About the Meditation
This week’s meditation session is led by Lavina Shamdasani and the theme is Ritual.
The guided meditation begins at 16:16.
For centuries Himalayan practitioners have used meditation to quiet the mind, open the heart, calm the nervous system, and increase focus. Now Western scientists, business leaders, and the secular world have embraced meditation as a vital tool for brain health.
Whether you’re a beginner, a dabbler, or a skilled meditator seeking the company of others, join expert teachers in a 45-minute weekly program designed to fit into your lunch break. Each session is inspired by a different work of art from the Rubin Museum’s collection and includes an opening talk, a 20-minute meditation session, and a closing discussion.
RELATED ARTWORK
The Buddhist goddess Marichi appears in many forms. One of her most common manifestations is as the Goddess of the Dawn, removing obstacles with her radiant light. This sculpture depicts Marichi as an attendant of the goddess Tara. She holds a vajra in her right hand and a branch of the ashoka tree in her left.
Marichi’s round face, cherub lips, and elaborate ornamentation are all characteristic of 17th-century Mongolian sculpture. Works from this place and time often feature a warm patina, patterned etching on the garments, and a multi-layered lotus base.
This ornate sculpture is attributed to the exceptional Mongolian artist, Zanabazar and his workshop. Zanabazar lived from 1635 until 1723. He was Mongolia’s first incarnate lama and leader of Mongolian Buddhism. He founded a sculptural style that continues to have a profound influence to this day.
About the Speaker
Lavina Shamdasani is a certified compassion teacher through the Compassion Institute and Stanford University. She has taught programs focused on mindfulness, compassion, joy, and gratitude and led book club discussions and meditations for over five years.
Lavina studied positive psychology coaching at the Wholebeing Institute and helps clients transform their lives and meet their personal and professional goals.
This program is presented in partnership with Sharon Salzberg and teachers from the New York Insight Meditation Center, the Interdependence Project, and Parabola Magazine and supported by the Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism.
