Meditation

Pete’s interest in meditation began when he was introduced to yoga in 2008. Mediation being the next natural step, Pete spent the next few years pursing the practice independently, without the guidance of any specific teacher or method.

A few years later, Pete was introduced to Vajrayana practices at the Omega Institute during a workshop led by Anyen Rinpoce which he practiced consistently for 2 years.

For Pete, enrolling in the MBSR facilitator training would prove instrumental towards developing a structure which provided a secular and scientific approach to a Buddhist practice. Engagement with the MBSR faculty exposed Pete to Theravada and Vipassana techniques, and the Jewel in the crown – Buddhist Psychology.

Inspirational teachers include Jon Kabat Zinn, HH Tenzin Gatsyo, Robert Thurman, Anyen Rinpoche, Joan Halifix, Chogyam Trungpa, Ram Dass, Jack Kornfield, Bikku Bodhi, Bikku Analayao, Alan Watts, B Allan Wallace, Syadaw U Pandita, Suzuki Roshi  and countless others including all of the staff at the center for mindfulness, U Mass.

However, the most influential teacher has been Joseph Goldstein, who brought new clarity into Pete’s life.

Later, the experience Zen practice in Yamaguchi Prefecture in Japan and visits to Buddhist sites in Laos, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka added to the diversity of Pete’s exposure to variations upon Buddhist meditation practices.

Pete has trained in Shamata, Vipassana, and Metta and has been holding weekly practice for advanced students every Friday for 2 years, in addition to many introductory classes* on a regular basis.

MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction)

MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) is a modern approach to meditation pioneered by Jon Kabat-Zinn. Through Kabat-Zinn’s work, and the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts, the term “Mindfulness" has been introduced into common parlance.

The Mindfulness movement has become a widespread phenomenon. In particular, the methodology of MBSR has been instrumental in laying the groundwork for the secular and scientific reception of meditation. Through its comprehensive criteria and standardization of technique, MBSR has set the gold-standard for meditation in clinical research settings. Adapted from Buddhist philosophy, it has been the subject of many research papers and has played a significant role in furthering the dialogue between science and spirituality. It is currently taught all over the world by selected instructors. As a qualified MBSR instructor, Pete has been facilitating workshops in this 8 week course since 2016. It has been the most fulfilling work in his career thus far, and he is humbled to have the opportunity to share such impactful techniques with patients, friends, and students.

Pete is available for private instructions by appointment.
*In keeping with the tradition, all meditation instructions are free (as they have been for 2500 years) to all who are open to learn.