Dear Meditator,

There's lots happening in the meditation world at the moment, so we've got a jam-packed newsletter. Read on for more information on:

• FREE Meditations in St Kilda Botanic Gardens
• Meditate08 Tickets Now on Sale
• New Workshop: "A Whole Brain Approach to Stress Management"
• Term 2 Courses commence next week

In This Issue...

• Spot Meditation
• Meditation & Your Brain
• Course schedule
• Forthcoming Events
• Meditation Tip - Difficult Emotions

Spot Meditation

How to relax in 60 seconds

Spend 20 seconds focusing on the weight of your body. For the next 20 continue to focus on the weight of your body, but also tune into your heartbeat or pulse. For the remaining 20 seconds stay focused on both your body and pulse whilst listening to your breath.

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.

What goes on in your brain when you meditate?

Humans have been meditating since they've had minds, but scientists have only recently developed tools sophisticated enough to see what goes on in your brain when you do it.

Find out what goes on (or off) in your thalamus and parietal lobe and what changes your brain undergoes after eight weeks of meditation training, as Dr Gregg Jacobs of the Harvard Medical Schools takes us on a trip around our own headspace, in this article from the August, 2003 edition of TIME Magazine.

Course Schedule

Term 2 Courses begin next week. 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

Get your regular dose of relaxation and calm at one of our Simply Silence sessions in North Melbourne or Elwood. It's a great way to discover and explore meditation in a friendly group environment.

Elwood Schedule:

• April 14 - Sarah Fletcher

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 'Guru of Calm' Paul Wilson, Eric Harrison, Dr Craig Hassad and Paul Bedson from the Gawler Foundation. More information and tickets at www.meditate08.com.au.

Meditation Tip

Sometimes when you sit down to meditate all you might experience is inner turbulence; some variation of irritation, frustration, struggle, impatience or restlessness. This is the point where many give up in disgust. If you can learn to harness these disruptive feelings however, you may find that you sink into an unusually deep and rewarding meditation.

But how do you do that?

Here's a few simple steps which can be applied in such a situation. These same steps can be usefully applied in any meditation, and indeed, whenever you feel somewhat buffeted by your emotions.

1. Endeavour to identify, as precisely as possible, what you are feeling. Your thoughts may be going along the lines of: "This isn't working", or "I can't relax". Look beneath these thoughts to the emotion that drives them.

2. Name the emotion, and rather than saying "I am irritated" or "I am bored and frustrated" say "Ah hah - that is irritation, boredom (or whatever)." By this means you help to objectify the emotion and to place it outside yourself.

3. See if you can encapsulate the emotion in an image. What comes to mind when you try to visualise that particular feeling? A thunder storm? Scenes from a horror film? Rotten eggs? If you wait patiently an image that seems to 'fit' that emotion may spontaneously come to mind.

4. Once you've clearly seen the emotion and captured it's feel in an image let it go. Return your focus to the breath, sounds or the body as a whole. Remnants of the emotion may remain so it can help to visualise something pleasant. An antidote, so to speak.

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.)