Newsletter - February 2011

Take control of your life

The start of a new year is the perfect time to make the move to gain more personal power and balance in your life. Tap into your creativity, needs, intuition and the real you so you evolve and gain the most from life.

The following tips, based on the wisdom of personal development expert Shakti Gawain, is a good place to start…

Tip 1 - Express your creativity

Creativity is part of finding your wholeness and fulfillment. So enjoy yourself through art, drama, movement, gardening, floristry, cooking – or anything else that means enjoyment and fun to you. Then notice the spark that it brings to your inner self and your life.

Tip 2 - Balance these key areas

Maintain balance on all four levels – physically, emotionally, spiritually and mentally. Explore and discover different ideas and techniques to help you feel whole. Take the time to deal with past hurts. You need to understand and heal the past to be able to move forward. 

Tip 3 - Expand your personal power

Consider whether situations, people and decisions truly reflect your own needs, nurturing and growth. You expand your personal power when you are authentic, whole and true to yourself. Your affirmation may be: “I communicate my needs so I gain all that I want from life.”

Tip 4 - Tap into your intuition

Listen and follow your intuition instead of making choices about what you think is correct or what others might wish. When you are in tune with your inner truth, you feel more alive. Start in small, simple ways so you build your power and confidence about connecting to your inner guidance. 

Tip 5 - Make a commitment to grow and heal

Make a conscious commitment to yourself to learn, grow, heal and develop awareness. Then reach out for support. With the latter, you know you have made a good choice if you come away from the experience feeling empowered, alive and at peace. It is also okay if the experience has challenged you a little.

Of course, whatever you learn and how you change will subtly help to transform the lives of other people you connect with. As Shatki Gawain states in The Path of Transformation, “If our talent and our joy lies in repairing automobiles, studying an obscure insect species in a remote forest, selling computers or babysitting children, and we do it with love and integrity, we will have a healing affect on everyone we encounter, and on the Earth itself.”

Final words

With the flood devastation in Queensland and Victoria and other challenging incidents worldwide, it is an opportune time to show our gratitude for the everyday things that we take for granted – family, food, home and safety. And, of course, to send our prayers and love to people affected by these disasters.

Time for meditation

In term 1, meditation courses are being presented in Caulfield, Balwyn and Ashburton.

In addition to evening sessions, a day series is available in Balwyn on Monday morning.

I look forward to seeing you at one of the following classes…

Evening Courses

Beginners meditation in Caulfield

Free introductory session: Monday 7 February, 6.30pm – 7.30pm

Five-week course starts: Monday 14 February, 6.30pm – 7.45pm

At: Caulfield School of Yoga (101 Hawthorn Road, Caulfield)

Cost: $100

Mindfulness meditation in Balwyn

Free introductory session: Wednesday 9 February, 7.30pm – 8.30pm

Five-week course starts: Wednesday 16 February, 7.30pm – 8.45pm

At: St Columba’s Uniting Church, 37 Banool Road, Balwyn

Cost: $100

Beginners meditation in Ashburton

Six-week course starts: Thursday 10 February, 7.30pm – 8.45pm

At: Ashburton Support Services (296 High Street Ashburton)

Cost: $120

(This series is jointly presented with Miamba, the spirit of good health. See ‘The Miamba Experience’ further on in this newsletter.) 

Intermediate meditation in Caulfield

Five-week course starts: Monday 14 February, 8pm – 9.15pm

At: Caulfield School of Yoga (101 Hawthorn Road, Caulfield)

Cost: $100 for course / $24 casual

Day Course

Beginners meditation in Balwyn

Five-week course starts: Monday 14 February, 10am – 11.15am

At: St Columba’s Uniting Church, 37 Banool Road, Balwyn

Cost: $100

Bookings

Bookings are essential for the introductory sessions and courses.

For inquiries or bookings...
Phone 0407 881 285
E: eileen@meditationpathways.com.au
Go to: Contact Us

Class numbers are limited to ensure a personal interest in your meditation journey.

