Meditation

Class Descriptions

The Inner Space offers meditation class and practice with Tanya Porter, a classical teacher with 20 years of varied style meditation practice experience. This is not a class where you are led in guided meditation, but rather a class to teach you the tools to meditate yourself, wherever you are, whatever may be happening.

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NEW! My Daily Practice

Even if we know how to meditate and why a daily self-care practice is so important, it can seem so difficult to simply show up and do it. Join Tanya for 20 minutes of dedicated time to meditate each day and receive the powerful benefits of a regular daily practice.

Morning sitting: 7:10-7:30 am

Evening sitting: 9:30 - 9:50 pm

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Meditation Foundations I

Are you seeking stillness, deep peace, and a deeper connection within yourself? Have you always wanted to explore the foundations of meditation but weren’t sure where to begin?

This course provides a classical foundation for meditation, demystifying the practice so you can integrate it into your life with ease. Whether you’re looking to reduce anxiety, enhance emotional stability, increase creativity and happiness, develop intuition, or cultivate clarity and peace of mind, this course offers tools to support your journey.

This course serves as the prerequisite for all other meditation courses.

What You Will Learn:

What is Meditation? - Understanding the practice and its purpose
The Nature of the Mind - What thoughts are, how they arise and how to work with them
The Power of Breath - Why proper breathing is essential for meditation and well-being
The Four States of Consciousness - Exploring waking, dreaming, deep sleep, and meditative states
The Importance of Concentration - How focused attention becomes a superpower
The Meaning of Non-Attachment - How to disentangle from identification and cultivate true inner freedom
The Architecture of the Self - Understanding the different “parts” of you and their purpose
The Energy Body & Chakras - How energy flows and how to align your inner centers
The Power of Sound & Mantra - Using vibration to deepen awareness and healing
How to Receive & Let Go - Cultivating balance between effort and surrender

Through breathwork, classical concentration techniques, mindfulness practices, and energy alignment, this course will support you in remembering who you truly are—cultivating a steady inner foundation from which you can meet life with clarity, presence, and resilience, no matter what arises.

Meditation Foundations II - Deepening Practice & Self-Inquiry

Have you completed Meditation Foundations I but haven’t yet developed a regular practice? Are you ready to sit for longer periods and refine the techniques you’ve learned?

This 9-week course is designed to bridge the gap between learning meditation and living it—helping you establish a more stable, sustained practice. We will revisit and strengthen the foundational techniques while deepening our exploration into the Energy Body and Chakra System as tools for self-awareness and transformation.

What You Will Explore:

Extending Your Sits – Cultivating longer meditation sessions to increase focus and inner steadiness
Reinforcing Core Techniques – Practicing breathwork, concentration, mantra, and mindfulness from Foundations I
The Energy Body & Chakra System – Understanding the flow of energy and how alignment affects mental, emotional, and physical well-being
Self-Inquiry (Not Analysis) – Using focused observation rather than judgment to clear old gripping, trauma, and limiting beliefs
Compassion & Clarity – Gaining insight that fosters ease, personal empowerment, and the ability to choose consciously
Introduction to the 8 Limbs of the Yogic Path – Exploring the broader framework of yogic wisdom for integrating meditation into daily life

This course offers a supportive space to build confidence in your practice, helping you transition from occasional meditation to a consistent, embodied experience of stillness and presence.

Join us in this next step of your journey as we refine the art of meditation, cultivate self-awareness, and unlock greater freedom, compassion, and ease in everyday life.

This class is open to all students who have completed Meditation Foundations I.

Intermediate/Advanced Meditation - The Power of Concentration

Do you have experience with meditation and seek to refine your focus in a dedicated group of sincere practitioners? This 9-week course is designed for those who have built a meditation foundation and are ready to deepen their practice through advanced concentration techniques.

