Ian Gawler and The Meditation Teacher’s Community – an invitation to all meditation teachers

A big welcome to all of you who have already joined the Meditation Community. As outlined in a recent post, this online meeting place for meditators is now well established and I must say, it is a pleasure to be involved. The regular, live Teaching, Discussion and Practice Circles are thriving; well attended, excellent presenters, great content, very useful sharing. Many are using the recorded audio and videos frequently. A real delight...

Now it is time to launch the Meditation Teacher’s Community. Using a similar structure, this will also be an online meeting place, but this time, more specifically for those actually teaching meditation. So in this post, full details, but first

             Thought for the day

   The gift of learning to meditate 

   Is the greatest gift 

   You can give yourself in this life. 

   For it is only through meditation 

   That you can undertake the journey 

   To discover your true nature, 

   And so find the stability and confidence 

   You will need to live, and die, well; 

   Meditation is the road to enlightenment.

                                Sogyal Rinpoche

Having taught teachers of meditation since 1988, I know what a delight teaching can be, but also what a wide range of challenges aspiring teachers need to overcome to develop a regular teaching schedule; and then to be sustained in their work.

With this in mind, and while I continue to train new teachers, there is an imperative to support both new and experienced meditation teachers to reach a point of excellence and to feel confident and fulfilled in their role.

Hence the Meditation Teacher’s Community. 

This is an innovative solution to a long-existing problem. 

This new online Community will provide a meeting place that enables ongoing learning, problem solving, peer support and personal practice.

As an emerging teacher, one of the most important fundamentals is your own practice. So we are very conscious of how best to provide this ongoing support. This support involves more than helping new teachers to transition from aspiring to teach, to having a strong intention to begin, to actually teaching regularly. We aim to help them to feel competent and confident in their own practice, as well as providing ongoing learning opportunities, opportunities to practice their presentation skills, mentoring and positive feedback. 

Of course, a major issue for any teacher is how to develop regular work and attract and retain committed students; how to develop a sustainable and satisfying business. Again, this is where having the opportunity to share experiences and to have discussions amongst peers, is important. Mentoring can also be offered through the Meditation Teacher’s Community.

On a more pragmatic level, most new meditation teachers aspire to qualifying for full membership of Meditation Australia. This can take time and be quite costly, so we are offering ways to expedite this in a reasonable time frame and at an affordable cost.

And then, when it comes to actually teaching, we aim to help our people to focus on the needs of their students rather than just the method of teaching. 

There is a need to be flexible and adapt to the needs and capacities of the students. 

Overall, the big aim is to make learning fun, interactive, engaging and meaningful. 

Sure there is the need to assist students working through obstacles they may face – both in learning and life, so we aim to develop teachers who can help their students to continue learning and practicing meditation as a regular part of their lives. 

While the Meditation Community is open to everyone, The Meditation Teacher’s Community is a closed Community, in that it is only accessible to meditation teachers. Membership has some simple criteria; many members have trained with myself and Ruth, and/or our colleagues. But it is open to other eligible teachers, so if you are interested to join, please do contact the Meditation Teacher’s Community’s manager, Daniel Traini via this LINK

As the Meditation Community is proving, this new Meditation Teacher’s Community promises to be both a delight to be involved with, and has the prospect of assisting many meditation teachers...

Have you joined yet???   The Meditation Community, a vibrant online space where meditators and teachers gather to learn more, to share experiences and to deepen their practice. 

Everyone is welcome...

This Community is something I am really enjoying being involved with - teaching, guiding live practices, facilitating discussions, working with exceptional colleagues, and meeting up with like-minded meditators. Joining us?

Here is the LINK

COMING EVENTS

You can register for any of the residential programs through our website

OUR NEXT MEDITATION RETREAT

DEEP NATURAL PEACE     Long weekend mini retreat    14 - 16 November 2025

Towards the end of the year, an ideal opportunity for some time out, some gentle introspection and reflection, letting go of the busyness and finishing the year on a meditative high.

With Ruth and Ian Gawler

For your part? Simply make the time and come along…Relax. Immerse yourself in the natural beauty of the Yarra Valley with its big trees, fresh air, beautiful grounds, the Little Yarra River, and sublime meditation sanctuary.

You can simply let go, and let be… 

TIMES: Friday 14th November starting at 11am to 3.30pm Sunday 16th November 2025

VENUE: The Yarra Valley Living Centre, 55 Rayner Crt, Yarra Junction, Victoria, Australia

DETAILS and BOOKINGS: Visit our website: Click Here 

You can register for any of the residential programs through our website

Meditation Teacher Training – Module 3: Imagery

11am Saturday 1st to 3.30pm Wednesday 5th November, 2025 (inc Melbourne Cup holiday on the 4th for Victorians)

So many people in so many domains recommend the benefits of guided imagery. This training will position you to be able to offer your community something of great value – a reliable way to help your participants to better understand how their thinking minds and emotions work, and how they can mange them so much better – for their own good and the good of others. This training is also manual based and will enable you to deliver a much-needed program.

