In This Issue...

• Spot Meditation
• The L.A Lakers and Meditation
• Course Schedule
• Events
• Meditation Survey

Spot Meditation — How much time is enough?

Most of my students are delighted with the concept, versatility and effectiveness of spot meditations. Freed from the sometimes onerous and stressful task of squeezing 20 minutes of relaxation time into an already overfull day, they find that utilising a few spare moments here and there can be quite liberating.

Occasionally though, a student feels that one, or two or even five minutes just isn't enough. It's true that a 15 - 20 minute meditation usually gives beginners a bigger 'hit', a real sense of rest (if not sleep!).

However, a spot meditation, over time, can mature into a practice in which the same quality of peace, contentment and calm found in a long meditation can be accessed in just a moment.

Martin Boronson, author of One-Moment Meditation: Stillness for People on the Go, expounds on this idea and shows you how to turn a minute into a moment on his free online course: Transform-Stress-in-30-Days-with-One-Moment-Meditation. Give yourself 30 days to do the same.

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 Article: The Lakers' mental preparation for Game 7

The Los Angeles Lakers, winners of the US NBA Championship this year, and one of the most successful teams in the history of the NBA League have as their head coach Phil Jackson. Known for his holistic approach to coaching, Jackson is influenced by Eastern philosophy, a trait that has earned him the nickname "Zen Master". Jackson cites Robert Pirsig's book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance as one of the major guiding forces in his life. He also applies Native American spiritual practices as documented in his book Sacred Hoops.

Not only that, but in a land and sport of  extreme hype the Laker coaching staff is focused on relaxing the players. Yep, they even meditate. Read more on the Lakers mental preparation in this interesting article.

Course Schedule

Our next term of meditation courses for 2010 commences in September. You can register online for any of the following.

Term 4, September/October 2010

Meditation Events

Australian Meditation Conference

The Australian Meditation Conference this year will be held at RMIT Story Hall on Saturday July 30th. Presenters will include David Michie, author of Hurry up and Meditate, as well as Pauline McKinnon, Marc Cohen, Janet Etty-Leal, Kate James, Clark Scott, Laurence Mills and Arian Young. More information...

Meditation Master Class with Clarke Scott

Meditation Masterclass — Clarke Scott

Sunday August 1st, 10:00am — 5:00pm

Cost: $90.00

Venue
Yoga Concepts
Level 1, 458 Bridge Road, Richmond
(Blue door next to Kanzaman Lebanese Restaurant)

Master Class Schedule

Each session is a combination of a lecture, guided meditation and time left over at the end for questions. Each meditation session is 24 minutes with a small "stretching break" in-between each session.

Clarke Scott

Clarke Scott is a Buddhist monk, contemplative and writer. Combining 15 years of traditional monastic training in Buddhist philosophy and meditation with modernity, Clarke brings deep experience to the integration of Buddhism with the modern world. His research interest lies in Buddhist philosophy and Philosophy of Mind. Particularly in rigorous scientific investigation of the nature and origins of consciousness and its relation to dispositional narrative.

A student of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Clarke has received personal instructions on Madhyamaka philosophy and meditation from His Holiness. Clarke is also the founder and Chairman of the Australian Institute for Consciousness Studies. AICS was established as a nexus for advancing interdisciplinary understanding of the nature, origin, and potentials of consciousness by combining scientific and contemplative investigatory knowledge. More information at: http://clarkescott.org/

How to Meditate Workshop

Sunday July 26, 2.00 - 5.00pm, Elwood

A condensed form of our Basic Meditation Course, this workshop is designed as an introduction to meditation and will help you get started with a range of simple techniques.

Simply Silence

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.

Elwood Schedule

• July 12 - Leanne Gillies
• July 26 - TBA
• August 9 - Matthew Young

Northcote Schedule

• July 1 - Ajay Ramdas
• July 15 - Paul Majewski
• August 5 - Rita Cattivera
• August 19 - Elaine Doyle
• September 2 - Dean Das

Meditation Interview: Joseph Goldstein

Joseph Goldstein is one of the most well-known teachers of meditation in America. He was instrumental in bringing and popularising meditation and buddhism in the west and is a co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society (IMS), the author of numerous popular books on Buddhism and the leader of retreats worldwide on insight (vipassana) and lovingkindness (metta) meditation.

In this video on Can Anyone Meditate?, Robert Wright, the interviewer, isn't afraid to ask the probing, naive, or self-interested questions. It's a good watch, particularly if you're new to meditation, or have questions and concerns about it. While Goldstein's approach has a Buddhist flavor to it, the interview contains a lot of insights. Here's a small part in which Goldstein answers the question: Can anybody meditate? You can click on the interview topics to the left of the video to jump to the sections which may interest you.

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.)