Dear Meditator,

It's something of a celebrity edition this month, with words taken from well known mindfulness proponent, Jon Kabat-Zinn and surprising news of a well-known musician's experiences with tai chi and meditation.

I hope you enjoy the newsletter. Feel free to email comments, questions or suggestions to: matt@melbournemeditationcentre.com.au

In This Issue...

• Spot Meditation
• Meditation Tip — Jon Kabat-Zinn
• 2008 course schedule
• Forthcoming Events
• Guess Who Meditates?

Spot Meditation

"One of the ways I meditate when I only have a minute is that when I’m waiting at the traffic lights and I am getting frustrated or annoyed.... whatever it may be, I start to observe the trees and the way the branches and leaves are moving in the wind...or not moving. This only takes a few seconds, but can suddenly break the thought pattern as you observe the beauty of nature."

Thanks to Matt Faiman for this months' spot meditation.

How and where do you meditate when you've only got a minute? Send your own spot meditations to matt@melbournemeditationcentre.com.au

The best suggestion each month will be published here.

Meditation Tip - Jon Kabat-Zinn

"Can anybody meditate?" is the title of a chapter from Jon Kabat-Zinn's bestseller "Wherever You Go, There You Are." It's a good question to ask, as many people think they don't have the temperament for meditation. They may try briefly only to give up, become disillusioned because meditation wasn't the panacea they'd hoped, or find themselves unable to apply it effectively to their lives. This is unfortunate, because meditation is one of the simplest ways to improve the quality of your life. Here's the rest of Kabat-Zinn's chapter:

"I get asked this question a lot. I suspect people ask because they think that probably everybody else can meditate but they can't. They want to be reassured that they are not alone, that there are at least some other people they can identify with, those hapless souls who were born incapable of meditating. But it isn't so simple.

Thinking you are unable to meditate is a little like thinking you are unable to breathe, or to concentrate or relax. Pretty much everybody can breathe easily. And under the right circumstances, pretty much anybody can concentrate, anybody can relax.

People often confuse meditation with relaxation or some other special state that you have to get to or feel. When once or twice you try and you don't get anywhere or you didn't feel anything special, then you think you are one of those people who can't do it.

But, meditation is not about feeling a certain way. It's about feeling the way you feel. It's not about making the mind empty or still, although stillness does deepen in meditation and can be cultivated systematically. Above all, meditation is about letting the mind be as it is and knowing something about how it is in this moment. It's not about getting somewhere else, but about allowing yourself to be where you already are. If you don't understand this, you will think you are constitutionally unable to meditate. But that's just more thinking, and in this case, incorrect thinking at that.

True, meditation does require energy and a commitment to stick with it. But then, wouldn't it be more accurate to say, "I wont stick with it," rather than, "I can't do it?" Anybody can sit down and watch their breath or watch their mind. And you don't have to be sitting. You could do it walking, standing, lying down, standing on one leg, running, or taking a bath. But to stay at it for even five minutes requires intentionality. To make it part of your life requires some discipline. So when people say they can't meditate, what they really mean is they won't make time for it, or that when they try, they don't like what happens. It isn't what they are looking for or hoping for. It doesn't fulfill their expectations. So maybe they should try again, this time letting go of their expectations and just watching."

Course Schedule

Term 2 Courses begin in 4 weeks. You can register online for any of the following.

Term 2 March/April

Meditation Events

Meditate in the Gardens 2008

Start your day with a relaxed and clear mind. Join me on Tuesday mornings from 7.00 - 7.45am at the Rose Garden Rotunda in the St Kilda Botanic Gardens for a series of free guided meditations, presented by the City of Port Phillip. There's limited seating available so arrive early or bring a yoga matt, rug or cushion to sit on. Sessions run on April 8, 15, 22 & 29, and May 6 & 13 (with an option to continue for a further two weeks).

Simply Silence

Simply Silence has a new logo and website, but business continues as usual. We're considering running a monthly Friday evening session in East St Kilda. If you or anyone you know might be interested in facilitating the group please email elwood@simplysilence.org

Elwood Schedule:

• March 10 - Garth Stone
• March 24 - Matthew Young
• April 14 - Sarah Fletcher

North Melbourne Schedule

• March 6 - Garth Stone
• March 20 - Paul Majewski

Meditate08

This June the inaugural Australian Meditation Conference & Expo will be held at the Melbourne Museum. To the best of my knowledge this is a first of its kind and will provide an opportunity to listen to and attend workshops conducted by some of Australia's most prominent meditation teachers, including Eric Harrison, Dr Craig Hassad and Paul Bedson from the Gawler Foundation. For more information visit www.meditate08.com.au, which will be updated over coming weeks.

Celebrity Meditator — Lou Reed

Lou Reed is probably not a guy you'd guess practices tai chi for two hours daily. Nor would you expect his new album to be one written with meditation in mind. But that's exactly what he proclaims his latest offering, Hudson River Wind Meditations is for. Reed is not particularly forthcoming in this interview but he does seem pleased that he's managed to quit smoking and that he practices meditation "every chance I get. I do it in the subway. I do it walking. I do it whenever I remember to do it."

Know someone who could chill out?

Do you have friends who are perpetually stressed or anxious, have trouble sleeping or could just do with learning how to relax? Do them a favour and forward this email to them. (Or if this is you, subscribe here.)