Of great personal value, this training is suitable for those new to teaching meditation, and for those wanting to go further. Highly experiential, it will provide a review of the first module that will have given more attention to the basics of how to develop, manage and deliver a meditation program or course. Here we will give some attention to theory, research, delivery, session structures, promotion, finances, the special challenges of online courses, but the emphasis will be on experiencing the key practices of imagery, and working on how to best present a course focusing upon guided imagery.

As a feature, ongoing mentorship and peer support is available through a specific group led by Ian, Ruth and Melissa for people who have completed one or more of our trainings.

Additional information is available via this link

How to apply for THIS Meditation Teacher Training:

1.        The first step is to visit our website, download the Meditation Teacher Training application form and return it to our Retreat Manager, Mel Crow.  

2.        Mel will then arrange a short phone conversation to clarify what the training offerS, discuss your needs, answer any questions and ensure the program is suitable for you. 

3.        Once accepted for the training, you pay a deposit or full fee to reserve your place.

4.        Full payment is due 3 weeks prior to the commencement of your training.

You can register for any of the residential programs through our website

Imagery: Its power in daily life and November’s Meditation Teacher Training where the focus will be on Imagery.

Reflect upon this for a moment... How do you remember the past? We all do it; we know we can remember the past, but HOW do we do it? 

And how do we plan for the future? Again, we are all doing this all of the time, but HOW do we actually do it? What is going on in our minds when we dwell on the past or race off into the future? How do we do it? What is the process?
Welcome to the inner world of imagery. That world where we get to understand how our thinking mind works, and where we can learn to use its incredible potential to offset its capacity for harm, and to make the most of its incredible potential for good, but first

            Thought for the day

   We are what we think. 

   All that we are arises with our thoughts. 

   With our thoughts we make the world. 

   Speak or act with pure mind and happiness will follow. 

   We are what we think. 

   All that we are arises with our thoughts. 

   With our thoughts we make the world. 

   Speak or act with evil mind and trouble will follow.

                                    The Buddha

So while it is all very well to aim to be mindful and to live in present, in reality we do spend an inordinate amount of time in the past and the future; and this in a way that creates our experience of life – for good and bad. Therefore, if we want to shape our present life and the future we are heading for, it behoves us well to learn about how our mind does actually work, and how to use this mind most effectively.

So here is the thing... It is with our thoughts we recollect the past. It is with our thoughts we project into the future. And these thoughts quite literally shape our lives. The thoughts we draw upon from the past congregate to build our memories, our beliefs, our habits. The thoughts we create regarding our future determine our actions and leave us with a range of hopes and fears, a range of doubts and confidence, a spectrum of disappointments and satisfaction, plus of course, things we could not manage and things we did accomplish.

To repeat, it is our thoughts that shape our lives. Yet what are these thoughts made of? How do we even know they are there? How can we recognise them, and take more control over them?

So once again, welcome to the inner world of imagery.

Try this... Bring to mind a favourite place. 

A place where you feel particularly peaceful and happy. 

Got it? 

OK, so now, how is it that you are aware of this place? 

You will probably say “well, I just remember it”, or “I just bring it to mind”. 

Of course, both are true; but how do you “Just remember it”? 

How do you bring this place clearly into your mind?

If you do take a moment to examine this, there are 3 possibilities. The first is that you see a picture of this favourite place in your mind’s eye; maybe like a short video clip. The second is you have a quiet voice in your head talking about it. And the third, is you actually feel as if you are there in the place once again; there is a feeling sense.

This is the mechanism of how the mind works. This is the language of imagery. We all think in one or more of these 3 ways: using pictures, words or feelings. We all pre-dominate in one or the other, most of us use the 3 possibilities at different times. Sometimes we use 2 or more techniques at once.

The crucial point is, once we know the language of the mind, we unlock its potential. By recognising the pictures, the words and the feelings, we can recognise what they are doing; how they are influencing our own behaviours, and how they are impacting on others.

So this is a wonderful yet vast field of study and practice. 

I have written about it extensively in my book The Mind that Changes Everything, and later in the year, with Ruth and Melissa Borich, will offer a training for meditation teachers on the subject.

The Meditation Teacher Training where we focus upon Imagery is another of my favourite things to teach. 

Like the Contemplation training we present, imagery is rarely taught specifically, and yet it has such wide application. 

The understanding and application of Imagery runs the gamut from how imagery is the basis for all positive thinking techniques; right through to its use in profound spiritual practice.

The manual accompanying the Imagery Training is over 180 pages long and outlines in explicit detail an 8 week program that explores experientially the theory and the practices. You could use the training to teach this 8 week program directly as is, or take sections to apply within other programs you may already be presenting.

The training is open to those who have been meditating for at least 2 years. 

Some will have done more basic Meditation Teacher Training where the focus was full on meditation.

However, in this training, we cover the essentials of meditation and then focus strongly on imagery.

Acceptance into this Meditation Teacher Training based on imagery (MTT-3) is upon application, and if you need to discuss the program, please contact our program Manager Mel. 

This is wonderful work...

Full details: CLICK HERE 

Plus a reminder: You are warmly invited to join the Meditation Community, a vibrant online space where meditators and teachers gather to learn more, to share experiences and deepen their practice.

