9 places to practice mindfulness and meditation around Vancouver

Dec 17 2019, 7:46 pm

Written for Daily Hive by Monica Krake, founder of Head + Heart, a mindful calendar that helps people discover events and teachers to support their journeys.

If you’ve been feeling the pull towards living more mindfully, you’re not alone. Mindfulness used to be a niche practice but has officially become mainstream, thanks to the abundance of research showing the many ways meditation supports greater wellbeing and health.

Whether you’re new to meditation or already have a practice of your own, Vancouver offers many beautiful communities, teachers, and gatherings for beginners and experienced meditators.

Here are 9 places to practice meditation in and around Vancouver.

Mountain Rain Zen Centre

Mountain Rain Zen Centre

Mountain Rain Zen Centre

Zen meditation is the practice of sitting upright in silence, and giving the body and mind the space to be still, with the understanding that much is to be gained in the stillness. The community at Mountain Rain Zen Centre in East Vancouver offers a weekly silent sitting and walking meditation every Wednesday, followed by a Buddhist teaching by one of the guiding teachers, Myoshin Kate McCandless and Shinmon Michael Newton.

Address: 2016 Wall Street, East Vancouver
Phone: (604) 462-0604

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ZenDen Meditation

ZenDen Vancouver

ZenDen Vancouver

A beautiful space to create space, ZenDen Meditation in Gastown offers a little something for everyone. Expect a wide range of healing meditation practices including Chakra clearing meditations, sound meditations, crystal sound baths, sound + aromatherapy meditations and Reiki circles. For those seeking meditation with a side of healing, you’ll find so much goodness here, including some beautiful upcoming workshops and courses to support your 2020 needs.

Address: 33 Water Street, Suite 903
Phone: (778) 689-9797

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Liberate Your True Self

Liberate Your True Self

Liberate Your True Self

At Port Moody’s  Liberate Your True Self,  you’ll find intimate meditation groups and guided meditation gatherings each month. On the second Wednesday of each month, teacher Amelie St-Pierre holds a guided sound meditation and energy healing gathering, which offers people an opportunity for guided meditation, while Amelie gives each person an energy healing with personal insights on what was cleared.

Address: 2220 Vintner St. Port Moody
Phone: (778) -800-9342

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DIY Dharma Collective

DIY Dharma Collective

DIY Dharma Collective

The DIY Dharma Collective is a peer-led Buddhist community made up of (in their own words) freaks, geeks, queers, trans folks, rebels, outcasts, stream-enterers, and friends young and old. Folks of all backgrounds, cultures, and traditions are welcome. The collective meditates together Sundays at 6:30 pm in East Vancouver at Unity Yoga Teahouse; teachings follow the Buddhist tradition. Expect a space of kindness, mutual respect, and safety.

Address: 1672 E 10th Ave., 2nd floor

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Shambhala Vancouver

Shambhala Vancouver is a Buddhist meditation centre, offering a community grounded in a warm approach to the study and practice of meditation.  You can expect instruction in mindfulness-awareness meditation for beginners and experienced practitioners, a diverse variety of evening and weekend programs as well as public group meditation sessions. This centre offers many tools to help seekers discover greater compassion, confidence, wisdom and joy in day-to-day life. To practice with Shambhala Vancouver, check out their Wednesday Open House or their Shambhala Sunday Morning programs.

Address: 256 West 7th Avenue, Unit 208
Phone: (902) 420-1118

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The Dharma Temple

The Dharma Temple

The Dharma Temple

The Dharma Temple is a conscious events centre in Vancouver offering Meditation, Yogic Technology, Kundalini Yoga, Dharma Yoga, Shakti (creative movement), Sound Healing and much more. This welcoming space offers a place of self exploration, healing and community togetherness. You can take a look at their very diverse list of upcoming events and retreats on their website, all of which include a meditation element.

Address: 3283 Main St.
Phone: (604) 559-8507

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Re: Mind Meditation

meditation

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Re: Mind Meditation, run by Jaylee Thomas in the West End, offers one-to-one guided hypnagogic light therapy meditation, a specific light-based meditation developed to help people experience freedom from the mind.  You can expect a personal, guided experience, deep parasympathetic nervous system relaxation, and a release of built-up stress and tension within your body.

How does it work? The light therapy stimulates the brain’s pineal gland, which produces mind-activating hormones, taking the meditator on a journey of self-exploration. Most experience worlds of intense colour and an overall feeling of joy. A regular appointment is 60 minutes and is available Tuesday-Sunday.

Address: West End, address given at booking
Phone: (778) 233- 4727

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BC Insight Meditation Centre

The BC Insight Meditation Centre aims to be a meeting place for anyone interested in learning more about the liberating teachings of the Buddha, in furthering their meditation practice and in living their realization of the dharma. All are welcome, regardless of gender, race, class, sexual orientation, disability or age.

On their website calendar, you’ll discover upcoming classes and retreats with resident teachers such as Adrianne Ross and great community teachers including Rachel Lewis and James Lowe.

Address: No fixed address
Phone: No phone number

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Unity Centre of Awakening

At the Unity Centre in Vancouver, not too far from Richmond, you’ll find several meditation offerings. Every Sunday, all are welcome to join their guided meditations from 10:20-10:40 am. Try the Fully Body Meditation course with Constance Kellough, which brings all of the senses into the meditation experience, as a path to living a more embodied life. Expect a truly welcoming community, with a focus on helping people transform their spiritual practice.

Address: 5840 Oak Street
Phone: (604) 266-6281

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Looking for more options? Try meditation alternatives like sound meditation in Vancouver and breathwork gatherings around The Lower Mainland. If you’re reading to immerse yourself even more deeply, check out these upcoming meditation retreats in BC and BC yoga retreats, all of which include meditation. I also love this article about the gifts of being an empath and these poignant empath quotes.

Monica KrakeMonica Krake

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