I'd love to see you in one or all of my events
In 2019, I'm continuing to do many new events all around the topic of meditation for inner-peace and mindfulness for life and business success. Please join me and the conversation.
And of course, as always, if you have a question or two about any of these, drop me a note at sophia@reflectionpond.com
Upcoming Events
2019 May - December Dates
I am super excited to announce that the High Country Lifelong Learners' group in Boone, NC has arranged with the Lois E. Harrill Senior Center to host bi-monthly Meditation + Presentation event! Here are the dates we have confirmed and I'd love to meet you there. The events are free of charge and during each event, you will participate in a guided meditation, hear a short presentation on the topic of the day and have time for sharing your personal experiences.
Morning Sessions: 11 am to 12:30 pm
Tuesday, May 7th
Tuesday, June 4th
Tuesday, July 2nd
Wednesday, August 7th
Tuesday, September 3rd
Tuesday, October 1st
Tuesday, November 5th
Tuesday, December 3rd
Afternoon Sessions: 2pm - 3:30 pm
Wednesday, May 22nd
Wednesday, June 26th
Wednesday, July 24th
Wednesday, August 28th
Wednesday, September 25th
Wednesday, October 23rd
No Wednesdays in Nov and Dec 2019.
Handouts for Sessions
June 26th Session on 1st Hindrance in Meditation:
Jan - March Session handouts:
Both Morning and Afternoon Sessions take place at Lois E. Harrill Senior Center, 132 Poplar Grove Connector # A, Boone, NC 28607 (upstairs)
Email me: sophia@reflectionpond.com if you have any questions.
Past Events Jan - May 2019
MAY 22nd, 2019
Putting Meditation into Perspective - Understanding Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path to Enlightenment.
May 22nd, 2019 | Wednesday | 2 pm - 3 pm ET | Free to the Public
Venue: High Country Life-Long Learners Group at
Lois E. Harill Senior Center, 132 Poplar Grove Connector # A, Boone, NC 28607 (upstairs)
RSVP sophia@reflectionpond.com or just show up!
Meditation is only one of the elements to the path of nirvana or enlightenment as taught by the Buddha. In the presentation, you will get a walkthrough of the Noble Eightfold Path as the Buddha taught which are to be cultivated on our path of true inner-happiness. We will have a live guided meditation as well as sharing of personal experiences. You will also receive access to free daily videos and a written meditation guideline.
PS: If you want to check if the Center is open or not during inclement weather, please call the Center at (828) 265-8090.
APR 24th, 2019
Living wisely today to experience a peaceful death - whenever it happens.
Apr 24th, 2019 | Wednesday | 2 pm - 3 pm ET | Free to the Public
Venue: High Country Life-Long Learners Group at
Lois E. Harill Senior Center, 132 Poplar Grove Connector # A, Boone, NC 28607 (upstairs)
Death is not something to be feared but embraced as an inherent part of life. Join in for a presentation in which we demystify the process of death and help us be more at peace as we recognize that living a life of virtues and kindness helps us at the time of death. We will cover the 8 stages of death as described by a Buddhist monk, Lama Yeshe of Tibetan Buddhist tradition and become familiar with it so we can help ourselves and our loved ones reduce the fear of death. The process of falling asleep has been said to be akin to the process of death and so we have done this every day of our lives. Experience a guided meditation that will help you be more at peace about death and its role in the big cycle of life and death. You will also receive access to free daily videos and a written meditation guideline.
PS: If you want to check if the Center is open or not during inclement weather, please call the Center at (828) 265-8090.
Email sophia@reflectionpond.com to receive reminders & just show up!
APR 10th, 2019
Understanding the First of 5 Hindrances to Meditation: Sensual Desire
April 10th, 2019 | Wednesday | 2 pm - 3 pm ET | Free to the Public
Venue: High Country Life-Long Learners Group at
Lois E. Harill Senior Center, 132 Poplar Grove Connector # A, Boone, NC 28607 (upstairs Classroom 3)
The ancient texts have identified five obstacles that one faces during meditation. Any hurdle you face during your practice, fit under one of these five. By understanding what each obstacle is, how they arise and how we can dissolve them, we strengthen our meditation, helping our mind access deeper levels of peace, calm and stability. In this session, we will look at the first hindrance called "Sensual Desire". It includes everything from wanting the body to be comfortable to desiring for food and water or wanting to satisfy the needs of our five sense consciousness: sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch. We will also do a live guided meditation to help you find inner-peace and train your mind to stay with your breath. And we will have few minutes for Q&A as well as personal sharing of experiences. Note: We will meet upstairs in classroom 3 (small room) of the Senior Center.