This too is something I am really enjoying - teaching, guiding live practices, facilitating discussions, working with exceptional colleagues, and meeting up with like-minded meditators. 

Join us?

Here is the LINK

COMING EVENTS

You can register for any of the residential programs through our website

OUR NEXT MEDITATION RETREAT

DEEP NATURAL PEACE     Long weekend mini retreat    14 - 16 November 2025

Towards the end of the year, an ideal opportunity for some time out, some gentle introspection and reflection, letting go of the busyness and finishing the year on a meditative high.

With Ruth and Ian Gawler

For your part? Simply make the time and come along…Relax. Immerse yourself in the natural beauty of the Yarra Valley with its big trees, fresh air, beautiful grounds, the Little Yarra River, and sublime meditation sanctuary.

You can simply let go, and let be… 

TIMES: Friday 14th November starting at 11am to 3.30pm Sunday 16th November 2025

VENUE: The Yarra Valley Living Centre, 55 Rayner Crt, Yarra Junction, Victoria, Australia

DETAILS and BOOKINGS: Visit our website: Click Here 

You can register for any of the residential programs through our website

Meditation Teacher Training – Module 3: Imagery

11am Saturday 1st to 3.30pm Wednesday 5th November, 2025 (inc Melbourne Cup holiday on the 4th for Victorians)

So many people in so many domains recommend the benefits of guided imagery. This training will position you to be able to offer your community something of great value – a reliable way to help your participants to better understand how their thinking minds and emotions work, and how they can mange them so much better – for their own good and the good of others. This training is also manual based and will enable you to deliver a much-needed program.

Of great personal value, this training is suitable for those new to teaching meditation, and for those wanting to go further. Highly experiential, it will provide a review of the first module that will have given more attention to the basics of how to develop, manage and deliver a meditation program or course. Here we will give some attention to theory, research, delivery, session structures, promotion, finances, the special challenges of online courses, but the emphasis will be on experiencing the key practices of imagery, and working on how to best present a course focusing upon guided imagery.

As a feature, ongoing mentorship and peer support is available through a specific group led by Ian, Ruth and Melissa for people who have completed one or more of our trainings.

Additional information is available via this link

How to apply for THIS Meditation Teacher Training:

1.        The first step is to visit our website, download the Meditation Teacher Training application form and return it to our Retreat Manager, Mel Crow.  

2.        Mel will then arrange a short phone conversation to clarify what the training offerS, discuss your needs, answer any questions and ensure the program is suitable for you. 

3.        Once accepted for the training, you pay a deposit or full fee to reserve your place.

4.        Full payment is due 3 weeks prior to the commencement of your training.

You can register for any of the residential programs through our website

The Meditation Community, a Compulsion and an Invitation

Do you have a compulsion? Well I do, and it may be helpful to explain it. You may well understand this one...

I am at an age now when I could easily retire into my own study and practice. However, back in my twenties, I was dealing with an almost impossibly difficult, widespread cancer that hardly anyone thought I would survive.

Yet here I am! Meditation was at the heart of my recovery and has remained as a daily practice since. After recovering, I went back to my veterinary work for a while, but then this compulsion took hold. I felt compelled to do what I could to share what I had learnt and found to be so valuable, but first

              Thought for the day

Winter is the quiet teacher.

It arrives not with urgency, but with a gentle call

—to slow down, to soften, to turn inward

As nature retreats beneath the surface, 

We too are invited to rest, to release, 

And to reconnect with what lies within.

In a world that often values doing over being, 

Winter offers a sacred counterbalance. 

The bare trees, the hushed mornings, the longer nights

—they all whisper the same wisdom: 

Now is the time to pause.

This is not a season of absence, but of presence.

It is in the stillness that we can hear ourselves again.

It is in the darkness that seeds of clarity and renewal are planted.

It is in the rest that we remember 

Who we are beneath the busyness.

Winter asks nothing of us but honesty.

Can we be with ourselves as we are?

Can we tend to our inner flame, 

Even as the world grows quiet?

Let this be a season of gentle restoration. 

Of sacred solitude. 

Of slow, deliberate return to self.

And when the time comes, we will emerge

 — rested, rooted, and ready to bloom again.

                           Author unknown

Way back in the early ‘80s, fuelled by this compulsion, I began teaching meditation to many affected by significant illness and trauma as well as gold medal winning athletes, senior business people, artists and many ordinary folk.

What I have observed, and what continues to inspire me is the transformation that occurs in the lives of so many people, from such diverse backgrounds and in such diverse situations when they meditate regularly.

There are so many benefits. There are all the ones modern research tells us about – the changes in brain structure, the changes in brain function, and all the positive behaviours and consequences that flow from this.

But even more... Meditation puts us in touch with who we really are. It helps to clarify the meaning and purpose we find in our lives. For many, meditation really is transformative; almost miraculous.

There is just one problem. To gain these benefits, we actually need to do it. We need to meditate. Regularly.

So this is where the compulsion has led. 

To The Meditation Community. 

As well as a good teacher and a good meditation technique, we need the support of a like-minded community that encourages, reinforces, strengthens and supports our good intentions; our intention to practice regularly.

The Meditation Community is a vibrant, new, online support system for meditators of all levels, where learning, practising, and connecting happen in one supportive space. 

