Meditation for Families

Meditation for Families

By Vidhya Shailesh
SoulCentre Certified Meditation Teacher
22^nd  August 2018

Meditation is called the science of Freedom and Power. It is a science as it is logical, step-by-step and guarantees results when practiced. It is often misunderstood as a practice meant for those who wish to shun their responsibilities or those that wish to live in solitude. The truth however, is very different.

Meditation has been around for centuries and has withstood the test of time for a simple reason – It Works! Meditation is a way of life. The wisdom of meditation not just rewires your mind; it also rewires your life for the better. Why then would it be reserved for the select few? Ancient masters knew and understood the effects that meditation has on the human mind and hence prescribed it in one form or the other to every single person that approached them. Be it a child who wishes to develop deeper focus and concentration, or a teenager trying to manage their emotions or an adult who would like to create their life by choice. Meditation works for everyone, whatever stage of life they might be at or whatever state of mind they might be at.

As families, it is one of the best investments you can make in yourself. Learning to meditate together, or simply following and living by some of the wisdom and teachings of meditation, drastically improves your quality of life individually and together as a family. Meditation helps you develop greater focus and clarity. It helps you become more compassionate and loving. This inner state of wellbeing and peace finds expression even in your external life and in your environment. You find that your relationships become more harmonious. And no matter what happens in your life, you always have a way of handling it well. Meditation helps you become a solution seeker rather than being a problem seeker. Family meditation practices can help reduce anxiety and stress and promote health and happiness in busy parents and children.

Storms are the nature of the sea. Similarly storms in life are inevitable. The wisdom of meditation helps us to keep our balance and sail through the storms with ease. Be it a child, or a teenager or an adult, the wisdom applies to one and all. A family that meditates together is grounded in wisdom and more supportive of each other. Life has the ability to throw us off guard. In all the ups and down of life, it is necessary for us to have the right balance. Meditation gives us the wisdom, tools and the techniques to find this inner balance. It gives us the right mindset to sail through life. Meditation teaches us to keep our focus and have greater clarity on what we would like out of our lives.

Masters live by choice, not by chance. Meditation helps us become the masters of our own lives. When parents are well anchored in wisdom and meditation, they can guide their children well through their growing up years. Conditioning is often handed down from the parents to the children. A healthy meditation practice helps us break down conditioning and beliefs that do not serve us. It helps us instill the right skills and belief systems in our children. Each generation serves as teachers to the next. It is therefore wise to invest in ourselves so we can become better teachers for our children and the generations to come.

Here are a few ways to embrace meditation as a family:

1) Learn and practice together. Even if it is a short practice sit and do it together. Talk about how it feels and your observations.

2) Let your children watch you practice. As they watch, they will get inclined towards practicing it themselves. Talk about how you apply the wisdom on a day to day basis. Be dedicated to an everyday practice.

3) Create a little corner for meditation or set a routine perhaps a bedtime one where you meditate for a short period of time before you fall asleep each night. Simple breathing exercises, reflection on the day gone by, gratitude for what life offers are all great ways to start.

4) Start with short periods of time and gradually increase the time you sit for meditation. Expect some resistance but don’t give up. With some practice, it becomes easier.

At SoulCentre, we teach Meditation at all levels from beginner to advance. Our sessions are short, easy to learn, practical and produce results right from day one. When learnt properly, you will develop a love for the practice as you can see the results unfold in your own life. Learning to meditate is the best investment you can make for yourself.

The next Meditation Made Simple ™ program is on September 11/12/18/19. In 4 short sessions, you can learn several valuable lessons and techniques, which are guaranteed to help on an ongoing basis. To find out more, get in touch with us at info@soulcentre.org or visit http://www.soulcentre.org/events

Meditation: My Secret Weapon

Meditation: My Secret Weapon

By Mary Jo Pokorski

SoulCentre Meditation Teacher, www.soulcentre.org

8^th August 2018

Why did you want to become a teacher of meditation?

           

As I underwent my meditation classes with Vikas, I started realizing how powerful and useful this ancient teaching was. What really was amazing to me was noticing what a profound effect it had begun to have in my own life in such a very short amount of time. I started releasing my fears and no longer lived a life overshadowed by anxiety. As I was finally dropping my burdens and started standing high again, I began noticing how my fellow students were all experiencing a similar renewed passion for life and were achieving a sense of freedom. When I saw how many of us were being brought forward to live our highest life, I realized that I had to share this in my turn and help as many people as possible by becoming a teacher of meditation. 

