Freedom Meditation is a meditation only studio. There are no yoga classes, no sound baths, and no fitness classes. We instead focus on fitness of the mind, which many people have described as the most challenging of fitness programs. When you come to Freedom Meditation, do not expect a spa day that will wash your troubles away, a good sweat that will help you focus better, or a relaxing escape from the family. Instead, come with no expectations at all, as expectations inevitably put us into a mindset of disappointment.
We must instead enter meditation with a goal of focusing on our breath and posture and see what happens. Although simple in its concept, meditation in the Shambhala lineage requires precise focus which can make for a challenging time on the cushion, especially if you come with expectations. Some days are easier than others, but establishing a consistent practice is necessary to train your brain that you are in control, not it.
Our main facilitator, Scott Gibson, was trained in the Shambhala tradition of meditation which was brought to the United States by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche in 1976. Shambhala is a secular (non religious) approach to discovering enlightenment that is based on Buddhist meditation. We have several Buddhas in the studio as symbols and reminders of our path toward gaining enlightenment and wisdom. As we seek an enlightened state of being, we begin to understand the whole of the human condition, the fact that we are one human organism and that we must be of service to others in everything we do in order to feel whole, to feel a part of the organism that we are. Without this connection, we will always feel as if we are missing something.
Freedom Meditation was established by Scott Gibson as a means of helping others to establish and be able to practice meditation away from distractions. We aim to develop a sangha (community) in La Crosse where we can sit together in practice and help each other when needed. In 1997, Scott began his training in the Shambhala tradition at the Karma Dzong in Boulder Colorado. He completed training in the Great Eastern Sun in 1999. After experiencing moments of extreme clarity and an ability to view events in his life as if he were seeing them from the outside of his mind, he was sold on the practice of meditation and mindfulness, and he has been wanting to share this light with others around him.