the practice

Like Yoga itself, many of us approach Meditation with only a vague idea of what it means. What is meditation? Practitioners, teachers, authors; all have some difficulty in defining the practise. We’re not even going to try!

And yet there is something vital and essential about the process of exploring meditation.

Like Yoga itself, meditation methods, principles and orientations vary so much that a single definitive notion of it is untenable.In our own practise we have extrapolated a number of themes to the process of understanding the process;

That a mind identified with its thoughts is a controlled by them;

That thoughts are in themselves just energy and as such neutral; problems arise
only in perception.

That the cultivation of the ‘witness’ within ourselves is fundamental to all ideas about meditation;

That esoteric treaties and lofty teachings often conceal the simple essence of meditation.

That practise is simply a way of ‘remembering’ this essence.

Just as there is no absolutely ‘right’ way of performing a Yoga posture, so also there is no method of meditation that can be applied to all. Meditation is a process of discovery. It includes getting lost and finding clarity; it demands that we challenge some fundamental beliefs about ourselves but it is also imperative that we cultivate personal compassion. It’s very boring but possibly the most exciting thing that we could ever learn.

These ideas are integral to our Yoga classes.

the sitting

In the early autumn Andrew is running a small meditation group. This will meet fortnightly on a Monday evening at Budock Water and will explore the essence and practise of meditation. The group number will be limited to six people. There will be 6 sessions and the cost for all 6 is £48

In this time we will be looking at the different approaches to meditation within the Yoga traditions, the use of Yoga theory and practise to support our chosen personal approach, and investigate areas of personal interest, challenge and temperament and how all these will impact on the quality of our practise.

Current or previous students known to Andrew or Jerusha will be given priority on this course. If you have not previously worked with us but are interested in joining the group you will be asked to join a regular Yoga class for a short while prior to joining the group.

If you are interested in being a part of this project please contact us for more details and an informal discussion.

Call us on 01326 375191 or e mail andrewandjerusha@athayoga.co.uk