Established with my new colleague Daniel Traini, The Meditation Community is a place where you can be supported, and you can support others to deepen and maintain their meditation practice.

What is developing is a community where experienced teachers and curious beginners come together to learn, to grow, and to simply be still for a while.   

Whether you are brand new or returning to meditation after a break,
 you will find guidance, encouragement, and like-minded people ready to walk alongside you.

Here is what is waiting for you inside The Meditation Community:

• Community Chat & Interaction: 
Ask. Share. Reflect. This is where questions turn into insights, and strangers become companions on the path.

• Recordings: Practices That Meet You Where You Are. 
Guided sessions with Ian and Ruth Gawler—Relaxation, Mindfulness, Stillness, and more. Each practice comes with an introduction and script to help you settle in with ease.

• Live Weekly Sessions – We Call Them “Circles”
Why “Circles”? Because everyone is welcome, and everyone contributes. Choose from:


i) Teaching Circles – Learn. Reflect. Practice.


ii) Discussion Circles – Speak your truth. Listen deeply.


iii) Practice Circles – No talk, just a solid, nourishing practice.

• Evidence That Grounds the Practice
: Access a curated library of research showing how meditation supports your body, mind, and spirit.

• Recordings of Talks & Workshops
: Did you miss a live session? Revisit powerful teachings from Ian and others anytime you need a boost.

• Self-Paced Contemplation & Meditation Course
: Explore Ian Gawler’s 8-part online program in your own time (additional cost).

• Plus, regular themed workshops, new content, and ongoing support
Because meditation is more than just a practice—it is a way of life.

Ready to join us? 

I do hope so... the role of a community in establishing anything worthwhile is so powerful...


Simply click the link below to join us:

👉 Join The Meditation Community 

COMING EVENTS

You can register for any of the residential programs through our website

OUR NEXT MEDITATION RETREAT

DEEP NATURAL PEACE     Long weekend mini retreat    14 - 16 November 2025

Towards the end of the year, an ideal opportunity for some time out, some gentle introspection and reflection, letting go of the busyness and finishing the year on a meditative high.

With Ruth and Ian Gawler

For your part? Simply make the time and come along…Relax. Immerse yourself in the natural beauty of the Yarra Valley with its big trees, fresh air, beautiful grounds, the Little Yarra River, and sublime meditation sanctuary.

You can simply let go, and let be… 

TIMES: Friday 14th November starting at 11am to 3.30pm Sunday 16th November 2025

VENUE: The Yarra Valley Living Centre, 55 Rayner Crt, Yarra Junction, Victoria, Australia

DETAILS and BOOKINGS: Visit our website: Click Here 

You can register for any of the residential programs through our website

Meditation Teacher Training – Module 3: Imagery

11am Saturday 1st to 3.30pm Wednesday 5th November, 2025 (inc Melbourne Cup holiday on the 4th for Victorians)

So many people in so many domains recommend the benefits of guided imagery. This training will position you to be able to offer your community something of great value – a reliable way to help your participants to better understand how their thinking minds and emotions work, and how they can mange them so much better – for their own good and the good of others. This training is also manual based and will enable you to deliver a much-needed program.

Of great personal value, this training is suitable for those new to teaching meditation, and for those wanting to go further. Highly experiential, it will provide a review of the first module that will have given more attention to the basics of how to develop, manage and deliver a meditation program or course. Here we will give some attention to theory, research, delivery, session structures, promotion, finances, the special challenges of online courses, but the emphasis will be on experiencing the key practices of imagery, and working on how to best present a course focusing upon guided imagery.

As a feature, ongoing mentorship and peer support is available through a specific group led by Ian, Ruth and Melissa for people who have completed one or more of our trainings.

Additional information is available via this link

How to apply for THIS Meditation Teacher Training:

1.        The first step is to visit our website, download the Meditation Teacher Training application form and return it to our Retreat Manager, Mel Crow.  

2.        Mel will then arrange a short phone conversation to clarify what the training offerS, discuss your needs, answer any questions and ensure the program is suitable for you. 

3.        Once accepted for the training, you pay a deposit or full fee to reserve your place.

4.        Full payment is due 3 weeks prior to the commencement of your training.

You can register for any of the residential programs through our website

Stillness - the 2 Types. What are their hallmarks? How to experience them? How to apply them in daily life?

Stillness is at the heart of meditation. Whether we realise it or not, stillness really does inform every aspect of our experience of life. But which stillness is it of which we speak? The stillness of the Active Mind, or the stillness of the Still Mind? And how do these two differ, and how do they affect our lives?

So in this, the final instalment in the current series of 8 posts examining how to apply the key elements of the Mindfulness-Based Stillness Meditation (MBSM) technique, and how we know when we are doing them “right”, stillness is the 5th of the 5 stages and it takes us into the very essence of meditation, but first

         Thought for the day

   When the mind is resting naturally 

   And at ease in its own unaltered state, 

   That is referred to as the ‘stillness’ of meditation. 

   If a thought rises out of this state of stillness, 

   That is called ‘movement’. 

   And that which knows when mind is in a state of stillness 

   And recognizes any movement is your ‘awareness’, or rigpa. 

