What is it like to feel free? The Art of Meditation embodies this opportunity. The Latin root of ‘opportunity’ is ‘ob portum veniens’ meaning ‘coming to a port’ which refers to the favourable wind blowing ships into a harbour. We don’t become free, we already are and we already embody the means of knowing this. That is what we are invited to discover. We are all ready the ship and the wind and the harbour. In essence it’s that simple. 

Meditation is called a practice. It’s the practice of turning up, giving time to our essential speech. Those who establish this as a regular routine, experience how fruitful it is in our daily lives. I was fortunate enough to be introduced to intensive practice in my early 20’s. My commitment did become inconsistent during my years of attending to family life, but now i have a few grey hairs, it is again fully interweaved in the fabric of my day. I find it is not optional, something to fit in, it has priority. I find it a place of learning that brings colour to my days, for which i am very grateful.

Meditation is also a challenge! At first it is not that easy to spend all that time with oneself! But the nectar of meditation is very compelling. We learn not to treat sitting as a task in which we need to fight distraction. We start to be drawn to the deeper contours of our being, and realise that everything we experience has a place. For me the heart is at the core of meditation. There is nothing more compelling than the mystery of love asking for our attention. 

For this reason i don’t offer meditation as a particular method, as something you do to get somewhere else. Our own constitution is already a method which is alive for each of us, and thankfully we have the means necessary for the beautiful endeavour of diving deep for the pearl of our presence. If you join me on a course, we will explore the aspects of practice that are undoubtably helpful, such as the fact that we are embodied and how that is the first foundation for our exploration, particularly in how we experience the resource of the breath that breathes life into our bones. I have offered numerous meditation courses in the past and it never ceases to move me, when I witness what happens when a gathering of people come together to share practice and insight. We will have time to share our experience of both the highs and the lows of sitting, so that we become more confident of negotiating our own practices.

This 4-week course is taking place from 19.30 to 21.00 on four consecutive Fridays, starting on October 20th. It is open to everyone, whether you are starting a practice or want to deepen an existing one. We are all in the same boat together. If you attend, i would ask if possible to come to all four sessions as each is structured to move into the next. If you feel challenged by the idea of how you will sit comfortably during each evening, that is something I can help you with if needed. These can be magical evenings and i am very much looking forward to time spent in your good company. There is an online option too, so please make sure you book the correct sessions.

Cost: £60 (for all 4 sessions). Book here