Many people understand meditation to be a spiritual practice. But ask ten meditators what ‘spiritual’ means and you are likely to receive ten very different replies. If we aren’t clear about what ‘spiritual’ means, then for what purpose is that practice?
Continue readingDana Bell’s story is one of hope, compassion, and the transformative power of teaching mindfulness meditation. During a difficult time supporting a friend with end-stage cancer, Dana’s mindfulness training enabled her to be fully present and provide invaluable support through personalized meditations. This experience inspired her to use her skills professionally, running workshops for schools, community groups, and organizations. Dana’s story is a testament to the transformative impact of mindfulness meditation and the power of cultivating awareness and presence in our lives.
Continue readingDid you know that the words “hear” and “here” share a common root? Originally meaning “to be told, or learn by report”, the spelling only changed in the 14th or 15th centuries. In our modern lives, the constant background noises of city life can easily distract us from being truly present and attentive.
Continue readingDo you know a one stop shop where you can unpack the startling dream you had last night, find a yoga exercise to help relieve your back pain, study how your emotions arise, explore astronomy, find the lyrics of that old Beatles song that keeps running through your mind and read the true story of the first European woman to travel to Tibet?
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One of the basic truths of the meditation tradition is that it is our state of mind that governs so much of our experience of life.
This isn’t just how or what we think about our lives (although that’s certainly a huge part of it) – it’s also about how we react emotionally and physically to things that happen.
Do we tighten up, or lock down on some experiences …
When we lose something or someone, often that is not the only loss—there are other things we lose too—friends, activities, the ability to socialize as we used to, our vibrancy or happiness, people, our jobs and partners. It can feel like a limb has been ripped off. It is possible to recover and thrive again …
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Ingrid has been involved with Lifeflow since 2010 and uses Meditation and retreat work as the core of her personal practice, together with creative practice, yoga, psychology, dreamwork and contemplation.
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Music, like all art, is inner experience brought into form – a form that we can both hear and feel. The combination of music and meditation … is really something quite special – music can help to open us to all the joys and sorrows of our emotional life as well as ground us in the rhythms of life and the body …
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In the words of Sir David Attenborough, referring to the preciousness of age-old trees, “there is little else on Earth that plays host to such a rich community of life within a single living organism”. In this article Ann Calvert explores the importance of gum trees to the Peramangk people, to Lifeflow retreatants and to the group of volunteers caring for the land around Tara Hills Retreat Centre.
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Meditation has long been used as a pathway to awareness. Scientific research is now also looking at another pathway – the use of psychedelics.
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