How did you feel on conducting your first program?

           

I was beyond excited. I was sharing my passion at last. I knew that the program’s content was mind-blowing and that it would change lives.

How has the feedback been?

           

I have always had very positive feedback. People often begin thinking that meditation is something mystical and a little beyond everyday life. After undergoing the class, they look at life through fresh eyes, empowered by wisdom and practical tools that allow them to deal with anything life offers at any time.

Can you give an example of someone who’s life has changed?

One of my most heartening experiences was when a client whose partner had left them came to seek support. They had been recommended to me by another one of my students. This person came in with the weight of their world on their shoulders. Under tremendous emotional stress: overwhelming sadness, anger, worry, sense of loss, you name it. As the sessions progressed, it was touching and inspiring to see this person opening to life as they connected with the ancient wisdom of meditation and benefited from immediate effects that meditation brings. By the final session this person was able to smile and laugh again, knowing that whatever came, they would be able to address it serenely.

How has meditation helps you personally?

Meditation has been a life-changer for me. I used to be overwhelmed by emotional ups and downs. I was especially prone to crippling anxiety for years. Meditation finally gave me an effective way to free myself from all of these inner stressors, and allowed me to create inner peace, as well as a sense of freedom and stability I was craving for.

Anyone and everyone can learn Meditation.

Our Next Meditation program is on 14/15/20/21 August and our next weekend program on 29/30 September.

At SoulCentre we teach all the way from Beginner to Advanced level and many of our students decide to become Teachers of Meditation and to share the wisdom.

Please do connect with us to start your Meditation journey. You are in great hands at SoulCentre.

Click here to register on Meditation Made Simple http://www.soulcentre.org/events
Or drop us an email at info@soulcentre.org

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Meditation Makes Me Unstoppable

Meditation makes me Unstoppable!

By Dr Veronique Blanc

PhD, Molecular Biologist and SoulCentre Meditation Teacher, www.soulcentre.org

11th April 2018

My life before meditation

When I was just a teenager, I would see my friends buy women magazines such as Elle, People etc, while I would buy magazines about the brain, how it works and its functions, because I had an avid interest in understanding human behaviours.

I had an enquiring mind and wanted to understand the big picture of how everything worked and connected together, but I was never satisfied by what I read or found.

My mum also told me recently that since I was very young, I wanted to become a Biochemist (even though I surely didn't know what it was back then, being so young!), and sure enough, I did become a Biochemist and Molecular Biologist.

I even got a PhD in Pathology (from a renowned London University) researching how cancer cells spread all over the body (metastases).

This was all interesting but also very frustrating as I couldn't grasp how it all worked out, so immersed in the details I was. The big picture was missing, I couldn’t connect all the dots.

I then decided to move into managing research rather than doing the research myself. I started by managing research centres in metabolic diseases such as Diabetes, and then, drawn by my deep desire, I dived into studying the genetics of neurological disorders such as anorexia/bulimia, schizophrenia, and the like.

However, I was still frustrated with the minutia of the research and the very little progress I was making. So I changed my path again, and managed a research centre in Environmental Sciences, where engineers get things done very fast and move forward with great progress.

I learnt a lot about the climate, urban air and water pollution, as well as robotics. I also learnt about marine corals and mangroves, and the impact of humans on their environment. Quite varied and interesting subjects.

Along the way I also gave birth to two beautiful children and as a good mother I was driven to give them the best possible food, environment and love I could provide. This had a tremendous impact on my life, as it triggered the awakening of my long-term desire for deeper understanding of the human mind and body. There I was again, back to square one!

My discovery of meditation

One day, when I was looking for something to centre my oh-so-energetic 4-year-old, I stumbled upon SoulCentre (www.soulcentre.org) and its SoulKids program. I thought it sounded great.

They also offered classes for adults about Meditation and being the researcher that I am, I decided to try it for myself before I would send my child there.

My scientific mind wanted something that I could understand and see proof of, and a teacher who could explain everything in a scientific and systematic manner; I was not going to become a student of anything woo-woo.

Starting out, I had no particular understanding or interest in meditation as I thought it was not for me to just sit doing nothing for hours, waiting for things to happen. This was my misconception of meditation then. But I was still curious, so I went to SoulCentre.

That was the turning point of my life. Little did I know that I was embarking on a great enlightening journey of knowledge and wisdom, where all my thirst for understanding the human mind, body and their interactions and resulting behaviours would be satisfied!

