Class 4 : Exploring Meditation

This week was our final class in the four week Exploring Meditation course. 

And we started the class by taking a moment to reflect on how we have progressed.  We have now had 20+ days of meditation instruction and personal practice .. or have we? 

It is timely to remind ourselves that in learning meditation, we can come to class, hear, read, digest and question .. but have we done the 'practice' .. has meditation infiltrated our lives, into the hurly-burly frantic multi-tasking world in which we all live? 

To help us on our journey, I always suggest that when starting any meditation, we take a moment to silently connect with our intention. In this way we remind ourselves of our reasons for meditating and this is when the heart and mind connect! 

"In my meditation practice I seek .. peace, calmness, knowing ...."

In our class tonight we took a peek into the world of Mindfulness in Daily Life practices.  When we are walking, eating, working, listening, breathing .. we can also be incorporating 'living mindfulness'.

These daily life Mindfulness practices are nothing more mysterious than developing our ability to pay attention to our immediate experience .. learning to overcome our pre-occupation with past and future, cultivating our ability to see clearly what is happening in our lived experience of the present .. and find a way to do so without judgement, resisting or clinging. 

Mindfulness is being acutely aware of the present, keeping the mind fully absorbed in the task of the moment.

We started with a series of Meditative Exercises that when put together give us an opportunity to extend our meditation .. we started with a mindfulness of listening practice, then moving to a mindfulness of movement practice, a mindfulness of body then two (ever subtler) mindfulness of breath exercises.

After a few Q & A we looked at some further Mindfulness of Movement exercises that come from Tai Chi and Qi Gong traditions .. holding our attention to the myriad of sensations and feelings found within the body. These are great practices in themselves, also before a seated meditation, since we spend most of our life living only in the 'head' .. completely forgetting our physical body .. the calf muscles, the lips, the thighs ...

We reflected that in meditation we shift .. from the outside world to the inside world .. from the thinking mind to the sensing mind. 

You can view each of our earlier class here Class 1 , Class 2 and Class 3

Our next Exploring Meditation (4-week course) starts 6th October in Brighton (Melbourne, Australia) CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE

Class 3: Exploring Meditation

Class 3 of our Exploring Meditation Program is where we have a chance to explore the luscious world of Mantra! 

I say luscious because the practice of silently repeating a mantra (or powerful words) can be a really beautiful practice .. 

Mantra practice is rhythmic and clear in its message, it massages us from the inside, weaving its way through the breath and body ..

Class 2 : Exploring Meditation

This week was Class 2 of our current Winter (August) Exploring Meditation program. (You can go back and ready about Class 1 here).

We started the class with a general group discussion about our first week of practicing meditation .. did everyone find time to practice? which meditation techniques did everyone use? .. last week we introduced a The 9 Round Breathing Exercise and a longer more leisurely Body Awareness meditation .. what was their experience? What might have been some of the common challenges?  Did anyone find or set up a sacred space that might have for their ongoing meditation practice?  .. 

The most common challenge is simply remembering to meditate!

I believe the most important motivator in continuing to meditate - is to understanding why we have chosen to learn/start/practice meditation. Part of last weeks Om-work was to reflect and write down our personal reason for learning to meditate at this time. 

Knowing our 'why' will provide us with the single most powerful motivator we can have, and is often the key to making our meditation a regular practice.. 

As we take our seat and allow our body to 'let go' we have a moment (that I call the grace period) where we place ourselves at the ready (mind and body) and gather our focus. This is when we can remind ourselves of our motivation for practice .. 

"I take this time to meditate, to find calmness, to touch the stillness and quiet within, to find balance in my life". 

This gives our meditation a crisp, clear starting point - and a deep and personal reason for practicing.

In Week 2 we also looked at our attitude, the nature of meditation being effortlessness, and the Buddhist approach of 'beginners mind' .. having a fascination and openness to our practice "hmm what will my meditation be like today?". We added another Meditative Exercise to our toolkit called The 4-7-8 Breath and spoke further about how we might remember to practice over the coming week (finding some triggers).

I then introduced a longer meditation practice based on awareness of the breath. The breath is a wonderful anchor for our attention because it is so convenient .. we have no difficulty finding it, it's completely natural, we have it with us always and we don't need to 'do' or bring anything to meditate. Shifting our focus inward is as easy as watching our breath and last night we practiced a Zen Breath Counting Meditation.  A simple - yet challenging - mindfulness of the breath and counting practice.

Already some participants are finding personal benefits from their practice .. little by little we continue to sit and breathe and remain open ..

If you would like to join our next Exploring Meditation (4 week) course starting 6th October 2015 CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE

Find Your Fit

Burning Incense by kevinpoh on Flickr 

In life (and in meditation) everyone’s journey is unique .. I am often heard to say ‘many roads up the mountain’ .. that part of our life journey is to find and travel our own unique road.

A recent study published online in Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing highlighted the importance of ensuring that new meditators select methods with which they are most comfortable, rather than those that are most popular or what 

everyone else is doing

When you select a meditation practice that YOU are most comfortable with, you are likely to increase your chance of sticking with it, says Adam Burke, the author of the study and a professor of health education at San Francisco State University.

Burke’s study compared four popular meditation methods — Mantra, Mindfulness, Zen and Qigong Visualization — to see if new meditation practitioners favored one over the others. The study’s 247 participants were taught each method and asked to practice at home and, at the end of the study, evaluate which they preferred.

The two simpler methods, Mantra and Mindfulness, were preferred by 31 percent of study participants, with about 22 percent preferring Zen and 14.8 percent preferring Qigong.

This study shows the value of providing new practitioners with a simple, accessible method of meditation, and emphasizes that no one technique is best for everyone.

