As I write this, I’m sitting in the park on my lunch
break, watching a guy meditate. Wait, that sounds creepy. I’m not *watching*
him, he just happens to be in my line of vision. He’s sitting in lotus position,
with his hands in mudra, completely consumed in stillness while the world
continues to beat its crazy tune around him. My attention keeps coming back to
him – in a non-creepy way, just want to make that clear – because he is meditating. In
public. And no-one is looking.
This is a wonderful thing, because it
shows how far our consciousness has evolved. It’s now acceptable for someone to
meditate in public and not attract attention from anyone. (Except me, obvs, BUT
I’M NOT A CREEPER, OK?!)
Meditation used to be regarded as the domain of
lentil-loving hippies and daydreaming types. No longer. Celebrities such as
Russell Brand, Miranda Kerr, Hugh Jackman and Lena Dunham are all devotees, and
from the meditation workshops I’ve attended over the years it’s clear a wide
spectrum of people are on board with this life-affirming practice. And given
the immense benefits from meditation – it slows your heart rate (as I found out
in dramatic fashion), calms your central nervous system and improves just about
every function of your body – I’d wager this is not a passing trend. Simply by
meditating regularly, people are becoming calmer, more emotionally resilient,
less stressed, more centred, more loving and more present. That’s some serious
power right there.
Last month I went along to a screening of The Connection, a brilliant documentary
by Sydney journalist Shannon Harvey which explored the relationship between
spiritual health and physical health. (Shoutout to the awesome team at Films for Change for bringing us these stirring cinematic experiences.) The
most startling revelation for me was a medical researcher’s statement that our
genes are not fixed – meditation can flip the switch on genes that cause
disease. This means that through the simple regular practice of meditation we
can actually alter our bodies at a cellular level. I’m sure I don’t need to
tell you how remarkable this is.
If you’ve dabbled in meditation but abandoned it
because you were short of time (top tip: no one ‘finds’ time, they ‘make’ time)
or thought you sucked at it (another tip: you don’t), I urge you to give it
another crack. And then to keep going.
Here are some great places to go for meditation instruction
and inspiration:
· Google your local
Buddhist centre, which is bound to be running workshops and sessions teaching meditation.
·
Headspace (www.headspace.com)
– described as a gym for your mind, this app is a wonderful resource for
rookies. It offers 10 free meditations and a more in-depth series to
subscribers.
·
Omvana (www.omvana.com) – a constantly updated app placing
a wide range of meditations at your disposal.
·
Belinda Davison (http://belindadavidson.com/free-resources)
– she calls herself a psychic without a woo-woo bone in her body, and provides
a series of free meditations focused on chakra clearing.
·
Tom Cronin (www.tomcronin.com)
– a meditation teacher who offers online courses as well as workshops in
Sydney. He also runs a fantastic free group meditation called the Stillness Project in the CBD on Monday nights, which I highly recommend.