MEDITATION
With the fast pace and high stress of modern life, a daily meditation practice is an essential tool for slowing down and keeping life and oneself in perspective. Unfortunately, it is so often taught as a technique that will get you somewhere, usually to an idealized state of being in which everything, including you, will then be all right. This can create tension from striving as well as a sense of failure and self-blame when these perfect states are not achieved or able to be sustained. Often it is the very effort that is getting in the way and much of your actual experience is discounted.
I teach a gentle, easy, more feminine approach to meditation that supports an exploration of your inner world and increases awareness. You learn how to allow your unique experience to unfold naturally, not judging anything as unacceptable or mundane. Meditating in this way you will find that calm, tranquil states arise without the use of technique, and qualities such as acceptance, compassion, equanimity, patience, honesty, kindness, and friendliness towards self and others are slowly developed over time.
I am currently leading a group of 4-6 people who commit to come for 6 weeks one night/week and explore their meditation experience in a safe, confidential environment. We sit for 45 minutes, journal afterwards, and then each person has the opportunity to talk about what happened in his or her meditation. People learn and grow from hearing each other's experiences and also from my gentle inquiry and teaching. I use my experience both as a therapist and a meditation teacher to guide the development of each person's meditation practice and personal process.
A booklet I have written, Sitting with Ease: Guidelines to Meditation, that explains this approach to meditation can be downloaded here.
Contact me if you are interested in participating in the meditation group.