Introduction to Meditation (4-Week Series)

$250.00 Online or Offline payment

January 20 - Feb 10, 2027 * Wednesdays 5:15 - 6:15p

A 4-Week Experiential Course in Meditation for Wellness and Nervous System Health

This 4-week Introduction to Meditation is designed for people who want a grounded, practical, and human entry point into meditation—one that supports real nervous system change, not just stress relief in theory.

Rather than focusing on performance, silence, or “clearing the mind,” this course centers direct experience. Each week combines short, accessible guided practices with clear, plain-language neuroscience to help participants understand what we are doing, why we are doing it, and how it supports regulation, resilience, and well-being.

What Makes This Course Different

Many people come to meditation with curiosity—and also hesitation. This course is intentionally designed for those who:

Feel overwhelmed, wired, or chronically stressed
Have tried meditation before and felt like they were “doing it wrong”
Want to understand how meditation actually works in the body and brain
Prefer a trauma-aware, invitational approach rather than rigid technique

Throughout the four weeks, we emphasize that cognitive understanding alone is not enough. While learning matters, it is the felt, physical experience of the practices—repeated gently over time—that begins to support nervous system repair and regulation.

Weekly Flow & What to Expect

Each week includes two guided practices, clear nervous system education, and space for reflection. Learning happens cognitively and through direct experience, with practices designed to be accessible, repeatable, and supportive of regulation.

Week 1 – Foundations of Meditation & Regulation
An introduction to what meditation is (and is not), how stress affects the brain and nervous system, and what internal resources support regulation. Includes two guided practices—a grounding practice and a second experiential practice—to establish safety and familiarity.

Week 2 – Understanding the Window of Tolerance
Explores the Window of Tolerance as a framework for understanding stress, capacity, and regulation in daily life. Two guided practices support noticing nervous system states and experiencing shifts toward steadiness and ease.

Week 3 – Interoception & Body-Based Awareness
Introduces interoception and the role of internal body awareness in regulation and resilience. Guided practices emphasize sensing and listening to the body as a reliable anchor for presence and self-regulation.

Week 4 – Working with Strong Emotion
Focuses on meeting strong emotions with awareness, pacing, and choice. Participants learn how emotions show up in the nervous system and practice staying present without becoming overwhelmed or shutting down.

Who This Course Is For

This course is well-suited for:

Beginners with little or no meditation experience
Anyone interested in nervous system health and resilience
People seeking a gentle, non-performative entry into meditation

No prior experience is required. There is no expectation to sit still for long periods, empty the mind, or achieve a particular state.

How You are Supported

This course is designed so you are not practicing in isolation. Participants are supported through multiple layers of live guidance and a resource shelf to support participants in continuing practice.

Your registration includes:

One live session per week, held live in the Center, or you may join virtually via Zoom, where we explore nervous system concepts and practice together. This is the foundation of the course curriculum.
Access to our Resource Shelf, including a growing library of guided meditations, short wellness talks, and other resources to support learning.

All offerings are invitational and flexible. You are encouraged to engage in ways that feel supportive to your nervous system, knowing that regulation is built through consistency, choice, and gentle repetition—not effort or intensity.

Here's the Good Word from some past program participants:

"Thank you for your guidance, tough love, encouragement and helping me find my center again, and let go of the sh*t that doesn't matter.. to bring more joy back into my life."

-Colleen O., Series Participant

"I went from living in a constant state of anxiety to living in peace and finding the good in everything. Hands down the best investment I've made for my mental health and self-care. Profound thanks to you and your craft, Rachel!"

-Nick N., Series Participant

"Yesterday's session was eye opening to me! The calm that remained was unbelievable! I thank you so much for giving us the tools to help us be better! You are amazing. I'm so glad our school has been blessed to have you aboard."

-Sharon V., Series Participant

If you have questions regarding this series, you may reach your Facilitator, Rachel Wixey, at [email protected].

