Wondering where to start with meditation?
Just start.
Starting is a sacred act. Starting asks that we show up, open up and begin .. without knowing what will happen. This is a sacred moment of courage, trust and magic.
JUST START.
Why start meditating?
Oh, there are so many reasons .. and I am sure you have heard of many!
As a long-term meditation practitioner (25+ years) and meditation teacher (more than twelve years), I know that there are so many benefits gained from meditation – which I have experienced personally, or have heard from others. And there good reason why meditation has been so widely practiced and shared for thousands of years, and why modern science now finds meditation a compelling area for research .. because of the numerous physical, emotional and mental health benefits.
Most commonly mentioned benefits of a regular meditation practice include:
✔️ ability to self manage stress
✔️ build focus and concentration
✔️ tap into creativity and intuition
✔️ improve sleep quality and regularity
✔️ strengthen the immune system
✔️ gain a greater sense of wellbeing
✔️ find joy (even happiness) in simple pleasures
✔️ feel more connected (with self and the world around us)
and a regular meditation practice supports the health of your most valuable asset – your MIND … the mind you rely upon to be focused, loving, knowledgeable, creative and resourceful; and the mind you depend upon to be happy, curious, inspired, engaged and content.
Where to start with meditation?
As a meditation teacher, I am regularly asked, what is meditation, really? and what is the ‘secret? ... how do I know that I’m doing it ‘right’? or what meditation technique is best? And left unanswered these questions can be so confusing that people will abandon the idea before they even start. So I developed the Four Steps to guide your meditation journey.
Step by Step ..
each step a meditation
Starting anything new, including meditation, is best supported by having a clear path and a clear understanding of the ‘how’ and ‘why’ – and this forms the foundation of the Four Steps course.
Drawn from my personal practice and insights gained from teaching others to meditate, grounded in traditional philosophy and inspired by scientific inquiry .. the Four Steps is a well-rounded meditation method that develops the skill of meditation, and the knowledge to adapt the practice to best suit YOU!
A four week course to establish an enjoyable and sustainable meditation practice.
Date: 21 Nov – 12 Dec (4x Sunday)
Time: 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Venue: Sandringham (Melbourne)
Your Four Week Journey
Four Steps offers a clear and straightforward map for building a personal meditation practice.
Week 1 explores the foundations of a consistent meditation practice, finding the best conditions and establishing intentions. We begin by finding physical comfort and establishing conscious presence, learning how the physical body and mind find harmony, and the qualities of kindness, patience and resilience.
Week 2 introduces us to our breath as our most powerful tool for shifting awareness inward and efficiently and effectively releasing stress. We begin to experience a quiet sense of ease and equanimity, which makes meditation both accessible and enjoyable.
Week 3 draws us deeper into observing the body and the breath ‘from the inside’ so we might begin to hear the wisdom of our body and breath. This part of the meditation journey teaches us patience, self-awareness and wisdom and supports our commitment to a daily meditation practice.
Week 4 introduces a ‘mantra’ for our meditation practice, a ‘vehicle for the mind’ that will support our journey and give us access to a quieting of the mind and deeper states of consciousness.
Who am I?
For the past twelve years, I have been sharing my passion for meditation and mindfulness, and in recent years this has been through the beautiful lens of Seasonal Mindfulness.
#SeasonalMindfulness is a term that I coined to describe my own personal experience of deepening my meditation practice and finding more joy and ease in daily life, when guided by the wisdom of the seasons. I found there were meditation practices that resonated powerfully in Spring, and others that were simply magical and insightful in Winter. I call this Seasonal Mindfulness.
I learned to meditate as a teenager, you can find out more about my meditation journey here and more about Seasonal Mindfulness here.
Got a question? email me at hello@quietmind.com.au