Dear Meditator,

Meditate09 Two-For-One Offer.

There are only two weeks until this year's Australian Meditation Conference, Meditate09 and the good news for you is that there are still seats available.

If you register and pay by Thursday June 18 you can bring a friend for free. This offer also applies to those who have already registered. Note however, that the two-for-one offer applies only to the Saturday Conference program. If you wish to take up this offer please register as normal through the www.meditate09.com.au website and send an email to info@meditate09.com.au with the name of the friend you intend to bring.

Simply Silence CBD Update.

For those who live or work in the CBD, we'll be running two casual Simply Silence sessions each Wednesday afternoon/evening until July 1. Unfortunately we lose our CBD premises after that (for both Simply Silence and Melbourne Meditation Centre classes).

Help — CBD Venue Needed.

If anybody knows of a good venue to run meditation classes from in the CBD please let me know. I need a space that's available on Thursday afternoons from 5.30 - 7.00pm, that's relatively quiet, relatively central and will accommodate between 15 and 20 people on chairs.

Teacher Training July

Registrations for our second and final Meditation Teacher Training course for this year are now being accepted. The course starts on July 27 and there are just one or two spots left.

In Defence of Laziness

Last month I included an article 'In Praise of Slow'. This month enjoy one step further: In Defence of Laziness.

Movement Meditations

And finally, for all those who have requested information on the movement meditations I've introduced to classes over the past few months, you'll find them included in this month's Meditation Tip.

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
• Course Schedule
• Events
• In Defence of Laziness

Spot Meditation - Just Look

If I raise my eyes about 20 degrees, from my monitor to the shelf above, I see a box of tissues.

Nothing special in that. I've seen a box of tissues before. But if I pay close attention, I see that someone has gone to the trouble of creating a lovely design on it — and that if I spend just 30 seconds noticing the subtleties of colour and shape my whole body relaxes into the moment.

Take a look around you now. What can you pay 30 seconds of quality attention to? And more importantly, what happens when you do?

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 — Don't Just Sit There

As a rule, many of us live fairly sedentary lives — tied to a computer, office or some repetitive task. Even if we exercise, our movements tend to be somewhat restricted — we move our bodies in routine or habitual ways.

The sheer range of unusual movements made in a practice such as yoga, tai chi or feldenkrais can be wonderful for the body. It will feel looser, lighter and energised. However, you don't need to attend a class or engage in formal practice to benefit from such movements. You can do them at your desk, as you walk, even in front of the TV. In fact, we all stretch, rub and massage our bodies quite naturally. Such natural tendencies are the basis for the following series of movement meditations that I've recently introduced to our courses.

Comments? Email matt@melbournemeditationcentre.com.au

Course Schedule

Our next term of meditation courses commences towards the end of July. You can register online for any of the following.

Term 4, July/August 2009

Meditation Events

MEDITATE09 Australian Meditation Conference

MEDITATE 09, the annual Australian Meditation Conference brings together many of Australia's leading meditation teachers, including Paul Wilson, bestselling author of The Quiet and The Little Book of Calm, Petrea King, Founding Director and CEO of the Quest for Life Foundation and Andrew Wells, Director of Dru Yoga in Australia.

The theme of this year's conference is Meditation and the Mind. Our presenters will explore how meditation promotes physical wellbeing and emotional literacy and can be used in the prevention and treatment of stress, anxiety and depression.

With a full conference program on Saturday and post-conference workshops on Sunday, this event promises to be a wonderful opportunity for anyone with a professional or personal interest in meditation to explore a diversity of approaches to this transformative practice.

The conference program will also interest medical and health professionals, researchers and students, as leading experts present research in body/mind medicine from the disciplines of neuroscience, physiology and psychology.

More information and tickets available now from www.meditate09.com.au

Simply Silence

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

Elwood Schedule

• June 22 - Sarah Fletcher
• July 13 - Kate James

Northcote Schedule

• June 18 - Jenny Petridis

CBD Schedule

Two sessions every Wednesday. Session One from 5.30 - 6.30pm and Session Two from 6.45 - 7.45pm. All sessions hosted by Peter Douglas unless otherwise specified. Sessions continue until Wednesday July 1.

In Defence of Laziness

Lorin Roche and his wife Camille Maurine have a particularly playful, irreverent and thought provoking approach to meditation. There ideas are innovative and designed for everyday living. Here's an excerpt from a book they wrote together in 2001, Meditation Secrets for Women. The book is interesting reading, whatever your gender, and this article explores the taboo against rest.

Often when people get the inner silence they crave, they judge it as laziness, sleepiness, indolence, weakness, or depression. Often people spend years trapped in this mind-set, sabotaging their own inner peace. Read more...

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.)