PS: If you want to check if the Center is open or not during inclement weather, please call the Center at (828) 265-8090.
Email sophia@reflectionpond.com to receive reminders & just show up!
Mar 27th, 2019
Understanding the Buddhist concept of impermanence, Karma, and breath meditation to deal with physical pain.
Mar 27th, 2019 | Wednesday | 2 pm - 3 pm ET | Free to the Public
Venue: High Country Life-Long Learners Group at
Lois E. Harill Senior Center, 132 Poplar Grove Connector # A, Boone, NC 28607 (upstairs)
PS: If you want to check if the Center is open or not during inclement weather, please call the Center at (828) 265-8090.
RSVP sophia@reflectionpond.com or just show up!
Physical pain is part of being human. But why suffer because of it. Join in for a presentation on the Buddhist understanding of impermanence or change and learn how you can use that understanding to move gracefully through physical pain. We will have short anecdotes and personal stories of navigating physical pain, dissolving it and finding relief from it. Take part in a live guided meditation to gain insight into impermanence/change - a natural aspect of life as we know it, and learn how you can use breath awareness at any time you are in physical pain. You will also receive access to free daily videos and a written meditation guideline.
Feb 27th, 2019
Practice of purification of past negative karma.
Feb 27th, 2019 | Wednesday | 2 pm - 3 pm ET | Free to the Public
Venue: High Country Life-Long Learners Group at
Lois E. Harill Senior Center, 132 Poplar Grove Connector # A, Boone, NC 28607 (upstairs)
PS: If you want to check if the Center is open or not during inclement weather, please call the Center at (828) 265-8090.
RSVP sophia@reflectionpond.com or just show up!
Karma is, simply put, the law of cause and effect which like gravity govern life. There will be a short presentation on the key elements of karma; how to get out of old karmic patterns that you keep falling into; and how to intentionally create good karma. You will also experience a live guided meditation in which we will do a purification of past negative Karma as taught by the Buddha which will involve breath awareness and visualization. Tap into the goodness that is already within you and accelerate the virtuous cycle of good intentions of thought, words, and deeds. You will also receive access to free daily videos and a written meditation guideline.
Jan 23rd, 2019
Starting Fresh - Why you need a daily meditation practice and 5 steps on how to set it up in your life.
Jan 23rd, 2019 | Wednesday | 2 pm - 3 pm ET | Free to the Public
Venue: High Country Life-Long Learners Group at
Lois E. Harill Senior Center, 132 Poplar Grove Connector # A, Boone, NC 28607 (upstairs)
PS: If you want to check if the Center is open or not during inclement weather, please call the Center at (828) 265-8090.
RSVP sophia@reflectionpond.com or just show up!
You have heard of the power of meditation. Now you want to incorporate into your life - DAILY! Join us for our first session of 2019 and tap into the energy of new beginnings to install a daily meditation practice with some simple tips that make it easy to do it. You will also receive access to free daily videos, a written meditation guideline so you know what to do in your meditation and a presentation on the 5 hindrances to meditation and their antidotes. Learn to access deep inner-peace and joy that comes from even just a 5 minutes of a daily practice. We will also do a live meditation with group sharing (optional).
PAST EVENTS 2018
Inner-Peace: Meditation For A Healthy Mind
May 19th, 2018 | Saturday | 3 pm - 4 pm ET
Venue: Watauga County Public Library
140 Queen St, Boone, NC 28607
Focus: Letting Go Of Hurt And Pain
RSVP sophia@reflectionpond.com or just show up!
Click here for more info
Reducing Depression With Mindfulness
May 4th, 2018 | Friday | 2 pm - 3 pm ET
Venue: High Country Life-Long Learners Group at
Lois E. Harill Senior Center, 132 Poplar Grove Connector # A, Boone, NC 28607
RSVP sophia@reflectionpond.com or just show up!