                                   Dudjom Rinpoche

In Mindfulness-Based Stillness Meditation (MBSM), we use 5 steps to help us move from a busy, distracted mind into the deep stillness of meditation. We start with Preparation. This creates the circumstances that allow us let go, to settle and to move into Relaxation. As we relax more deeply, our Mindfulness naturally develops – we can concentrate more readily, and we learn to do so free of judgement and commentary. 

As our Mindfulness becomes more focused, we become less distracted, and our Awareness blossoms. We notice things more clearly. We notice if we are off track, and we develop a deeper understanding; we become more aware. As we do become more aware, we notice the Stillness. 

At first it is in the gaps between our thoughts. This is the Stillness of the Active Mind. This comes with a feeling of deep, natural peace. It is like we let go... We let go of tension. We let go of excessive thinking. We let go of unhealthy concerns and emotions. 

And more importantly, we regain our own natural balance. 

In our meditation, as we rest in this natural inner stillness, as we let go and regain our balance; our hormones and physiology return to their natural, balanced levels. 

Health ensues. 

Healing ensues. 

Vitality ensues. 

We are at our best for whatever it is we need to do; or whatever we chose to do...

But then, if we continue on past the thoughts and emotions that constitute the Active Mind, we enter into that even deeper stillness, the stillness of the Still Mind. As Dudjom Rinpoche put it so eloquently above, when “the mind is resting naturally and at ease in its own unaltered state, that is referred to as the ‘stillness’ of meditation”. The mind is now alert, clear, present, spacious. It is free from distraction, free from attachment and aversion, full of creative potential. 

With this clarity comes a profound knowing; a direct perception of who we really are, what constitutes our innermost being, what is the true nature of things. The truth is revealed to us through direct experience.

So how to experience all this? We speak of two approaches to meditation. The Direct Approach, and the Gradual Approach. Maybe we will speak more of the Direct Approach another time... The Gradual Approach is where we use a method; and there are many.

Over the years, what I have found most helpful, both through formal study, through feedback from many, and through my own experience with meditation; all this is essentialised into the 5 steps of MBSM. And hence this series of blogs, and my books like Blue Sky Mind.

What we can say about stillness is it is all about developing the view; where the view is our way of understanding our life, the world around us, and our place within it. What gives us meaning and purpose; that is all to do with our view. 

So if our view is rooted in our Active Mind, it will be coloured by all our thoughts and emotions – a mixed bag. 

Whereas, if our view is rooted in the Still Mind, it will be beyond the vagaries of those thoughts and emotions; and it will be predominated by pure awareness, unconditional love, an all-pervasive compassion, and profound wisdom.

So while people do meditate for many valid reasons to do with the Active Mind and day-to-day life, this is more on offer. The reason many persevere and meditate on... and on... and on... is to experience the truth of who we really are, and to do all we can to live in accord with that truth.

May you find the meaning and the joy in your meditation that enables you to continue on into the heart and the truth of this direct experience...

COMING EVENTS

You can register for any of the residential programs through our website

OUR NEXT MEDITATION RETREAT

DEEP NATURAL PEACE     Long weekend mini retreat    14 - 16 November 2025

Towards the end of the year, an ideal opportunity for some time out, some gentle introspection and reflection, letting go of the busyness and finishing the year on a meditative high.

With Ruth and Ian Gawler

For your part? Simply make the time and come along…Relax. Immerse yourself in the natural beauty of the Yarra Valley with its big trees, fresh air, beautiful grounds, the Little Yarra River, and sublime meditation sanctuary.

You can simply let go, and let be… 

TIMES: Friday 14th November starting at 11am to 3.30pm Sunday 16th November 2025

VENUE: The Yarra Valley Living Centre, 55 Rayner Crt, Yarra Junction, Victoria, Australia

DETAILS and BOOKINGS: Visit our website: Click Here 

You can register for any of the residential programs through our website

Meditation Teacher Training – Module 3: Imagery

11am Saturday 1st to 3.30pm Wednesday 5th November, 2025 (inc Melbourne Cup holiday on the 4th for Victorians)

So many people in so many domains recommend the benefits of guided imagery. This training will position you to be able to offer your community something of great value – a reliable way to help your participants to better understand how their thinking minds and emotions work, and how they can mange them so much better – for their own good and the good of others. This training is also manual based and will enable you to deliver a much-needed program.

Of great personal value, this training is suitable for those new to teaching meditation, and for those wanting to go further. Highly experiential, it will provide a review of the first module that will have given more attention to the basics of how to develop, manage and deliver a meditation program or course. Here we will give some attention to theory, research, delivery, session structures, promotion, finances, the special challenges of online courses, but the emphasis will be on experiencing the key practices of imagery, and working on how to best present a course focusing upon guided imagery.

As a feature, ongoing mentorship and peer support is available through a specific group led by Ian, Ruth and Melissa for people who have completed one or more of our trainings.

Additional information is available via this link

How to apply for THIS Meditation Teacher Training:

1.        The first step is to visit our website, download the Meditation Teacher Training application form and return it to our Retreat Manager, Mel Crow.  

