UPCOMING MEDITATION GROUP

Hi 😊,

If you signed up to my website interested in the meditation group, please keep reading.

Thank you for your interest. It is still a little unclear to me as to what I am looking to create and how it will manifest but I do have a desire to share and the need for it seems to be there so we will see how it all unfolds in the next month or so. In any case I remain open to help anyone who seeks guidance in this field and if you have any questions, you feel I could help with directly or indirectly please feel free to contact me.

There are many different styles of meditations out there and probably one to suit every single individual who has a need for it, however the outcome or experiences from practicing them often differs. I guess there are no right or wrong, but it all depends on where you are and what you are looking for at this time.

I would like to explain, what meditation is for me and the goal I seek as meditator. Ultimately, this will help you decide if this is for you or not and again there is no right or wrong.

First, let me explain what meditation is, from a Yogi perspective and the reasons behind meditation:

One, is in a state of meditation, when one experiences a complete state of stillness of mind and body. When that stillness of mind and body remains for long enough, one becomes aware of a different sense of reality. Our awareness of what we are and what we are not, seems to change. One becomes aware of a sense of Self, a sense of “BEING” or “ISNESS” totally detached from the mind and the body. In that space, which is totally free of attributes, an immense sense of Bliss can be experienced.

I am a Yogi and qualified Yoga teacher. The first and the only way I learned to meditate was in 2016, sitting crossed legged, in an Ashram, surrounded by many other devotes, fighting hard to ignore the heat, the hundreds of mosquitoes, (which I swear had been sent purposely for the sake of distraction and frustration) all under the dedicated and loving presence of a Guru or Master projecting his clear intentions onto us.

I did not know at that time, that this somehow painful experience (at all levels), was a very small part of the teaching and practice of meditation.

You see, meditation cannot be experienced without a strong discipline, patience, dedication and the strong desire to know that there must be a bigger picture to what we experience daily. I found that, that desire is very important and without a doubt accelerates the process.

It is safe to say that our mind is extremely turbulent and the source of all our pains and joys. It is affected by powerful currents all day long, driven by attractions and aversions (known as Raga and Dvesha ) and these are often so strong that they cannot be controlled or fought with, leaving our mind completely restless.

Who would you employ to control and fight your mind? You? Who is that? your mind? If so, it is a lost cause. If you are looking at your own mind to argue with your mind the battle is lost in advance. I had so many of those fights…. being strong willed is useless in these situation.

The truth is you cannot fight your mind and unless the mind is purified and the body somehow healthy, the state of meditation described above, will be almost impossible to achieve as body and mind will be in a constant state of restlessness.

Yoga regards the purification of the mind as a major step on the path to a more peaceful life.

“Karma Yoga”, if you are familiar with the term, is often considered as the first yoga to be practiced for the purification of the Ego.

Nowadays, people often turn to yoga to improve their health and reduce their level of stress. Although it certainly improves both in many ways, it is not the goal of Yoga. Yoga is a tool for Self-Realization. Health of the body and mind is better addressed by Ayurveda (the science of Life) and ideally, they both need to be considered to achieve a successful practice. This is why Ayurveda is also called the sister science of Yoga because one cannot be fully enjoyed without knowledge of the other.

Pranayamas (control of the Breath), is another powerful practice to clear the mind. One that has been assisting me daily for the last 6 years to achieve a more peaceful life.

Ideally, I would like to create a safe and casual space for people to come and share their experience, share with you the practice of Pranayamas, maybe share a little bit of yoga and explore that meditative state together. experience is not necessary

In any way, I am open to anyone’s comments and suggestions so feel free to reach out.

Kindest regards

OM SHANTI

Axelle