In This Issue...

• Meditation Tip
• Drop-in Classes
• New Courses Announced
• Working with Pain
• Guided Meditation CD

Meditation Tip

When you are doing a task and your mind wanders, where does it go? Job worries, incomplete projects, lovers and relationships, creative ideas, family and children, sexual fantasies?

These mental journeys may occur whenever you have a moment to yourself, even if it's just for the space of a breath. This happens because you have relaxed and are settling into your body. You are becoming aware of your needs. When your mind wanders, it is showing you something. Whatever scene you are thinking about is designed to remind you to enjoy yourself. Even if you are thinking of things you feel tense about, the wandering is there to help you find a way through the obstacles.

Your nervous system is always seeking to bring itself up to date, into the now. It wants to reflect on experiences you had, let nonessential things fade into the background, get a good plan together for the future, and update its map of the world. When your mind wanders, this it what it's doing. It's processing information.

When you meditate, no matter how earnest you are, your mind will wander. Don't be concerned - this wandering is part of the process. If you think "my mind is wandering - I need to concentrate harder" you will miss the spontaneous intelligence arising from with you.

From Breathtaking, by Lorin Roche.

Drop in Classes

Melbourne Meditation Centre along with Meditation Solutions and Subodh Joshi, a Cardiologist at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, are currently organising casual meditation sessions for those keen to practice in a group environment. The sessions will probably run Sunday evenings in the Carlton/North Melbourne area. Gold coin donation will be required to attend and their will be an invitation to join an informal social gathering afterwards. Check the website over coming weeks for more details.

New Courses Announced

Intermediate and Teacher Training Courses will both commence in coming months. Check the schedule below for details.

Term 2 - April/May 2006

April 2: 4 Week Basic Course at Glen Waverley (Sundays 7.00 - 8.30pm)
April 3: 6 Week Basic Course at Clifton Hill (Mondays 6.15 - 7.45pm)
April 3: 6 Week Intermediate Course at Clifton Hill (Mondays 8.00 - 9.30pm)
April 5: 6 Week Basic Course at Elwood (Wednesdays 8.15 - 9.45pm)
April 6: 6 Week Course at Port Melbourne (Thursdays 8.00 - 9.30pm)
April 21: 6 Week Basic (Day) Course at Elwood (Fridays 10.00 - 11.30pm)

Term 3 - June/July 2006

June 19: 6 Week Basic Course at Clifton Hill (Mondays 6.15 - 7.45pm)
June 19: 6 Week Teacher Training Course at Clifton Hill (Mondays 8.00 - 9.30pm)
June 21: 6 Week Basic Course at Elwood (Wednesdays 8.15 - 9.45pm)
June 22: 6 Week Course at Port Melbourne (Thursdays 8.00 - 9.30pm)

Working With Pain

I've had numerous students in recent months who have been suffering from some form of physical pain. Of course, all of us are likely to suffer from some form of pain at times. Here's a few techniques you may like to try if you are searching for relief. Remember though, that the best strategy to adopt with regard to pain is acceptance. These processes work best not when you use them to rid yourself of pain, but simply to explore it.

Technique 1

1. Locate where you consider the pain is.
2. Feel/Sense it.
3. Describe how it feels.
4. Describe the pain - it's shape and size, for example.
5. Locate the centre of the pain.
6. Move the centre at least one centimetre in the direction that you feel will be easiest.
7. Move it in another direction.
8. Continue doing this until you feel you can move it, little by little, to the edge of, and then away from your body.
   

Technique 2

1. Locate the pain as above.
2. Perceive its colour. You may see, sense, feel, or just know it. Some people can perceive its tone, as a sound, more easily. If you prefer, identify it that way.
3. Make it lighter in colour (or higher in pitch).
4. Locate exactly where it is again, and make it even lighter.
5. Do this until it is white. When it becomes white, the pain may dissipate. (If you are perceiving it as sound, continue until the pitch has risen beyond audibility - then some more - until it is not sound, at all.

Guided Meditation CD

"A Taste of Meditation - Techniques for Relaxing the Body and Calming the Mind" is now available. To find out more or to order a copy visit www.melbournemeditationcentre.com.au

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