2.        Mel will then arrange a short phone conversation to clarify what the training offerS, discuss your needs, answer any questions and ensure the program is suitable for you. 

3.        Once accepted for the training, you pay a deposit or full fee to reserve your place.

4.        Full payment is due 3 weeks prior to the commencement of your training.

You can register for any of the residential programs through our website

 

 

 

Awareness in Practice and in Daily Life. The 2 types of Awareness; what to do and the hallmarks of doing Awareness “right”.

Awareness has the potential to radically transform how we practice meditation, and how we experience life. So in this, the next instalment of this series examining how to apply the key elements of the Mindfulness-Based Stillness Meditation (MBSM) technique, awareness is the 4th of the 5 stages and can take things to the next level.

We will all have a good sense of what it means to be aware. However, so we can develop it, and evaluate how we are going when we aim to apply it, definitions will be helpful. Then we consider how awareness can be best applied in our practice and our lives, but first

         Thought for the day

   We miss the simplicity of what is immediate.

   You do not have to search for awareness.

   Just try not being aware.

   It is not a matter of going in and out of awareness

   - awareness is all there is and that is what you truly are.

   You can never fall out of awareness.

                          Sailor Bob Adamson

Definitions of Awareness

1. The Oxford defines awareness in two domains:

          i) Vigilance – cautious, on one’s guard

We are aware of a big dog guarding a property and we are cautious.

          ii) Understanding – conscious, sensible, not ignorant, having knowledge

We are aware the big dog is restrained and not a threat.

2. In philosophy and psychology, awareness is to do with the perception or knowledge of something. 

We can be aware we can see a dog. 

We can be aware we cannot see a dog. 

We can be aware we know something of meditation. 

We can be aware we know nothing of meditation. 

We can be aware we are being mindful. 

We can be aware we are being mindless. 

This use of awareness is closely related to what we mean when we say we are conscious of something.

Working with Awareness

When it comes to working with awareness, first, we need to recognise there are two types of awareness. Remember MBSM is based on our understanding, our experience, that the mind has two aspects – the Active Mind, and the Still Mind.

So we can have awareness that comes from the perspective of the Active or the Still Minds, and they are quite different; both in the experience and the application. 

Awareness of the Active Mind is caught up in all our thinking and emotions. That means this type of awareness will be coloured by our personal experiences, our beliefs, our habits. This awareness will be tainted by our level of confusion or clarity. Clouded perception...

By contrast, the awareness of the Still Mind will be pure. 

We do speak of “pure awareness”, and this is where it comes from – the perspective of the Still Mind. 

And how do we move closer to this more profound awareness? 

Meditation! 

Applications of Awareness in Meditation Practice

When we are developing and deepening our meditation practice, we will be working with our Active Mind. Therefore, it is the awareness of the Active Mind we are working with, and it has two levels: 

1. The key point to begin with is the vigilant aspect. As we aim to settle the mind, we need to focus it through mindfulness. But we need light concentration/mindfulness – we say around 25%. But then we need to be aware whether we are focused, or whether our mind is wandering. So this awareness is what we call vigilance – and we say this takes another 25% of our mental activity. Vigilance/awareness notices where our attention is, and if our mind does wander or become distracted, it is our vigilant awareness that notices this and brings us back to the focus of our practice.

2. As our practice progresses, we become less reliant on mindfulness and more capable of maintaining our awareness. 

Mindfulness is an active process; it is something the mind does. 

It takes effort – quite a bit to begin with, less as we train and progress. 

Awareness on the other hand, is a state of mind. It is more passive; less work, less effort. 

In meditation, it involves virtually sitting back and simply observing whatever it is that does come into our awareness; like an impartial observer.

As we do become more aware, the practice becomes more simple. However, if we are not careful, we can be easily distracted. So again, this is why we train our minds and progress steadily through the 5 stages of preparation, relaxation, mindfulness, awareness and stillness.

Applications of Awareness in Daily Life

In daily life, it will serve us better to consider awareness in three domains

1. Perception. To be aware of something, first we must perceive it – record it through the agency of our five senses. So again, from the perspective of the Active Mind, our perception can range from crystal clear to seriously distorted. By contrast, from the perspective of the Still Mind, our perception will always be crystal clear – pure perception. So, the more we move towards the perspective of the Still Mind, the clearer our perception will become

2. Vigilance. To be aware in the sense of being cautious and one one’s guard, from the perspective of the Active Mind; this sense of caution can range from reasonable to extreme – over or under cautious. 

Hyper vigilance is a very common problem for many these days and is fed by fear, uncertainty, confusion and many other emotions and ways of thinking.

By contrast, with the perspective of the Still Mind, there comes an inner confidence, a surety, that means we are comfortable with what is safe and wise, and what is best to avoid. 

We make good choices.

3. Understanding. 

The awareness that refers to understanding also highlights the differences between the two aspects or our mind. The understanding of the Active Mind is very relative. It relates to what we have learnt, the quality of the knowledge we have gained, what we remember, how we apply our knowledge and what influence thoughts, habitual ways of thinking and emotions have on how we apply our knowledge.

