Dear Meditator,

Courses for 2009 start from February 1, including Meditation Teacher Training.

In this issue, check out some fascinating articles on the senses, courtesy of Lorin Roche as well as information on a 5 day retreat to be held late in February and inspiration from Paulo Coelho, author of The Alchemist.

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

In This Issue...

• Spot Meditation
• Your 21 Senses
• Course Schedule
• Events
• Meditation Tips - No Time to Meditate?

Spot Meditation - The Doorway to Inner Peace

A simple way to bring calm in to your day is to deliberately slow down each time you go through a door. As you enter a room or building notice how you feel - anxious, rushed, busy? As you pass through the door pay attention to the flow of your breath and let it soothe away stress.

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.

Your 21 Senses

How many senses do you have? Aristotle proposed 5, but others distinguish up to 21. Lorin Roche, (one on the most interesting writers on meditation I know), has compiled a fascinating collection of articles on the senses, including ones you may not know you had: proprioception, thermoception and nociception.

Definitely check out his discussions on Sensory Submodalities in Meditation, Doors of Perception and Your 21 Senses.

Course Schedule

Meditation Courses for 2009 commence in the first week of February. You can register online for any of the following.

Term 1, February/March 2009

Regular Meditation Events

Simply Silence

Simply Silence sessions are no longer held in North Melbourne. We have a new venue in Northcote. Sessions for 2009 will commence in the new venue from Thursday February 5 and continue as normal in Elwood from Monday February 9. There will be no Elwood session on the Australia day holiday (January 26).

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

Insight Dialogue

If you're looking to attend a retreat or develop your meditation practice in new and interesting ways I thoroughly recommend Gregory Kramer's Insight Dialogue retreat, in which meditation is explored in relation with others. Gregory will be running a 5-day open Insight Dialogue retreat from 25 February - 1 March at Commonground (near Seymour).

Diana Thurbon

Diana Thurbon runs small meditation classes on a Thursday evening in Keysborough. For more information email dianast@optusnet.com.au or call 03 9798 6862.

No Time to Meditate?

Last week I was browsing through some of the short stories in Paulo Coelho's Like The Flowing River, a compilation of tales, opinions and ideas drawn from articles published in various newspapers between 1998 and 2005.

Several of the stories mention or discuss meditation. I was struck particularly by a story in which Coelho insists that no one is ever short of time to meditate. Let's be honest, is his message. We have time to brush our teeth, go to work, watch TV, go to a party and get drunk, read the newspaper, catch up with a friend or sit on the couch in a stupor. No, it's not time we lack, but courage.

It's a strong message he sends. Let's not kid ourselves. Using time as an excuse for not meditating is not helping. I don't know about you, but I think he makes a good point.

And now that you know that it's not time that you lack, but courage; here's a few ideas you might like to develop the courage to try.

1. Schedule time each day to be with the people you care about without engaging in another task — no mobile phone, computer or other distraction.
2. Turn off the television. Pick the programs that you want to watch instead of watching indiscriminately. Alternatively,
3. Take a walk with no destination in mind.
4. As Lorin Roche suggests: Select a sense or a sensory submodality, and indulge it for a few minutes each day.

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.)