Why sign up to a meditation course?
Afterall there are books, YouTube vid’s, even an app or two for that!
I’ll be completely honest. The books - some are amazing and I wouldn’t have started my own mindfulness journey without the apps. I have a deep love for all of the mindfulness and meditation content that is out there. This is not a post where you’ll hear me put them down, because they really are important.
However, if you haven’t started on your journey of mindfulness or perhaps you are already on one but you are looking for something more. It can be these or anything in between that brings you to the point where you start to look for a course where you can learn with people. This was my journey too.
I started when I was a child, 12 years old to be exact. Now, I had no idea that I was learning mindfulness techniques, that wasn’t really a thing at that point, at least in the world I was in. More on that later though. I was introduced to some concepts so it wasn’t completely unfamiliar, and so I dabbled over the years. Learning some new techniques here and there, finding books and people that would inspire me. Then, when I was in my 20’s I delved a little deeper. It was a cancer scare that prompted it but really, it was my rollercoaster of thoughts, emotions, stories and endless chatter that prompted me to seek out solutions. I was exhausted. By dealing with this constantly revolving mind that would have, lets just say some less than desirable habits and behaviours. To sum it up, I felt like I was at the mercy of my moods. Sound familiar?
So, I started to study, to learn and to practice. I became a Health Coach and became infatuated with the idea of mind training. I was then exceptionally lucky to come across a 14 month Meditation Teacher Training course - in person and with a teacher that I had really connected with. I connected with her philosophy, her voice, her story and there she was, offering spots to learn from her for 14 months. Now, I had a toddler and a teeny, tiny baby. I was on maternity leave. The timing, in some ways was perfect in others, it wasn’t. I talked myself in and out of applying (I am a master procrastinator and at never finishing things, this struck a particular cord of fear!) and then I hit the send button. I had no idea how much that 14 months was going to shape me. This is the really important part of my story you see. I had consumed so much on mindfulness and meditation. However, I had all the questions, the worries about how I was doing. Was I even doing it right? Maybe I should quit...
I understood things from a technical point of view but I needed more. Understanding meditation from books gave me a technical view that had me in a stop / start pattern. I didn’t really have a purpose to keep me connected to it. For me, it was a little like a gym membership. I did it when things were spinning out of control but there was no consistency and it wasn’t really a lifestyle. I had all the points but not really how to connect them.
Those intense 14 months allowed me to get a deep understanding and to see that there were 3 key points that I had missed:
The Approach: This was learning how I could approach mindfulness and meditation.
The Practice: Understanding how my mind and body would behave (or not!)
The Integration: This was how I would breathe life into my practice. The connection with myself and others.
Now, I had a teacher that would push me. She would get me to see other points of view and I became part of a community. Here I was able to talk about my practice, how I was changing and feeling. I learnt the mistakes that others made, I also was able to share my mistakes and the things that I had learnt. I was able to immerse myself but learn how to keep it all realistic and in our modern world. I was able to take my practice from a stress release to powerful insight. I became an expert in something that I already thought I was, me.
Meditation is often seen as an individual pursuit. I see it a little differently, sure I practice on my own, mostly even. However, we humans have been practicing in groups for thousands of years. Learning from a person, on a course helps you to question, to try, to adapt and to push yourself. It’s what turns something into a real habit, create lasting change and it’s what sparks the real magic. You will realise that you aren’t the only one that is going a little rogue! You are part of something and that you don’t need to take it so seriously because there is absolutely room for laughter too. You learn balance.
If you’ve got thoughts, questions, feelings about learning to meditate then get in touch. I would love to hear from you!