Otherwise, be ready to learn new concepts, try new experiences and have some fun! I look forward to gathering with all who are called to join.

The Good Word

"What Rachel practices will be at the core of everything I do as a Career Coach.

What my students learned was truly shocking! I was in awe when I saw how relaxed and ready to learn the kids were after participating in Rachel's class.

Rachel is an enlightened storyteller. She shares a compelling message that made it easy for me to understand...Rachel has a true gift."

Mike Remer

Career Coach, Swanton Local Schools

"With great appreciation, admiration, and thankfulness, I want to express my deep and sincere thanks to you for your outstanding gift to all of us at our administrative assistance luncheon. You gave us much more than a presentation. You gave all of us an invitation and ideas on how to improve the quality of our lives. I still hear great reviews from those who attended, and now I am hearing from those who were not in attendance but heard from attendees about your unique gift. Thank you!"

Dr. Jan Osborn

Superintendent, Putnam County Educational Service Center

"Your work is so important with our youth. The girls really enjoy you every year and Coach Matt loved it too. Love, love, love that!!"

Coach Chrissy

Head Volleyball Coach

"Thank you for your guidance, tough love, encouragement and helping me find my center again, and let go of the sh*t that doesn't matter to bring more joy back to my life."

Colleen

Physician

"Rachel didn’t introduce me to the practice of meditation—I had started and stopped it time and time again. I would compare the way I meditated to what I thought was the “right” way, and convince myself I wasn’t doing it right.

What she did do, was help me find a way to get through self-judgment and the self-defeatism I had attached to the practice. Through conversation, education, and guidance, she helped me find my way to understand better how to meditate and, most importantly, why."

Nekiesha Taylor

Director of Marketing, Planned Parenthood

"I met Rachel at the absolute perfect time -- I was going through a significant life change. I was an exhausted, emotionally over-extended walking raw nerve who was tired of living in the pressure cooker emotional reality I had built over decades of poor coping mechanisms. I was searching for a way to feel grounded, and calm, and steady internally so I could most effectively and gracefully deal with what was happening in my life externally.

When Rachel introduced me to mindfulness and intentional awareness, I learned how to establish a habit, a practice of allowing myself to simply exist in whatever way my mind and body chose to show up in that moment. I learned how to regulate and ground my nervous system through simple techniques that gave me the peace and freedom to then approach my whirlwind of thoughts and emotions from a more clear perspective.

After a year of working with Rachel, I now have the ability to notice when I am unbalanced, to rebalance myself, and then allow my thoughts and feelings to rise, be acknowledged, and then work through them however necessary. I have learned to give myself grace as I work through the dynamics of life!"

Kristin Rummell

Co-owner and Chief Creative, DanceFam

“Rachel's intro to meditation series was life altering for me. I have tried for years on my own to stick with a meditation practice and was never as successful as I'd hoped. But with Rachel's expertise and compassion, along with the other lovely humans in my cohort, I am happy to say I am enjoying the benefits of a sustainable meditation practice. I am forever grateful for this space and cannot wait to see what offerings will come next.”

Sara Thompson

Student of Intro to Meditation Series

"Rachel Wixey is such a sound guide. Her knowledge, unique ability to teach, and insight of the journey inward make her the model mentor. She has encountered and overcome so many major challenges life can throw and has done the work in study, education, and meditation to offer insight and perspective that is extremely profound.

If you want to grow spiritually, find meaning in your existence, explore connection, experience meditation, learn lessons of the masters, enjoy total wellness, find relaxation of your mind and body, and in short - become the person you were meant to be, I urge you to initiate a relationship with Rachel and experience her magic for yourself."

Tim Croak

President, Croak Asset Management

FAQ's

What do I wear to my Meditation Classes?

I have tried to meditate and I can't focus. Am I doing it wrong?

Will meditation make me feel more calm and relaxed?

Do I meet in-person or online for Personal Wellness Plan Packages?