Significantly, when we come to the Still Mind, we speak of “wisdom”; as opposed to “knowledge”. Wisdom is also heavily inter-twined with love and compassion. Wisdom sees the big picture. Acts in the interests of all, not just the often self-serving interests of the knowledge based Active Mind. Wisdom also leads to good choices.

What to do

One can deliberately train in developing awareness. 

There are pointers for this above, and there is more in my book Blue Sky Mind. 

However, as we develop a regular meditation practice, it can all fall into place - automatically.

When we do train in the 5 stages of MBSM, as we develop mindfulness, we will automatically, over time, become more aware.

And with more practice, that awareness will steadily be coming more and more from the perspective of the Still Mind.

So, doing awareness “right”? 

Developing the Awareness of the Still Mind...

                               Happy meditating. May your awareness flourish!

COMING EVENTS

You can register for any of the residential programs through our website

OUR NEXT MEDITATION RETREAT

DEEP NATURAL PEACE     Long weekend mini retreat    14 - 16 November 2025

Towards the end of the year, an ideal opportunity for some time out, some gentle introspection and reflection, letting go of the busyness and finishing the year on a meditative high.

With Ruth and Ian Gawler

For your part? Simply make the time and come along…Relax. Immerse yourself in the natural beauty of the Yarra Valley with its big trees, fresh air, beautiful grounds, the Little Yarra River, and sublime meditation sanctuary.

You can simply let go, and let be… 

TIMES: Friday 14th November starting at 11am to 3.30pm Sunday 16th November 2025

VENUE: The Yarra Valley Living Centre, 55 Rayner Crt, Yarra Junction, Victoria, Australia

DETAILS and BOOKINGS: Visit our website: Click Here 

You can register for any of the residential programs through our website

Meditation Teacher Training – Module 3: Imagery

11am Saturday 1st to 3.30pm Wednesday 5th November, 2025 (inc Melbourne Cup holiday on the 4th for Victorians)

So many people in so many domains recommend the benefits of guided imagery. This training will position you to be able to offer your community something of great value – a reliable way to help your participants to better understand how their thinking minds and emotions work, and how they can mange them so much better – for their own good and the good of others. This training is also manual based and will enable you to deliver a much-needed program.

Of great personal value, this training is suitable for those new to teaching meditation, and for those wanting to go further. Highly experiential, it will provide a review of the first module that will have given more attention to the basics of how to develop, manage and deliver a meditation program or course. Here we will give some attention to theory, research, delivery, session structures, promotion, finances, the special challenges of online courses, but the emphasis will be on experiencing the key practices of imagery, and working on how to best present a course focusing upon guided imagery.

As a feature, ongoing mentorship and peer support is available through a specific group led by Ian, Ruth and Melissa for people who have completed one or more of our trainings.

Additional information is available via this link

How to apply for THIS Meditation Teacher Training:

1.        The first step is to visit our website, download the Meditation Teacher Training application form and return it to our Retreat Manager, Mel Crow.  

2.        Mel will then arrange a short phone conversation to clarify what the training offerS, discuss your needs, answer any questions and ensure the program is suitable for you. 

3.        Once accepted for the training, you pay a deposit or full fee to reserve your place.

4.        Full payment is due 3 weeks prior to the commencement of your training.

You can register for any of the residential programs through our website

 

Mindfulness in Practice and in Life. What to do and the hallmarks of doing mindfulness “right”

Mindfulness is much more than a way of practicing “meditation”. It is a way of being; of being in the world, and with the world. So in this series of posts examining how best to practice meditation, and how to know if we are doing it "right", now we examine the practice of mindfulness more closely and identify its hallmarks.

Mindfulness is a modern-day buzzword; great practice, a word often used vaguely. In the previous post, we explored a range of definitions and identified the one that informs our practice the best. This definition is the one I have used in other writings and in retreats and Meditation Teacher Trainings: “Mindfulness is paying attention to your present moment experience, free of judgement and commentary.”

So now, the practice itself; but first

Thought for the day:

   The Dalai Lama is someone 

   Who has completely fused himself with his work. 

   His personal life and his work are perfectly integrated, 

   So much so that there is no separation between his personal life, 

   His work life, his spiritual life or his home life. 

   And since he has never separated out 

   A particular set of functions and relegated them 

   To the category of a job, he does not have a job. 

   What is marvellous is how he carries 

   His full self with him wherever he goes. 

   He seems the same in any setting. 

   He has no off-duty personality. 

   He is who he is, the same whether he is at home or at work. 

   There must be an immense feeling of freedom in that kind of life.

Mindfulness is much more than a way of practicing “meditation”. It is a way of being; of being in the world, and with the world. We get some sense of what this is like from the above quote regarding the Dalai Lama.

Having the good fortune to meet with His Holiness a few times, and attended quite a few of his teachings, several things stand out. People always smile when they are with the Dalai Lama; even George Bush! He always seems the same – openly happy, engaged, personable with an air of wisdom. When he does teach, that wisdom and a closely related kindness are very apparent.

So the key to this? 

Well one key is mindfulness... the ability to give one’s full attention to whatever one is doing. 

Full attention. Not hindered by past or future. Not distracted. 

Not anxiously holding onto some pre-conceived idea of what “should” happen. 

