BEGINNERS: Dhyana Yoga courses (Sundays) and weekday groups
Tuition for beginners consists of regular courses (in-person) on Sunday mornings dovetailing with weekday evening practice groups (online):
Dhyana Yoga (The Path of Meditation) courses consist of three modules, all separate workshops 10.30am – 1pm on Sundays. Week 1 covers the basic theory and mechanics of meditation as a spiritual discipline, broadly following the Raja Yoga system laid down by the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, including the systematic use of breathing and chakras. Week 2 develops this with the use of mantra and devotional visualisation. Week 3 inclines towards Self-Enquiry/Jnana Yoga, using more refined chakral techniques to develop Self-attention (Atma Dhyana).
See here for a fuller synopsis of the course.
Course attendance and booking: courses are open to all but places need to be booked in advance (see here for details). It is not possible for newcomers to attend Week 2 or Week 3 without attending Week 1, or to join the intermediate group without attending the course. If unsure about when to come along, please email the Centre for guidance. Returning students are also welcome to book refresher sessions, whether whole courses or individual workshops.
Mudras & Pranayama workshop: held on an occasional basis, this introduces the use of peripheral techniques as significant aids to meditation. Not for beginners and therefore only open to those who have previously attended an initial course.
OM Healing: 45 minutes audible chant followed by 30 minutes silent meditation; Tuesdays monthly and open to all. Please see the OM Healing page for more information.
INTERMEDIATE: Ramakrishna Group (Tuesdays and Fridays 7pm)
Following on from the introductory sessions is the Ramakrishna Group, named after the famous 19th century Indian saint who was the living embodiment of religious harmony (as in this photograph, left: a contemporary of Sri Ramakrishna was Lahiri Mahasaya, the archetypal householder yogi, pictured a few paragraphs below. These two great souls are the principal inspirations behind the Dhyana Centre).
Attendance: in-person sessions are drop-in classes from 7pm – 9pm with two periods of silent meditation, the first for 30 minutes (beginner) and the second for 45 minutes (intermediate). These classes are for Centre members and current students only; they are not open to members of the public, even if they have prior yogic experience. Booking is not required. [TWICE MONTHLY ON TUESDAY AT THE TS, OTHERWISE ON ZOOM]
ONLINE SESSIONS VIA ZOOM
These are taking place on Tuesday and Friday evenings and Sunday mornings. See the Calendar page for full details.
ADVANCED: Lahiri Group
The Lahiri Group meets every Monday evening in south London. This is open only to experienced members of the Ramakrishna Group: meditations are a straight two hours and access is by invitation only. [NOT CURRENTLY IN OPERATION].
RETREATS: Sundays 12 noon – 6pm
One day silent meditation retreats are held three times a year (New Year, Easter and late summer) at the Theosophical Society’s premises in London’s West End. Participants may attend for either the whole or part of the day. These sessions are for DC members, associates and current students only, they are not open to members of the public. [CURRENTLY ON ZOOM, POSSIBLY RESUMING AT THE TS IN 2023]
Free of charge: the Dhyana Centre is run as a community service and all its activities are free of charge. It is funded entirely by voluntary donations from its members and students, and attendees are invited to contribute according to their means.
Click for the Calendar page on which all event dates can be viewed.