18, 2018 09:38
Warm community. Lots of programming for all ages and stages of life and practice. No dogma. Very generous teachers. Can't recommend more highly.
Kathy Southard
October 23, 2017 07:52
This place is an oasis of sanity, a place and community that supports meditation practice and "enlightened society". It is what you make of. It is staffed by volunteers, most who are not paid at all, so sometimes it is not the most professional and polished place you can go. I just read the one negative review and my two cents about that... Yeah, that guy signed up for the wrong program. A weekend on Taking Refuge would be a more advanced meditation program and you never have to do that (take refuge = becoming a Buddhist) if you never want to. It would have felt very weird for one's first meditation program. The beginner meditation courses would have been more suitable. That said, if meditation, the teachings and the community do not connect with your heart, yeah there's no point in coming. But if they do, you'll find a supportive community, that often times makes mistakes, but everyone there is basically good, kind, caring, and supportive to people wanting to learn or deepen their experience of meditation. I would start with a Beginning to Meditate program on a Sunday or a Wednesday night open house before you take a longer weekend program.
Richie Batista
October 23, 2017 07:52
I went on a Sunday to an intro meditation class and learned 1 or 2 new things. The rooms were so peaceful and well designed!
lakota sandoe #yoginilife
October 23, 2017 07:52
Warm community. Lots of programming for ask ages and stages of life and practice. No dogma. Very generous teachers. Can't recommend more highly.
Balint Karosi
October 23, 2017 07:52
I would not recommend this place. My girlfriend signed us up for a weekend session to learn about mediation. But we apparently signed up for a more advanced course: the refuge vow. We went to the opening Friday session last Friday 3/15/15. We were ushered into the upstairs sanctuary, where we sat for 20 min and then had to bow down in front of two Shambhala teacher's pictures, while our teacher processed into the room. During the whole session I felt intimidated. Our teacher was a white guy from Jersey working in finance. He had a weird energy around him. His lecture was vague and used rather pretentious language. After a brief Q&A they asked us chant some atheist chants and then to volunteer for work during the weekend. Some of their instructions included "please pick up your trash after yourself" even though everyone in that room acted very respectfully. On top of that they asked us to give a monetary "gift" to the finance guy in addition to the fee everyone already paid, which I though was insulting. We respectfully asked the secretary to remove us from the remaining session during the weekend, and reimburse us for the next two days that we were not planning to attend. One thing we learned that night was that one of the five precepts of Buddhism is not to take what is not yours. Ironically, we are still waiting for our refund.
Joe Snowdon
October 23, 2017 07:52
This is an amazing place of wonderful people committed to living in a society based on compassion, generosity and kindness. If we are going to make the world a better place for future generations this is the place to do it! Outstanding instruction in meditation practice, excellent coursework in mindfulness, and a strong Buddhist community that welcomes all walks of life.
Richie Batista
December 8, 2016 23:58
I went on a Sunday to an intro meditation class and learned 1 or 2 new things. The rooms were so peaceful and well designed!
A Google User
December 8, 2016 23:58
I went on a Sunday to an intro meditation class and learned 1 or 2 new things. The rooms were so peaceful and well designed!
A Google User
November 6, 2016 11:22
This place is an oasis of sanity, a place and community that supports meditation practice and "enlightened society". It is what you make of. It is staffed by volunteers, most who are not paid at all, so sometimes it is not the most professional and polished place you can go. I just read the one negative review and my two cents about that... Yeah, that guy signed up for the wrong program. A weekend on Taking Refuge would be a more advanced meditation program and you never have to do that (take refuge = becoming a Buddhist) if you never want to. It would have felt very weird for one's first meditation program. The beginner meditation courses would have been more suitable. That said, if meditation, the teachings and the community do not connect with your heart, yeah there's no point in coming. But if they do, you'll find a supportive community, that often times makes mistakes, but everyone there is basically good, kind, caring, and supportive to people wanting to learn or deepen their experience of meditation. I would start with a Beginning to Meditate program on a Sunday or a Wednesday night open house before you take a longer weekend program.
