When I was in college, my friend taught me Transcendental meditation. I started doing two sessions daily, twenty minutes each to reduce stress, and other destructive emotions with which I was very familiar. Those sessions were my formal introduction to the value and benefits of meditation.
About eight years ago I was in the throes of strong destructive emotions due to ongoing contentious litigation with my siblings. It was was suggested that if I had a strong meditation practice, I would handle these situations with wisdom and humor, two qualities I hold dear.
At that time I had the good fortune to meet Michael Gregory. That was was the beginning of both my understanding of Buddhism as a methodology/philosophy with which to live life, and the deepening of a meditation practice. With countless hours of instruction, routine attendance in annual ten and thirty day group/solo retreats, even a solo ninety day retreat, as well as completing MMC’s teaching training, I am grateful to offer meditation instruction to others so they too can benefit from the reduction in the intensity, frequency and duration of afflictive emotions.