The suffering of the world – and what we can do about it...

It seems all the astrologers predicted last year would be a tough year. It was. Predictions for the Fire Horse year are much brighter. Thank goodness.

However, there is more to this... Everywhere we look, the world is full of suffering; not just last year. Now. World affairs weigh heavy. The environment is close to, if not past a point of crisis, divisions within societies grow ever wider, finances are uncertain. People everywhere seem over-burdened and suffering. 

So what to do? What can we, as small individuals in a vast landscape do that has any real prospect of making a difference? No need to despair. In my view we can do a great deal that will bring real benefit to ourselves, our families, our communities; but first

     Thought for the day

         Think globally

         Act locally

              David Brower (probably)

My mind occasionally wanders back to Medieval times. 

Seems like it must have been very tough for the average person/peasant. Rough housing, poor heating and cooling, no sanitation, food uncertainties, diseases rampant, childbirth deaths huge etc, etc. Not to mention the constant threat of marauding armies with raping and looting. Tough.

Yet one might imagine there was a close sense of community that brought many benefits. 

And useful to ponder an important distinction between then and now. 

The news cycle. 

News travelled slowly in simpler times. 

Anything in a different country or overseas would take months to arrive – if it ever did. 

Even what happened nearby could take weeks or months to filter through. 

The daily news would have been primarily to do with the reality of the local community.

These days are very different. Much better conditions, and a very rapid, very wide, very international news feed. News that is polarised to gain our attention; our outrage, our reaction, our comments, our engagement. News that is often far removed from our local reality; yet given so much energy, it seems relevant, indeed important to our lives.

So here is the first thing we can do. 

Consider how many of the issues coming at you through your news feed actually do have an impact on your life? 

You may worry about them a lot. 

You may imagine that one day you will be caught up in the horrid things we hear besetting others. 

But in reality, most of these really tough things, tragic as they are for those affected, are highly unlikely to visit our own lives. 

So dial down the attention to world affairs, and take more interest in local news. Where we live, we have a very active Community Group. Read of their activities and you realise how much is good in the world. People supporting each other, offering classes, activities. Local businesses providing great services. Local activism to counter inappropriate developments and put pressure on Government to look after their people and communities.

So the next thing we can do is to give more attention to our local community – and consider how we might contribute. This community of ours has a monthly lunch where someone opens their house, everyone brings a plate and community develops.

Maybe you have a skill to share. 

Maybe just attending local events makes a difference. 

Contribute to the Community Gardens. 

Volunteer. 

Maybe you can become more of a socially activist; someone pushing for good in your local community.

But how to let go of the International and national news hype? How to quieten down our own focus? How to develop a more balanced, less stressed, more compassionate state of mind? You probably guess this answer... Meditation provides a reliable means with which we can develop an inner peace and a mental clarity that leads naturally to us becoming more at ease within ourselves, and more at ease with the diversity of the members of our community.

And yes, this is a recommendation to consider attending at least one meditation retreat each year. 

Amidst all the hype of modern living, the frenetic pace, all that is good and bad; it serves us well to take some time out. 

To step back from the busyness of our lives, to withdraw for a while, to regain our balance, to reflect on where we are at and where we are going, and to set our compass for the year ahead.

The meditation retreat Ruth and I will present this year – with the assistance of the wonderful Melissa Borich – will venture into the heart and essence of meditation. 

I have been preparing for this retreat over many years. How to impart the very best, the essence of meditation – the direct experience of the deep natural inner peace, the clarity and wisdom that goes with this state; the heart of meditation.

The retreat is filling, so if you are contemplating joining us, makes sense to register soon. It will be a profound joy... 

PLEASE NOTE

Some people on our database were not being notified of these blog posts, and this has recently been corrected. Enjoy... 

COMING EVENTS

Meditation in the Forest – The Heart of Meditation; its wisdom and its experience

Sunday 7th to Saturday 13th June

Ruth and I have been presenting the annual 7 day meditation retreat Meditation in the Forest at the Yarra Valley Living Centre for many years. 

This year, the retreat focus will be the heart of meditation – the experience and the wisdom of Stillness. 

Highly experiential, we will delve into the theoretical structure that provides the knowledge and the wisdom that helps us to approach this profound inner experience.

Then together, we will practice the techniques that progressively lead us into the direct experience of our own stillness – our own inner essence. Joyful...

There will also be optional yoga sessions with the incomparable Melissa Borich, plus all the delights of the Upper Yarra environment along with the care and food provided by the Yarra Valley Living Centre.

Many do come regularly to this annual retreat, but we always welcome newcomers. Due to its fundamental simplicity, the retreat is accessible to those newer to meditation, as well as those more experienced.

To enquire re bookings, view our website, or contact our retreat manager Mel Crow on mel@insighthealth.com.au. Mel will be happy to talk with you if you do need more details.

Meditation Teacher Trainings 

May and November 2026 

Having presented Meditation Teacher Trainings since 1988, it is fair to say these new trainings – to be frank – are much better developed than those earlier versions! 

We have developed 3 training modules: Meditation, Contemplation and Imagery. 

The Meditation module goes into how to present the 8 week Mindfulness-Based Stillness program that is elaborated in my most recent meditation book – Blue Sky Mind. 

The other 2 modules, cover the very basics of meditation, but give most attention to these very important, but rarely taught aspects of meditation – Contemplation and Imagery.

We now have individual manuals for each training that are at least 180 pages each. 

The trainings are solid in theory, yet highly experiential. You will get to practice leading meditations and groups, while receiving measured feedback from the staff and peers. 

Many who have completed these trainings have now qualified for full membership of Meditation Australia, and have the knowledge and confidence to teach in their own right. 

As part of our commitment to provide ongoing support as you develop your skills and experience, we have established an online Meditation Teacher’s Community that does just that. There is peer support, ongoing professional development, a mass of resources, and opportunities to practice and develop your teaching skills with the audience of the closely allied Meditation Community.

Currently, I have a strong commitment to training and supporting the development of new meditation teachers, so if you are considering this as a possibility, and do meet the criteria, please do join us.

Each year we provide the basic Meditation Teacher Training, this year: 11 - 15 May 2026

Also, this year we will once more present the wonderful Contemplation Training: 31 October – 4 November 2026.

Next year, 2027, we are likely to present the Imagery Training once again; along with the basic Meditation module. 

Attending 2 of these trainings meets MA’s criteria for membership. While you can attend the 3 modules in whatever order that suits, and each module does stand in its own right, we do encourage everyone interested in our approach to complete the Meditation module at least.

You will be welcome; and be joining a group of amazing, like-minded peers.

As with the retreat, to enquire re bookings, view our website, or contact our retreat manager Mel Crow on mel@insighthealth.com.au  Mel will be happy to talk with you if you do need more details.