Studies have shown how even a short regular mindfulness practice can help improve our well-being. Learning how to come into the present moment and to bring full awareness to the daily activities that we engage in help in improving the symptoms of depression. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy or MBCT helps prevent relapse into depression without side-effects. In this talk, we will learn about MBCT which draws from the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program initiated and studied by Jon Kabat-Zinn and his team at the University of Massachusetts. There will also be an opportunity to experience a live demonstration of a short mindfulness practice.
How to Break Karmic Patterns
Learn how you can transcend old bad Karma in this live video presentation by Sophia. Ask questions about your own life situation and see practical steps on reducing the effects of karma.
April 21st, 2018 | Saturday | 11 am - 12 pm ET
Venue: Online
Sign up below to join:
Inner-Peace: Meditation For A Healthy Mind
April 21st, 2018 | Saturday | 3 pm - 4 pm ET
Venue: Watauga County Public Library
140 Queen St, Boone, NC 28607
Focus: Focussing The Mind On Kindness
RSVP sophia@reflectionpond.com or just show up!
Click here for more info
How Mindfulness Changes the Brain for the Better
April 6th, 2018 | Friday | 2 pm - 3 pm ET
Venue: High Country Life-Long Learners Group at
Lois E. Harill Senior Center, 132 Poplar Grove Connector # A, Boone, NC 28607
RSVP sophia@reflectionpond.com or just show up!
Mindfulness has positive effects on the brain. As a result, our memory gets stronger while anxiety and depression go down. One is also better able to concentrate and reduce the effects of physical pain and emotional distress. Yes, your body can handle pain better and your mood and outlook get brighter. All of this is based not just on hearsay from happy meditators, but results of research done in some of America’s most prestigious and respected universities: UCLA, University of Massachusetts, Yale and Johns Hopkins to name a few. In this visual presentation, you can learn about some of these leading studies, find out what exactly is meant by the term ‘mindfulness’, and experience a live demonstration of a short mindfulness practice.
Live Facebook Chat
When you click the above image, it will bring you to Julienne's Facebook Group. Click "Join" on the upper left corner under the banner image and Julienne's team will welcome you into the group. Then on Feb 21st at 11am Eastern come to the group and join the presentation.
How To Use Mindfulness To Grow Your Business
Feb 21st, 2018 | Wednesday | 11 am - 11:30 am ET Online
Venue: Online FB Group (Click link below to join)
Mindfulness practices can really effect how you do business, how you grow it and how you impact your world.
I've teamed up with my friend and Digital Marketing Strategist, Julienne DesJardins of Solopreneur Strategy to offer a live conversation about using mindfulness in business. It's a Facebook Live event via video and I'd love for you to join me:
We will talk about:
+ what is mindfulness in essence
+ how to see the problem and recognize how it relates to your mentalscape
+ how to solve that specific business problem using a mindfulness practice (complete process)
+ a real life example of a business problem resolved using mindfulness
+ a downloadable worksheet with the practice so you can refer to it again
+ ask questions and connect with other participants
Inner-Peace: Meditation For A Healthy Mind
Sat Feb 17th 3pm-4pm:
Learning To Accept Yourself
Sat Mar 17th 3pm-4pm:
How To Love And Forgive Yourself
Sat Apr 21st 3pm-4pm:
Focussing The Mind On Kindness
Sat May 19th 3pm-4pm:
Letting Go Of Hurt And Pain
Sat Jun 16th 3pm-4pm:
Attitude of Gratitude Meditation
Sat Jul 21st 3pm-4pm:
Visualization for Manifesting Goals
Sat Aug 18th 3pm-4pm:
Peaceful Mind, Peaceful Heart Meditation
Saturday | 3 pm - 4 pm ET
Venue: Watauga County Public Library
140 Queen St, Boone, NC 28607
Click here for more info
This is why we do the meditation sessions:
Sophia, your meditation sessions … are always something I look forward to. I wish the sessions could be at least twice a month. Your energy is very peaceful and nurturing and I always leave you feeling very at rest, clear and focused. Thank you so much for sharing your wealth of healing energy. I especially love the journeys you take us on. Many more people would benefit from your meditations and I'm surprised more people don't come.
Stay well. Peace to you and yours.
⎯⎯ A. from Boone, NC