BRUNSWICK — A five-week introductory class, “Learn to Meditate: Turning the Mind into an Ally,” will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. starting Tuesday, Sept. 17, at the Brunswick Shambhala Meditation Center, 19 Mason St. The classes are open to beginning and experienced meditators.

The courses will be an introduction to, or refresher for, the practice of sitting meditation. Each class will include instruction and practice of sitting and walking meditation along with discussion on how to integrate the practice into daily life based on the book by Sakyong Mipham, “Turning the Mind into an Ally.” This text provides guidance on how, through the practice of contemplation, one can point their mind in a new direction – away from illusions and toward reality. Sakyong Mipham is the head of the Shambhala Buddhist lineage established by his father, the late Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche.

The cost of the series is $40, plus the book. For more information contact Sarah Chandler at sarah­_chandler@comcast.net or 865-1907. Register online at www.shambhalabp.org.

The Brunswick/Portland Shambhala Meditation Center is a nonprofit organization and serves a wide area from Portsmouth, N.H., north to Farmington and east to Camden. It is affiliated with Shambhala International.