About Meditate Marquette
Meditate Marquette began in November 2018 when a group of contemplative practice individuals gathered to discuss the possibility of developing a center and growing an organization devoted to bringing meditative and contemplative practices to as many people as possible in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Each person had experienced many benefits from their practices and was committed to expanding the knowledge and wisdom accumulated through various practices.
Many individuals contributed to establishing the organization, including developing a Charter and defining purpose, mission, and vision.
The steering committee drafted and adopted the bylaws on August 8th, 2020. Original signers included Christie Deloria, Eva Vigo, Katie O’Brien, Scott Smith, Craig Kitchen, Jen Boyle, Melissa Middleton, Jeremy Morelock, and Deb Smith.
Our Purpose
Peace, fulfillment, and overall well-being lie within each of us through individual transformation. Individual commitment to loving kindness, peace, joy, and equanimity leads to a healthier, more compassionate world. Meditate Marquette hopes to promote and support this truth for our community in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In this way, we foster clarity, peace, mental, physical, and spiritual well-being in the world, one individual at a time.
Recent science and research indicate that mindfulness meditation and contemplative practices help reduce stress and assist in managing pain, depression, anxiety, and other dis-ease. Overwhelming evidence suggests the practice of compassion is good for our health and good for the world.
The purpose of Meditate Marquette is to serve as an organization that fosters meditative and contemplative practices that lead to peace, compassion, and wellness. Meditate Marquette's central function is to provide practice opportunities for unfolding mind, body, and spiritual well-being. Activities and opportunities may include introspection through solitude, prayer, meditation, retreats, workshops, and teacher training.
Meditate Marquette upholds the values and principles expressed in the Charter for Compassion.
Meditate Marquette incorporates all contemplative practices as identified in the Contemplative Tree.
Meditate Marquette adheres to the Agreements for Multicultural Interactions at EBMC (East Bay Meditation Center) when conducting the organization's business.
Meditate Marquette adopts a Teal Paradigm in its operations. We base our day-to-day operations on a commitment to Self-Management. In practice we
- Structure ourselves around autonomous teams.
- There are no bosses or organization charts.
- There are no job descriptions or job titles.
- There is distributed decision-making.
- There is an open flow of information.
- Conflicts are resolved among peers. Peers hold each other accountable.
Meditate Marquette has an evolutionary purpose. "In the Teal paradigm, the organization is doing something worthy of the energy, talents, and creativity of the people who work there. The organization has its own identity, life force, and calling." Reinventing Organizations Wiki
"If practices are helpful to people and increase their well-being, then by all means let’s practice them from whatever tradition, whatever name they go by. We pay great respect to Buddhism and to all traditions of wisdom, and we also know that to reduce the pain in the world, we need practices that work and that can be practiced in the public square – where no one’s beliefs are given privilege" [1]
[1] mindful.org, Barry Boyce, Mindful Editor-in-Chief, Mindful Issue 33 August 2018, "Point of View: Defining Mindfulness
Meditate Marquette became a charitable non-profit organization incorporated in the State of Michigan. On October 13, 2020, Meditate Marquette achieved 501(c)3 status with the IRS.