Online Courses
The Joy of Samādhi: Practices to Cultivate Concentration
The foundational practice of samatha leads to the state of samādhi, where the mind is undistracted, bright, and spacious. Such sustained practice can culminate in profoundly still states, known as jhāna, where the mind becomes blissfully absorbed in the object of attention.
This practice often conjures up tense effort with a furrowed brow, where a practitioner exerts Herculean effort or the force of a mental whip to stop distractions and pull the mind into one-pointedness. Instead, “collecting” or “calming” the mind are better frames.
In this course, we’ll cultivate supportive conditions to calm the beloved puppy of the mind by giving gentle, affectionate directions that are at the same time resolved and steady.
A well-collected mind is more capable of a fresh perspective on its internal psychological processes, and especially, more inclined to the arising of universal, liberating insights. Developing samādhi, to any extent possible, serves as a doorway to liberation.
Continuing Education: 5 CE Credits
$50
This program offers 5 CE Credits Continuing Education (CE) credits for $50 for , and may be applicable for other licenses. Please review our CEC information page for full provider information.
To be eligible for Continuing Education Credits (CECs), you must:
- Register and pay for CECs prior to starting the on-demand course. Once you start the course, no retroactive CECs will be given and the CEC fee is non-refundable.
- Complete all sections of the course, successfully pass the program assessment, and follow the next steps. No exceptions. Please review the CEC information page for attendance requirements.
CONTENT LEVEL: Select
Learning Objectives
Additional notes
- For full provider information, and additional CEC information, including attendance requirements, cancellation, and grievance policies, please visit our CEC information page.
- Spirit Rock is a provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP16905, for 5 contact hours.
- Credit is awarded for instructional time only and does not include extended silent meditation, if offered.
- For those with a different license or with a license from a different licensing board, please contact your licensing board directly to ask if CE credit from the above-approved sponsors is accepted. Spirit Rock does not confirm applicability of credit for those with licenses different than those listed above.
Teaching Team
Nikki Mirghafori, PhD
Teacher
Nikki Mirghafori, PhD, is a Buddhist teacher and Artificial Intelligence scientist. She was empowered by the living Burmese meditation master Venerable Pa Auk Sayadaw, with whom she practiced the jhanas and detailed analytical vipassana. She serves as a Stewarding Teacher and on the Board of Directors at Spirit Rock.