Natural Meditation Initiatives

Natural Meditation Initiatives will help people learn basic meditation theory and technique and enjoy a fruitful lifelong relationship with meditation. The Initiatives will help raise the level of understanding in the public about the natural human capacity for meditative awareness and the possibilities for practicing meditation in a culturally neutral format. Information and training will be made as accessible as possible through open, free and welcoming methods.

The name is plural because Natural Meditation Initiatives will consist of multiple programs working toward the same objectives in diverse places and with diverse populations.

Natural Meditation Initiatives (NMI) is a coordinated set of community service projects oriented to raising the "meditative literacy" of individuals and the public at all levels of society. Meditative literacy consists of theoretical knowledge about the nature of meditation, the ability to practice meditation and the ability to maintain a practice of meditation in daily life. Knowledge of meditation becomes an issue of public awareness, or literacy, in individuals when they have:

•experienced the beneficial role of meditation in their own lives

•learned that the foundation of meditation exists by nature in all people

•believed that all people have a right to know about their own innate ability to benefit from meditation

Although NMI offers a specific method called Natural Meditation, the aim is not to increase the number of people practicing this particular form of meditation. Rather, the objective is to increase public and individual awareness about the natural human capacity for meditation. In order to succeed in this objective, NMI must do more than talk and write about meditation; it must enable new investigators of the subject to become proficient in the art of meditation. Therefore, the Initiatives provide instruction and self-paced learning resources in Natural Meditation, a method that is

•effective in eliciting the natural human capacity for meditative awareness, and

•welcoming and freely accessible to people of all cultures, religions and philosophies

NMI is grounded in respect for the individual. This includes a respect for the sovereignty of the human spirit and a respect for the ability of animated, awake individuals to learn and to succeed. The Initiatives do not, therefore, create hierarchies or authorities with respect to adult learning or education. They honor human freedom, individual autonomy and self-actualization more highly than the promotion of any particular set of ideas, facts or beliefs. NMI actively supports the holistic development of individuals.

With respect to meditation, this means actively helping people find social networks in which to practice meditation and to enrich their spiritual aspirations. NMI participants, mentors and teaching materials actively encourage advanced learning in the traditional methods of meditation and meditative prayer. In serving this function, NMI will become a welcoming common ground for the promotion of meditation of all kinds. NMI forms human networks enabling all forms of learning that grow up around the practice of meditation. Although NMI’s mission focuses on helping new investigators of meditation, the Initiatives also provide a format of enriched learning in the art of mentoring meditation. Just as the path to learning the art of meditation is kept clean and uncluttered, so also is the path to learning the art of mentoring.