To reserve your place in the beginners or mindfulness meditation course, $50 deposit is required. Go to Enrolments for more details.

Meditation Pathways Gift Vouchers

Give the beautiful gift of meditation.

This is ideal for family members or friends keen to discover the health and wellbeing benefits of meditation for the first time or if you require a private session to help ease panic attacks or insomnia, or perhaps a gift that enables you to continue your meditation journey.

For more details or to place an order...
E: eileen@meditationpathways.com.au
Got to: Contact Us

The meditation journey

Meditation enables you to clearly and calmly tackle life’s challenges, and along the way, you enjoy enormous personal growth.

The practice of meditation is a journey so take the focus away from what you hope or expect to achieve, otherwise you are missing the actual experience.

Meditation involves being aware or mindful of the present moment – for in the present moment, you are actually living your life.

Energy is wasted when you are stuck in dramas from the past or the imaginings of the future. So when these creep up on you, put them aside by returning to the present and taking a slow relaxing breath.

The mindfulness of meditating on the breath or the body or the vibrations of sound brings you into the present. Thoughts may come and go because your ego is not used to being ignored – it prefers to be in charge with its barrage of demands that need your attention NOW. Remember, thoughts produce waves that register in the brain as electrical energy so the more thoughts whizzing through your mind, the more turbulence and feelings of stress.

To lessen the intrusion of thoughts, you simply acknowledge their presence then return to your meditation focus. Eventually, the ego will retreat and your sittings will be quieter.

Meditation is about accepting the thoughts, feelings and emotions that may emerge, and also being kind and patient to yourself.

Also, approach each meditation with curiosity, and the freshness as if it is your first meditation. This makes the experience more enjoyable and preferable to thinking that you have to persevere. By lightening up when you meditate, you are also being kinder to yourself.

Over time you will come to experience the stillness, spaciousness and silence that comprise your own true nature. That is a truly lovely space. Until then, simply enjoy the journey.

The Miamba Experience

I am presenting a meditation course with Miamba, an organisation with a dynamic vision - to share a complete package of preventive healthcare strategies and wellbeing skills to last a lifetime. This is achieved through courses, workshops and mentoring.

Unique to the Miamba experience is the focus on the Five Integrated Key Health Areas – Mind, Energy, Body, Movement and Nourishment.

The next five-week Wellbeing Series starts on Thursday 24 February, 7.15pm – 9.30pm in Glen Iris. You will discover the keys to good health and learn techniques that you can easily use in your life.

This term Miamba is also offering a Mother Child Series and specialist series, including Meditation for Beginners and the Paleo Nutrition Plan (a scientifically proven approach to help you manage weight issues, energy levels, diabetes and heart disease).

My association with Miamba started from an editorial perspective. I project managed some brochures and wrote the website text. Discover more about Miamba at www.miamba.com.au and you may also like to subscribe to their newsletter.  

A nurturing workshop

When you nurture yourself, you nurture everyone around you.

This is the concept behind a one-day Just Be’ workshop co-presented by delightful DRU yoga and meditation teacher Michelle Harris – she has the amazing ability to move, smile, talk and glow with enthusiasm and warmth, all at the same time.

With colleague Kate Culy (life coach and DRU meditation teacher), they will lead you through a day of gentle movement, lots of relaxation and the latest research about the benefits of meditation and relaxation.

The workshop offers practical strategies to enable you to enjoy calmness and clarity in everyday life and to assist you to develop choices in how you would like to be at any moment of the day.

The workshop is on Sunday 13 February, 10am – 4pm. It is at Balwyn Community Centre, 412 Whitehorse Road, Surrey Hills. Morning and afternoon tea are provided.

I am attending so if you are interested in joining me, please let me know so you can obtain the ‘bring a friend’ rate of $80 (instead of $100).

If you would like to receive a flyer about the workshop, please email me: eileen@meditationpathways.com.au

Meditation Pathways News

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Enjoy your meditation journey
Eileen