My training in meditation and wisdom

I soon learnt that meditation is a science, the science of the mind! How brilliant is that? I also realised that for nearly all my adult life I had been confused, like most people are, by the brain/mind conundrum. Now I realised the difference between the brain and the mind, and even better, I understood how to train my mind to trigger my brain and body to actually do what I want to do.

Learning meditation at SoulCentre was a dream come true in many ways!

I trained with Vikas Malkani personally, for a whole year, to become a SoulCentre certified Meditation Teacher (http://www.soulcentre.org/teacher-certification-programs) . I started with ‘Meditation Made Simple’, the beginners program and continued all the way to complete the Meditation Teacher Training with SoulCentre.

My life has been transformed from the inside out, and I feel so much happier, lighter, joyful, love towards myself and others, excited about life in general, more stable, peaceful and just present.

I've come out of my shell, and I'm now aligned with who I really am! Priceless!

Vikas Malkani is known as the Worlds #1 Wisdom Coach. He is a man of wisdom who coaches Hollywood stars, royalty, millionaires, sports champions, top CEO’s, award-winning entrepreneurs, educators, doctors, psychologists, life coaches, and countless others to maximize their personal and professional success.

This learning experience with SoulCentre founder Vikas Malkani has been, is and will always be one of the most transformative encounters of my present life.

I can't get enough of these truths that just put my mind and heart at peace.

My future in meditation

SoulCentre has won multiple awards for their unique transformational training programs and professionalism in teaching. Clients from over 40 countries have benefitted from the inspiration, wisdom and training that SoulCentre provides.

As a certified teacher of meditation, I want to bring the wisdom and techniques of meditation to as many people as I can.

Everyone seeks to be happy and fulfilled; to be stress free and enjoy inner peace; to bring out their best potential. And meditation is the way.

This wisdom needs to be shared far and wide. And I'm up for it! I am unstoppable now!

Connect with me to start your meditation journey. Life will never be the same again.

Dr. Veronique Blanc

+65 9772 2454
vero@soulmetaphysician.com

Happiness Begins With Me

Vikas Malkani

13th September 2017

 

Every morning is special, because the past is gone, and the future is yet to happen. Only today exists. If you choose to, you can make today an opportunity to be happy, consciously, no matter what!

There is plenty of evidence to show that happiness is beneficial for health. Happiness produces endorphins within the body, which strengthen the immune system and result in overall well-being.

 

So give yourself the gift of happiness today; both your mind and body will thank you for it. Happiness is simple, when you know how.

 

Here are 5 simple tips to help you.

 

1) BE AUTHENTIC

Ask yourself some key questions - What makes you happy at work? What makes you happy at home? What do you love to do? What are you currently doing that prevents you from experiencing joy?

 

You'll find that by putting your answers down on paper, they'll become clear more quickly and the actions you need to take more obvious and easier to initiate.

 

2) COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

 

We usually tell ourselves the story of what we lack, what others have that we don’t. Instead, begin every day by consciously counting your blessings and knowing the fact that you are in a better position than the majority of our world. Stay focused on your full-ness, not your empty-ness. This one practice will turn your life around.

 

3) STOP JUDGING

 

It's impossible to experience happiness when you're always judging others. Accept the truth that we are not here to judge one another. The next time you find yourself getting upset, ask, "Are you judging?" Judging others is often an unconscious habit that can be changed the moment you decide to stop doing it.

 

4) RAISE YOURSELF

 

Many people silently talk to themselves very negatively, yet they would never accept the same from a stranger, friend, or loved one. So become aware of your self-talk and if it’s negative, try this - For one week, simply commit to saying "stop" whenever you think a negative thought.

 

Carry a notepad and make a mark each time you catch yourself thinking negatively. And then, think of something you enjoy doing, something positive. You'll find that as the days go by, your negative thinking can quickly be reduced.

 

5) FOLLOW FUN

 

Fun is good. It's what children do naturally. Why do we stop pursuing fun as we get older?

 

Fun shouldn't be squeezed into a few weeks of vacation each year, while the rest of our life continues to be drudgery. And it shouldn't be squeezed into the last chapter of your life either, when you "get to" retire. Fun should be a daily experience!

 

But fun doesn't just happen. You have to make it a priority in your life. The wise know - happiness and fun are the reasons for living, not the symptom of it. Fun deserves to be a part of your life today, and forever.

 

Adopt this as a new rule – Follow Your Fun!