“If someone is exposed to a particular technique through the media or a health care provider, they might assume because it’s popular it’s the best for everyone,” Burke said. “But that’s like saying because a pink dress or a blue sport coat is popular this year, it’s going to look good on everybody. In truth, different people like different things. One size does not fit all.”

FIND YOUR FIT

I spent many years exploring various schools of meditation, learning from different teachers, diving into different methods .. and then, when I came to sharing my passion for meditation with others I knew that I wanted to share some of those 'flavours’ so that participants could the best fit for them.

Ultimately meditation practice is not going to be effective for you, unless you like doing it – and you do it!

Some people will find a single technique that works well for them, and will continue with that practice for a lifetime; others might find in time that their original practice feels a little worn or limiting and move to a different practice.

It is those who stick with a practice that is obviously not working for them, that often declare they are ‘no good at this’ or ‘it’s too hard’ or ‘it just doesn’t work’.

It is VITAL to find a meditation practice that speaks to you and

DO IT!

Final 2013 EXPLORING MEDITATION

SPRING .. the season of renewal and rebirth

As we transition into this wonderful season we often find new energy arising, presenting us with the opportunity to take the necessary actions to support our goals and intentions (before the arrival of Summer – the season of celebrating the fruits of our labour). 

Learn to Meditate

 

Meditation leads us to a place of inner stillness and peacefulness where we can rest and refresh - body and mind.

 

That quiet place is already there within you .. just hidden behind the noise and busyness of life.

Our FINAL 2013 Exploring Meditation course (6 weeks) starts:

 

Mon 21 OCT : Brighton Yoga School

or

Wed 23 OCT : EmpowerMe (Black Rock)

 

 

You can find out more about the content of our Exploring Meditation course HERE

 

 

Meditation Classes Starting Next Week ..

Meditation is a life skill!

I learnt to meditate when I was in my senior year at high school.  I totally 'got it' from the very first class.

It continues to amaze me that there are not more opportunities available for everyone to learn these very gentle, very wonderful and very beneficial practices (from simply watching our breath, to recognising stress and relaxation in our body, to sitting still and embracing silence).

So .. if you have been wondering about meditation .. wondering how to relax and how to tap into that deep calmness within ..

Now is the time!  JOIN US!

EXPLORING MEDITATION

(a 6-Week Beginners Program)

Tue. 7th February (6.30 - 8.00pm) : Parkdale 
~ or ~
Wed. 8th February (6.30 - 8.00pm) : Black Rock

A straightforward, practical and non-religious approach to meditation.

A six week course that provides an opportunity to get ‘into the flow’ of meditation, and gain insight into the benefits found in a regular meditation practice.  Exploring Meditation Program is $175 ($165 each if you book with a friend).

Our six week Exploring Meditation Program looks something like this:

* Week 1 : core meditation principals, the ‘how’ and ‘why’, Body Awareness practices
* Week 2 : the impact of stress, short meditative exercises & longer practices (both invaluable), Breath practices

* Week 3 : the brain, the process of meditation, Mantra and Affirmation practices

* Week 4 : obstacles and antidotes, measuring your progress, Mindfulness practices
* Week 5 : starting your own daily meditation practice, resources, Stillness practices
* Week 6 : going it alone, resources, and more practice!

To REGISTER : info@quietmind.com.au

Let's Explore Meditation together ..

Over the last few months of 2011, I sought out some feedback from those attending meditation classes to see if I could find out what else I might be able to do/provide to assist them in starting a regular meditation practice.  I passionately believe that meditation is a life skill that everyone should learn .. with quite amazing short term and long term benefits gained from stillness and quiet (mind and body).

The most consistent feedback I received was .. that everyone wanted more time to practice in a group/class setting.

I totally get this. The group experience is very supportive and nourishing when we are learning something new .. there is an opportunity to share experiences, ask questions (even asking them again and again until you find your  answer), the time is already scheduled in our diary (so we have persmission to stop and meditate) .. and there is someone to guide us (at least part of the way) ..

So I have now expanded the Exploring Meditation program to six weeks (previously it was five) to allow for more 'space' and 'time' for practice.  I am resisting the urge to include more detail in preference for more .. flow.  

So, if you are keen to learn more about meditation .. and get lots of practical experience in a supportive group environment .. JOIN US!

EXPLORING MEDITATION

(a 6-Week Beginners Program)

Tue. 7th February (6.30 - 8.00pm) : Parkdale 
~ or ~
Wed. 8th February (6.30 - 8.00pm) : Black Rock
Meditation is an amazingly effective life skill that enhances our sense of wellbeing and provides us with practical techniques to manage stress and find balance. Meditation is also quite simple to learn and this unique program is designed to explore a number of simple and widely practiced meditation techniques – so you find the best practice for you!  

This is a straightforward, practical and non-religious approach to meditation ~ which is also great fun! Meeting regularly once a week across six weeks provides us with an opportunity to get ‘into the flow’ of meditation, and gain an insight to the benefits found in a regular meditation practice. We provide handouts each week also, so that you can build your own Meditation Workbook. No special requirements for class other than an intention to learn more about meditation. LIMITED TO TWELVE PARTICIPANTS. Exploring Meditation Program is $175 ($165 each if you book with a friend).

Our six week Exploring Meditation Program looks something like this:

* Week 1 : core meditation principals, the ‘how’ and ‘why’, Body Awareness practices
* Week 2 : the impact of stress, short meditative exercises & longer practices (both invaluable), Breath practices

* Week 3 : the brain, the process of meditation, Mantra and Affirmation practices

* Week 4 : obstacles and antidotes, measuring your progress, Mindfulness practices
* Week 5 : starting your own daily meditation practice, resources, Stillness practices
* Week 6 : going it alone, resources, and more practice!

If you would like more information or to book a place : info@quietmind.com.au