In This Issue...

• Spot Meditation
• Meditator's Guilt
• Course Schedule
• Events
• Meditation Goodies for your PC and iPhone

Spot Meditation — The slow sneeze

In Ancient Greece, sneezes were believed to be prophetic signs from the gods, and in Pakistan there is a common superstition that suggests that sneezing occurs when someone thinks fondly of you.

Whatever your beliefs about the sneeze, it's my bet that you haven't ever taken time to slow down a sneeze, (which Mythbusters say leaves the body at about 60km/hr) in order to appreciate it's meditative qualities.

Anyway if you've got a spare minute, here's how (and it's surprisingly enjoyable.)

Sit comfortably. As you inhale, let your head rock or tilt gently back and upward. On the exhalation, let your head fall forward slightly. This is similar to the motion of sneezing, where the head moves back on the ah and forward on the choo.

Notice how the spine extends upward on the inhalation and curls down a little on the exhalation. The chest rises and then sinks down and in.

If you've got another minute, explore the different dimensions of motion, by stretching your spine upward on the inbreath, so that you are sitting very erect, allowing the head to float higher with each 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.

Meditation Article: Meditator's Guilt

It's quite common to hear people saying that they'd like to meditate more, and that they feel like they don't meditate enough. Generally, this doesn't seem to be because they'd actually enjoy meditating more, but because they think that they should. How is it for you? Do you suffer from meditator's guilt?

Jason Siff, author of the new book Unlearning Meditation, and it's associated blog, addresses this topic below:

I came up with the term meditator’s guilt quite by accident nearly a decade ago, and have used it sparingly since. It came to me during a workshop when I asked each person to tell me about his or her meditation practice. Practically all of them said that they did not meditate every day, which was often followed by other disparaging remarks about their ability to meditate. Initially, this saddened me. Only later did I wake up to enormity of this problem with how meditation is being perceived as a disciplined activity, much like physical exercise (which interestingly enough produces a similar kind of guilt).

When doing any meditation practice, a “doer” of the meditation practice is created, even if that practice is about no-self or transcendence. This doer becomes a condition for feelings of guilt, incompetence, and failure that creep into the meditation practice. Instead of trying to get rid of a self that does the meditation practice, we can learn to see into it as dependently arisen.

For example, if I find myself discouraged by my mind wandering too much in my meditation sittings, I can look at my “discouragement” at my mind wandering, instead of trying to stop my mind from wandering. That discouragement has a self-structure to it—it has a particular tone of voice, a set vocabulary, a memory or two of prior experiences of the same sort, and perhaps other  elements that are on the edge of my awareness, but can be picked out over time as I stay with that experience while also allowing my mind to wander (if that is what continues to happen). Read more...

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 September 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

• August 9 - Matthew Young
• August 23 - Leanne Gillies

Northcote Schedule

• August 5 - Rita Cattivera
• August 19 - Elaine Doyle
• September 2 - Dean Das

Meditation Goodies

Have you ever worried that you might fall asleep or meditate for longer than planned? Here's a selection of timers, bells and gongs for your PC or iPhone that you can download or run online to keep track of time.

There are also a selection of mindfulness bells and reminders that can be set to remind you throughout the day while you are at the computer to take a few deep breaths, sit up straight, take a break, be mindful, stretch, take a walk, smile… or whatever you may find helpful.

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.)