 

In my best-selling book The Little Manual of Happiness, I write “Happiness is now, or never!” Well, you can be happy now, as you read these words, or you can wait.

 

This is the perfect moment to be happy; in fact this is the only moment you’ll ever have. Happiness is a choice, and it begins with you.

 

So why delay? Choose to be happy today.

 

SoulCentre is Asia’s Premier Centre for Meditation, Mindfulness & Stress-Management.

 

For details & dates of our meditation programs, connect to www.soulcentre.org/events

 

 

3 Secrets From The Tao

Vikas Malkani, SoulCentre

16^th August 2017

 

The Tao Te Ching spoken by enlightened master Lao Tzu is one of my personal wisdom treasures. Every time I dive into its wisdom, I feel so touched, inspired, expanded and humbled!!

 

The amazing Tao Te Ching is made up of 81 short chapters that contain limitless wisdom. Only an enlightened master could have spoken so simply and so powerfully at the same time.

 

The Tao Te Ching is not a discussion or a debate, it’s a statement of reality as experienced by one man. It’s the distilled essence of this thing we call ‘Life’, as he saw it from a place of enlightenment.

 

The Tao is full of wonderful revelations and secrets, some completely contrary to common thought, and others so simple that they are easily missed. It’s a sharing that leaves one refreshed, empowered and curiously peaceful, even after only a few minutes of swimming in the ocean of wisdom it offers.

 

I offer you 3 powerful secrets from the teachings of Master Lao Tzu.

 

 

Tao Secret #1 - Decide your ‘Enough’ from a place of trust

 

Human desires have no end. Our thirst for more and more is insatiable. The Tao teaches that we have to consciously decide what is ‘enough’ for us, in different aspects of our life, and abide by that set point, else we will be on a search that never ends.

 

If we do not train our mind, we will continue to want more and more, create more and more, and drive ourselves harder and harder for a goal we never seem to reach. Meditation that leads to wisdom is the way.

 

Happiness comes when can be content with what we create, and this is possible only when we can live from a place of trust and decide what is ‘enough’ for us.

 

Reminds me of what Mahatma Gandhi once said, ‘The earth has enough for the needs of all men, but it doesn’t have enough for the wants of even one!’

 

Tao Secret #2 - Live in alignment with the world around you

 

The Tao teaches that we are meant to align ourselves with the world around us, and the universe we live in. it is not prudent to force the world to fit into our ideas of comfort and what we think is right and wrong.

 

Remember that the earth was here long before we arrived, the cosmos was spinning before we started our life, and manifold life forms we unconsciously extinguish for our comfort existed in balance before we decided to rule the world!

 

Realize that the universe supports us, but it doesn’t need our support. Thus it is wiser always to align with the universe, rather than force the universe to align with you.

 

If you simply spend a few minutes to research the harm that plastics are doing to the environment and the oceans around us, you will realize that Master Lao spoke to us with wisdom that is timeless, and especially relevant today.

 

Fit in and flow with the Universe; don’t force it to align with you!

 

Tao Secret #3 - Softness is stronger than hardness

 

Once you begin to meditate, or receive guidance from a person of wisdom, you realize that that is no need to be hard, harsh, rough or crude, in any and all aspects of your life. The Tao says that soft and flexible beats hard and rigid. The bamboo that bends is stronger than and will outlast the tree that doesn’t.

 

Softness is strength, flow is resilience, and flexibility is longevity.

 

Flow through life and whatever it presents you with; fight with nothing. Everything just presents an opportunity to manifest something better, and you can use whatever life presents to create what you want, if you come from a place of wisdom.

 

Thus, suffering can be a doorway to joy; struggle can open a window to simplicity; failure can become a trigger for realization!

 

Non-resistance is the way of the master, says Lao Tzu. Resist nothing, respond to everything!

 

I love the wisdom contained in the Tao Te Ching. I hope you have enjoyed and benefited from the 3 secrets I’ve shared above.

 

For the very first time in Singapore, I will be teaching ‘Secrets of the Tao Te Ching’ on 9 & 10 September 2017, at SoulCentre. Come and spend 2 days with me in a weekend of wisdom and enjoy a transformational experience with life minded students.

 

If you are keen to develop wisdom like Master Lao Tzu, I highly recommend our ‘Meditation Made Simple’ program as the perfect first step in your journey of awakening and wisdom.

 

Click here to see dates and register http://www.soulcentre.org/events ; www.soulcentre.org