Meditation 

Meditation is a practice that has existed all over the world in various forms for at least 5000 years with the most well known type being the Buddhist practice. It can take many forms from deep transcendental trance states to simple time out to breathe, focus and clear the mind of everyday trivia and chatter. Meditation is most easily achieved by sitting comfortably in a quiet environment and simply observing the breath.

Some traditions may use this state to feel a spiritual connection to God and the Earth or ask the 'bigger' questions of life and the Universe. Western traditions mainly use meditation to deal with the stresses of life enhancing their sense of calm and general happiness

Meditation has been proven to me to be a very powerful tool for healing the body, mind and spirit. Meditation is the most powerful tool that I have ever found for creating personal happiness, clarity of thought and focus. It has actually been shown by MRI scans that long term meditation practice can physically alter the areas in the Brain associated with happiness. Although originally meditation was and still is, a deeply spiritual tradition it does not require any particular beliefs or faith or even any special skills- other than a determination to practice and persevere.

Many people struggle alone, to master the art of stilling the mind but in a group session where the energy builds or indeed within a Learn to meditate class, anyone who has a willing mind and an open heart can  achieve some level of success and personal satisfaction.

In my classes and courses I aim to give students an opportunity to experience a range of Meditation practices so that every student can find a type of practice that suits them. Some of these include focused Meditation on a candle flame for example, guided meditations, Chakra Meditation (see below) or movement Muddhras (repetitive movement sequences that lead the rational mind away from trivia and into a trance like state).

 I believe that there are many reasons to meditate:

• Meditate for better health
• Meditate for mind and body awareness
• Meditation for balancing emotions
• Meditations to sharpen the mind and focus attention
• Meditation to contemplate the mysteries of life and the Universe

Meditation is proven to produce a range of health benefits for all ages: 

• Builds self confidence
• Increases serotonin levels which influence moods and behaviour which often may have led to depression, headaches and insomnia
• Helps keep blood pressure normal and reduces stress 
• Creates a state of deep relaxation and general feeling of wellbeing.
• You will be left feeling positively joyous!

* Meditation has been shown to increase the activity of The Natural Killer cells (NK) that hunt and destroy abnormal or cancerous cells in the body by up to 30%.

Prolonged exposure to depression and anxiety depresses NK activity!.