Meditation Beginners Course
Course details
· 5 classes · 90 minutes each · once a week
Fee: $120
Recommended book: Meditation and Mantras by Swami Vishnudevananda (available at the centre’s boutique)
Discover the peace that is already within you
Close your eyes for a moment. Beneath the thoughts, the to-do lists and the noise of the day, there is a place of calm that is always there. Meditation is the art of finding the way back to it.
In the Sivananda tradition, meditation is the heart of yoga. As Swami Sivananda taught, peace is not something to be sought outside ourselves. It is your true nature, simply waiting to be discovered. This course offers you a clear, practical and gentle way to begin.
Over several weeks, in a small, welcoming group, you will learn the classical techniques taught by Swami Vishnudevananda, founder of the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres and author of Meditation and Mantras. Step by step, you will discover how to:
- Sit comfortably and steadily, so the body becomes a support rather than a distraction
- Use the breath to calm the mind, with simple pranayama exercises that prepare you for meditation
- Understand how the mind works and why it wanders, so you can guide it patiently rather than fight it
- Concentrate using a point of focus and the power of mantra
- Create your own daily practice at home, with a realistic routine you can keep up long after the course ends
What you will learn
Over five classes, step by step, you will learn:
- How to meditate. Simple, clear explanations of what meditation really is (and what it isn’t), so you can sit with confidence instead of wondering whether you’re “doing it right.”
- The benefits of meditation. How regular practice soothes the nervous system, reduces stress and anxiety, sharpens concentration and memory, and brings a deeper sense of contentment to everyday life.
- How to prepare for meditation. Choosing a place and a time, finding a comfortable and stable sitting posture, and using the breath to settle the body and mind before you begin.
- The basic techniques of meditation. The classical methods taught by Swami Vishnudevananda: working with a point of focus, observing the mind without fighting it, and using mantra to gather scattered thoughts into one-pointed concentration.
- How to establish a regular practice. A simple, realistic daily routine you can take home and keep long after the course ends, so that meditation becomes a natural part of your life.
No experience, flexibility or special ability is needed. You don’t need to “empty your mind.” All it takes is a little curiosity and the willingness to sit quietly for a few minutes each day. Many people who start here find that those few minutes gradually transform their whole day: more patience, more clarity, more joy in simple things.