Kathy Southard
November 6, 2016 11:22
This place is an oasis of sanity, a place and community that supports meditation practice and "enlightened society". It is what you make of. It is staffed by volunteers, most who are not paid at all, so sometimes it is not the most professional and polished place you can go. I just read the one negative review and my two cents about that... Yeah, that guy signed up for the wrong program. A weekend on Taking Refuge would be a more advanced meditation program and you never have to do that (take refuge = becoming a Buddhist) if you never want to. It would have felt very weird for one's first meditation program. The beginner meditation courses would have been more suitable. That said, if meditation, the teachings and the community do not connect with your heart, yeah there's no point in coming. But if they do, you'll find a supportive community, that often times makes mistakes, but everyone there is basically good, kind, caring, and supportive to people wanting to learn or deepen their experience of meditation. I would start with a Beginning to Meditate program on a Sunday or a Wednesday night open house before you take a longer weekend program.
lakota sandoe lilaloka radical embodiment therapy
September 24, 2016 00:55
Warm community. Lots of programming for ask ages and stages of life and practice. No dogma. Very generous teachers. Can't recommend more highly.
A Google User
March 22, 2015 17:45
I would not recommend this place. My girlfriend signed us up for a weekend session to learn about mediation. But we apparently signed up for a more advanced course: the refuge vow. We went to the opening Friday session last Friday 3/15/15. We were ushered into the upstairs sanctuary, where we sat for 20 min and then had to bow down in front of two Shambhala teacher's pictures, while our teacher processed into the room. During the whole session I felt intimidated. Our teacher was a white guy from Jersey working in finance. He had a weird energy around him. His lecture was vague and used rather pretentious language. After a brief Q&A they asked us chant some atheist chants and then to volunteer for work during the weekend. Some of their instructions included "please pick up your trash after yourself" even though everyone in that room acted very respectfully. On top of that they asked us to give a monetary "gift" to the finance guy in addition to the fee everyone already paid, which I though was insulting. We respectfully asked the secretary to remove us from the remaining session during the weekend, and reimburse us for the next two days that we were not planning to attend. One thing we learned that night was that one of the five precepts of Buddhism is not to take what is not yours. Ironically, we are still waiting for our refund.
Balint Karosi
March 22, 2015 17:45
I would not recommend this place. My girlfriend signed us up for a weekend session to learn about mediation. But we apparently signed up for a more advanced course: the refuge vow. We went to the opening Friday session last Friday 3/15/15. We were ushered into the upstairs sanctuary, where we sat for 20 min and then had to bow down in front of two Shambhala teacher's pictures, while our teacher processed into the room. During the whole session I felt intimidated. Our teacher was a white guy from Jersey working in finance. He had a weird energy around him. His lecture was vague and used rather pretentious language. After a brief Q&A they asked us chant some atheist chants and then to volunteer for work during the weekend. Some of their instructions included "please pick up your trash after yourself" even though everyone in that room acted very respectfully. On top of that they asked us to give a monetary "gift" to the finance guy in addition to the fee everyone already paid, which I though was insulting. We respectfully asked the secretary to remove us from the remaining session during the weekend, and reimburse us for the next two days that we were not planning to attend. One thing we learned that night was that one of the five precepts of Buddhism is not to take what is not yours. Ironically, we are still waiting for our refund.
A Google User
May 3, 2012 17:53
This is an amazing place of wonderful people committed to living in a society based on compassion, generosity and kindness. If we are going to make the world a better place for future generations this is the place to do it! Outstanding instruction in meditation practice, excellent coursework in mindfulness, and a strong Buddhist community that welcomes all walks of life.
Joe Snowdon
May 3, 2012 17:53
This is an amazing place of wonderful people committed to living in a society based on compassion, generosity and kindness. If we are going to make the world a better place for future generations this is the place to do it! Outstanding instruction in meditation practice, excellent coursework in mindfulness, and a strong Buddhist community that welcomes all walks of life.