Informed, yet open, aware, fully engaged, flexible, humorous and content. 

Giving full attention.

The point is, when we do this, whatever it is we are doing becomes complete. If we give our full attention to what we are doing in any particular moment of time, then that moment will be full and complete. We could not get anything more out of that moment of our lives – if it is full and complete.

So whether in joy or sorrow, happy or sad, elated or depressed; if we give any moment our full attention, then that moment of our life will be full and complete. We got the most from it. We did not miss a thing. What more can we do? Nothing. 

But then the next moment of our life comes along... Are we distracted, or engaged? Fully engaged??? If fully engaged, then another moment full and complete. 

The more time we spend giving our full attention to what we are doing in any particular moment of time, the more we build up a full and complete life. We have not missed it; this precious life.

So this capacity to give our full attention to what we are doing in any particular moment of time, is a training. A mind training. Mindfulness. And we practice mindfulness in formal sessions so we can take this skill into our daily life. 

We practice by choosing one particular thing to focus our mind upon, and then steadily, we develop the ability to remain undistracted. This requires the help of our awareness – of which we shall speak more in the next post. But here, it is our awareness that notices when our mind wanders or becomes distracted, and brings it back to the breath; over and over again. 

This is the practice. 

This is the mind training. 

Learning to hold our attention on whatever it is we choose. 

On some level it may seem boring. 

But going to the gym could seem boring. 

We need to remind ourselves of the benefits. 

Find ways to enjoy the practice, and maybe reward ourselves as we notice progression.

Now to assist all this, mindfulness is much easier in a relaxed body, with a somewhat stable mind. This is another reason why in the 5 stages of Mindfulness-Based Stillness Meditation we recommend Relaxation before Mindfulness. Relax the body, and the mind; become more stable, and everything else, including mindfulness becomes easier...

Also, to begin this practice takes some effort. It is not a casual business. As we progress the effort lessens, but initially, lots of coming back to the breath. 

So it is also wise to approach mindfulness with a gentle sense of humour. When at the start, you realise how easily you can be distracted, when you realise how much time you spend mindlessly, a sense of humour helps. This is the way we are. Anyone with an untrained mind finds this practice challenging to begin. Equanimity is a friend...

Finally, how do we know when we have accomplished mindfulness? 

When we can hold our attention at will on whatever it is we choose. 

Sure, modern science is measuring a wide range of positive benefits that flow on from this practice, but for ourselves, it is easy.

Focus our attention and remain undistracted. 

This is the essence of mindfulness.                       Number of mindfulness research papers over time

And a hint... this is a great practice to focus upon and develop in a retreat setting. There are good options for this; the next Ruth and I will be offering is a weekend in the Yarra Valley, Friday 14th to Sunday 16th November - details below.

May your mindfulness flourish :)

COMING EVENTS

OUR NEXT MEDITATION RETREAT

Ruth and I will be joined by the wonderful Melissa Borich… 

For your part? Simply make the time and come along…Relax. Immerse yourself in the natural beauty of the Yarra Valley with its big trees, fresh air, beautiful grounds, the Little Yarra River, and sublime meditation sanctuary.

You can simply let go, and let be… 

DEEP NATURAL PEACE     Long weekend mini retreat    November 2025

Towards the end of the year, an ideal opportunity for some time out, some gentle introspection and reflection, letting go of the busyness and finishing the year on a meditative high.

TIMES: Friday 14th November starting at 11am to 3.30pm Sunday 16th November 2025

VENUE: The Yarra Valley Living Centre, 55 Rayner Crt, Yarra Junction, Victoria, Australia

DETAILS and BOOKINGS: Visit our website: Click Here 

Meditation Teacher Training – Module 3: Imagery

11am Saturday 1st to 3.30pm Wednesday 5th November, 2025 (inc Melbourne Cup holiday on the 4th for Victorians)

So many people in so many domains recommend the benefits of guided imagery. This training will position you to be able to offer your community something of great value – a reliable way to help your participants to better understand how their thinking minds and emotions work, and how they can mange them so much better – for their own good and the good of others. This training is also manual based and will enable you to deliver a much-needed program.

Of great personal value, this training is suitable for those new to teaching meditation, and for those wanting to go further. Highly experiential, it will provide a review of the first module that will have given more attention to the basics of how to develop, manage and deliver a meditation program or course. Here we will give some attention to theory, research, delivery, session structures, promotion, finances, the special challenges of online courses, but the emphasis will be on experiencing the key practices of imagery, and working on how to best present a course focusing upon guided imagery.

As a feature, ongoing mentorship and peer support is available through a specific group led by Ian, Ruth and Melissa for people who have completed one or more of our trainings.

Additional information is available via this link

How to apply for THIS Meditation Teacher Training:

1.        The first step is to visit our website, download the Meditation Teacher Training application form and return it to our Retreat Manager, Mel Crow.  

2.        Mel will then arrange a short phone conversation to clarify what the training offerS, discuss your needs, answer any questions and ensure the program is suitable for you. 

3.        Once accepted for the training, you pay a deposit or full fee to reserve your place.

4.        Full payment is due 3 weeks prior to the commencement of your training.

You can register for any of the residential programs through our website