“Being Truly Alive” is the title of a free Spring Seminar Showcase led by meditation expert Matthew Daniell, offered by Northern Essex Community College’s College of Older Learners (CoOL) on Wednesday, March 7, from 2 to 4 p.m. in the David Hartleb Technology Center on the Haverhill campus. 

In this presentation, Daniell will explore aging, sickness and death as gateways to living a fuller life.  “The Buddha taught that old age, illness, and the inevitability of death can be powerful positive teachers in our lives,” says Daniell.  “In this workshop we will combine discussion, reflection, and silent meditation periods to help us explore how these universal themes can actually help wake us up to a richer, more fulfilling life, now.” 
 

In addition to hearing an interesting presentation, those attending will learn about the 11 six-week seminars offered through NECC’s CoOL this spring.  The Spring Seminar Showcase is free and open to the public.

Daniell has studied Zen, Tibetan Buddhism, and Insight Meditation since 1985, including a year as an ordained monk in Thailand. He is founder and guiding teacher at the Insight Meditation Center of Newburyport, Massachusetts, and part of the religious services department at Phillips Exeter Academy.

CoOL is a series of six-week seminars designed for individuals who are over 50 and looking to participate in challenging educational opportunities simply for the love and joy of learning. Participants explore subjects of interest as part of a community. Both members and seminar leaders will challenge their intellects and take responsibility for the subject. CoOL is peer led.

The eleven spring seminars include The Merrimack River, The Private Life of Charles Darwin, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (film remakes), Create a Healthy Bridge Between Living, Dying, and Death, The Art Of Reading Aloud to Children, and Aging Gracefully.

Seminars begin in mid to late March and run for six consecutive weeks (Except as noted due to a holiday).  Sessions meet one day each week at the college’s Haverhill Campus.

There is a $10 enrollment fee for each seminar. Participants are required to pay a $25 CoOL membership fee for the semester. Some seminars may require participants to obtain a book or other course material.

For additional information contact George Medelinskas at coolnecc@gmail.com or 978-556-3110 or visit the CoOL website at https://www.necc.mass.edu/community-engagement/cool/