In a world filled with distractions, polarity traps, and the illusion of separation, cultivating concentration is not just a skill—it is essential for clarity, discernment, and self-mastery. Without a trained ability to direct our attention, we are easily pulled into external chaos, reactionary patterns, and narratives that keep us bound to stress, confusion, and blame. True concentration allows us to step back, see the bigger picture, and make conscious choices rather than being caught in unconscious reactions.

This session will be a deep dive into the power of concentration, reinforcing time-honored yogic techniques to strengthen this vital muscle of the mind, including:

Tratakum (Candle Gazing) – Training unwavering focus and inner stillness
Yantra Gazing – Harnessing sacred geometric symbols to refine perception
Mudra Practices – Using hand gestures to direct energy and intention
Mantra Meditation – Vibrational concentration to align the mind and consciousness

This class is designed for those ready to engage in longer sitting practices, ranging between 35 and 50 minutes per session, allowing for deeper immersion into meditative stillness and heightened states of awareness.

By practicing these methods, you will develop the ability to remain steady amidst distraction, disengage from limiting dualistic thinking, and navigate life with greater presence and discernment.

Join us in this transformative series as we cultivate the power of concentration—the key to responding rather than reacting, seeing beyond illusion, and unlocking greater freedom within.

This class is open to all students who have completed Meditation Foundations II.

Benefits of Meditation

In addition to the profound mental and emotional benefits of meditation, such as;

moving beyond mental distraction to Focus and Clarity
emotional awareness, self-compassion, and self-regulation

some physical benefits of meditation are that it

lowers high blood pressure
lowers levels of blood lactate thereby reducing anxiety attacks
decreases tension-related paid such as headaches, ulcers, insomnia, muscle and joint problems
increases serotonin production that improved mood and behavior
improves mood and behaviour
increases energy level as you gain an inner source of energy

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Tanya - Meditation Teacher

Tanya is a certified yoga instructor from the The International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, recognized by the Yoga Alliance in the USA and Canada.

She has been practising yoga and meditation for 23 years, and did a 10-year apprentice with Judith McCaffery, senior teacher in the Sivananda lineage. She has been teaching yoga and meditation privately for 16 years, and before that through the TDSB for 4 years. Tanya has a classical foundation for her meditation practice but also includes her study in the fields of psychology, neuro-science, shamanic energy practices and mindfulness in her teaching. She is registered with the Canadian Yoga Alliance with a designation of CYA-RYT 500.

TESTIMONIALS

“My time with Tanya at The Inner Space has been nothing short of beautiful. I am at a stage in my life where I am ready to embrace being well in body, mind and spirit. I am Tanya’s student in yoga and meditation and both practices bring a sense of calmness, energy and general well being. Her teaching method comes from a place of expertise, authenticity, and a strong desire to learn and share with everyone. With our busy lives today, it is a treasure to have dedicated space and time that brings peace."

CASANDRA B.

“I've been taking meditation classes with Tanya for over 2 years and she has changed my life. She has helped me address challenges I have been facing for over 2 decades. Tanya has a powerful and inherit ability to connect with you, even while in a class setting. As an individual, she develops relationships with her students that are genuine and meaningful. I would highly recommend Tanya's meditation class to beginners or those wanting to deepen their practice. I had been mediating for 8 years when I met Tanya and she took my practice to a whole new level. She is truly a remarkable teacher!"

NINA P.

"I've been studying and practicing meditation for over 15 years and I've been truly blessed to have Tanya Porter guide me recently as my most trusted and beloved instructor. Tanya creates an absolutely beautiful energy level and atmosphere for each meditation class that is most conducive for individual growth. She has a special teaching method that can take the most complex meditation topics and streamline to the most understandable and relatable to improve day-to-day living. Her concentration for living in the moment and teaching us to be present is ultimately the most important piece of wisdom one can attain in life. I thank Tanya from the bottom of my heart and rely on her energy and wisdom and recommend that everyone else should as well!"

MICHAEL P.