Meditation

What is meditation

Sitting staring out to sea and losing yourself in nature can be a meditation. I didn’t know it at the time when I was in my twenties: I didn’t have a label for it. But I have over the years come to realise that meditation is whatever we need it to be, in whatever way works well for us.

Meditation has been around in some form or another since man lived in caves. It is possible to follow a timeline from early man through the Palaeolithic, six major religions, and right through to the secular Transcendental Meditation and Mindfulness practices of the 20th and 21st Centuries. You can see an infographic of this timeline here, showing the main cultures and religions that practice/have practiced meditation, although there are of course many others. What is clear though, is that meditation is neither solely religious or solely secular.

What is key for meditation today, is that there is no one size fits all, no one right way to meditate. I know the internet is full of ‘How to Meditate’ guides and tips, and they will, more often than not, suggest that to meditate ‘properly’ we ‘must’ all: sit cross-legged, with our back straight, in quiet surroundings, breathing deeply, with a still calm mind…and…and…and... But it doesn’t need to be like that, and, quite frankly, it just doesn’t work like that for a lot of us.

Meditation can take many forms, and it can look different for everyone. Sitting cross-legged, focusing on the breath and cultivating a still mind are often seen as essential, and may work incredibly well for lots of us. But there are many other ways to meditate that may be more accessible, or feel more comfortable, physically or emotionally. There is always a way that will work for everyone. Some ways can even be rather mundane; doing the dishes for example, that can be meditative, as can ironing (so I’m told!), or going for a walk, or sitting having a coffee in the garden. Ultimately, there is a style available for everyone; and although ancient in origin, meditation is still of our time, for all faiths or none, for all abilities, ages, and needs.

Sometimes, the most important step in starting to meditate is changing our mindset. Allowing ourselves the luxury, and permission, to do things differently: to not conform to the standard norms, to have no expectations as to what each meditation should or will look like, to feel free to throw out what doesn’t serve our own, uniquely personal, practice. Maybe starting with what brings you your state of calm, and using that as a stepping stone to find your way into meditation could be a more accessible approach? Play with what works for you. Remember, there is no right or wrong way to meditate, your way is best for you!

My approach

My approach to most things in life is to do things my way, to my tune, aligned to the call of my heart. And the same can be said for my approach to meditation! I am very much of the view that meditation is not something to be prescriptive about. We each have our own way of doing things that support and nurture us, and this is true of your meditation practice too. Basically, with me, you get to do you!

All my meditation sessions, whether a one-to-one healing or bespoke meditation, one-to-one private course, drop-in class or five-week group course, are adaptive and can be tailored to your individual requirements. While I tend to offer guided visualisation meditations with my one-to-one clients, and a variety of styles in my group courses and classes, such as breath, mindfulness, and loving-kindness meditations, I am flexible and always willing to work in other ways, or find adaptations that make a particular style of meditation more accessible. Bespoke meditations are also available, where I write meditations specifically for you. These sessions are fully tailored to your preferences, experience and needs. But whether we work together privately or in a group, finding the type or style of meditation that best supports your needs and preferences will always be a key part of our work together.

We are all unique individuals, with different experiences, beliefs, emotions, backgrounds, and everything else in between. And if our meditations reflect that, then we can more quickly find ourselves in that easeful place where we are in flow, we breathe easily, and we release.