Meditate right for your life - a beginner’s guide on how and where to meditate in Canberra
Ever tried to sit alone, in a quiet room with the best intentions of trying out this ‘meditation’ thing everyone seems to raving about…only to be overwhelmed by the constant interruption of your noisy, busy, mind?
Welcome to the club! You are not alone. This is most people’s first experience of meditation, but it doesn’t have to be your last!
Meditating ain’t easy but it is incredibly rewarding if you give it a chance. Like anything worthwhile it takes practice, patience and commitment to see results. There are many styles of meditation you can try and luckily there are also lots of awesome ways to start exploring meditation in simple and supported ways right here in Canberra.
Why meditate?
Surely you’ve heard the hype by now? The list of benefits that a regular meditation practice promotes just keeps getting longer. Scientists keep finding new ways to study the impact of meditation on the physical, emotional and psychological aspects of being human.
There are literally thousands of studies now that outline how a regular meditation practice:
Increasing your happiness by reducing anxiety, depression and stress and whilst growing positive emotions
Improving your physical health via reducing inflammation, pain and increasing your immune function
Decreasing your sense of social isolation by cultivating feelings of optimism and reducing feelings of loneliness
Helps you interact more harmoniously with others by moderating your emotions, increasing your feelings of compassion and empathy and helping you feel more comfortable and confident within yourself
Makes you smarter and wiser by changing the structure and function of your brain with increased grey matter, improved focus, memory and productivity, more self control and blossoming creativity
And the list goes on…!
Historically meditation developed in ancient times as diverse art and mystic practice used to quieten the mind in order to develop its ability to access higher levels of consciousness, attain enlightenment and transcend suffering. It was predominantly the path of religious seekers and scholars. Different types of meditation techniques have been documented in Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Judaism and Christianity.
Modern meditation has taken these basic tools and added psychology and technology, while removing religion to make meditation a secular activity that helps reduce your reactivity to the crappy parts of life and take more pleasure in the positive ones.
That sounds appealing right? So, where do I begin?!
How do I meditate?
That depends! On what? On what kind of person you are, what kind of lifestyle you lead and what kind of changes you’re willing and able to make in your life to make space for a life changing practice!
What you want to find is a style and system that resonates with you that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine so it’s sustainable and becomes just another habit – a positive one! Every little bit of meditation you do will have benefits but the magic really happens when you make it a daily practice. You might need to try out a few before you find the one that’s just right for you.
First to dispel a common myth; meditation can be many things but please repeat after me – meditation is NOT about getting your thoughts to stop! Sitting in a silent room on your own fighting with your angry, busy mind is not a great place to start!
A better place to start is with the support of one of the many options now available to introduce you to the basics of beginning a meditation practice. Having this support in helping you set up either at home on your own or in face-to-face group setting, will make the task of sitting with yourself a lot less challenging.
Where to meditate in Canberra
Face-to-face Meditation courses - Stay accountable with a support crew!
The benefit of a face-to-face course is that you get the support of a teacher or mentor, and the support of you peers who can help keep you accountable to your commitments and goals. You also get to meet others interested in meditation and share a little about your experiences so you never feel like your out there battling through on your own. The challenge will be finding a course that fits your timetable and delivers content that resonates with you.
Southside options:
‘Commit to Sit’ at Balanced Yoga – Great for absolute beginners or the returning meditator looking for some structure and motivation.
Next course begins: November 2015.
For the last two years I’ve been offering ‘Commit to Sit’ out of some of Canberra’s best Yoga studios. C2S a simple 21-day guided introduction to set yourself up a sustainable home meditation practice. There are four one-hour group meetings over the course where we explore a range of techniques from Yoga, Buddhism and Mindfulness and a take home challenge to practice each day on your own. The next course will run at Balanced Yoga in Kingston from mid-November to Xmas. Email Sue@balancedyoga.com.au to sign up now.
‘Dru Meditation’ at Canberra Yoga Space - Beneficial to new and practised meditators alike.
Next course begins: October 2015
This 10-week course is dedicated to creating an experience of meditation that is achievable and enjoyable in your everyday life. The classes are based on the Dru Meditation style and will leave you feeling refreshed and relaxed, ready to manage life with strength and enthusiasm. Sign up via the Canberra Yoga Space website.
Northside:
‘Meditate in Canberra’ at the Bodhisattva Kadampa Buddhist Centre
Next course begins: Multiple options from October 2015
This school bases it’s meditation techniques on the Buddhist traditions and offers a range of courses from lunchtime, evenings and special events to intensive study weekends. Classes are suitable for everyone, whatever your level of interest, from those who seek simple relaxation to those who wish to find a lasting inner peace through following the Buddhist path. Visit their website for more details.
Meditation Apps and Online Courses- Study solo on your own schedule
Logging in to meditate is the newest market in meditation instruction. It has hugely increased the reach of meditation into the general population, which is a wonderful thing! There are so many amazing options available for online courses and apps, I’ve only listed my top two faves, the best of each here.
The benefit of these online programs is that they are time and location independent – you can sign up and plug in anytime that suits your lifestyle. The challenge is that you’ll have to take more responsibility for holding yourself accountable to keep your practice active.
Online course:
Meditate with Wes – Cheaper than therapy, better than drugs!
Next course begins: When you sign up!
A 7-day online course delivered via video tutorials, Mp3 guided meditations and easy to read fact sheets, you will learn the fundamentals of meditation and tools to feel at ease no matter what life throws at you. Wes is the owner of Live Well Naturally in Manuka and shares his extensive 20 years of experience as a wellness professional in this easy to follow course.
Meditation App:
1 Giant Mind - learn to meditate in 12 easy steps and start feeling happier, more energised and less stressed.
The 1 Giant Mind technique is for anyone who wants to feel happier, less stressed and more energised. Their approach to meditation is easy, effortless and no previous experience is needed. If this doesn’t work for you, Headspace and Smiling Mind also have great programs including meditation courses for kids.
Not ready to take the leap into a course yet? Try this Canberra Meditation Taster:
Get Quiet, Live Loud
Free public yoga and meditation event – Glebe Park 14 October, 6.30pm
If you’re keen to try before you buy I’d love to have you join me for this free public meditation event hosted by Lululemon Athletica. It’s on Wednesday 14 October, 6.30pm in Glebe Park, Civic,
Open to any age and any level, at Get Quiet, Live Loud I’ll lead you through a 60 minute gentle yoga class followed by a 20(ish!) minute guided meditation that will help tap you in to how you really want to feel and from there create a life that you love to live!
In the spirit of balance and community, there will be refreshments offered after class so please stay on, say hello and ask me any questions you might have. I’d be delighted to meet you in person!
If you can’t make it stop by my Facebook or Instagram page and say hi there. I’ve always got a fun wellness event going on somewhere in the
world, if you’re feeling adventurous I’d love you to join me!
Good luck and have fun with your meditation journey! There are plenty of options to try until you find the right fit for you! Namaste!
