COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Meditation is a systematic process that leads you from outside to inside—from the environment around you to the clarity, wisdom, & power of your own mind.
Meditation relaxes the nervous system, calms the senses, and focuses the mind. In meditation, body, breath, and mental states become integrated into one continuous process. This lessens energy leaks, disturbances, & dullness, and enhances perception, discernment, & radiance.
Additionally, when we lean into the vitality that the root of why meditation works, we can expand beyond individual benefits & start to experience how meditation expands our capacity & worldview, helping us see and be with compassion into the inter-relation of people, peace, and the planet.
Simply put, you make the world a better place as you become happier within.
This series is specifically designed for our precise times, to foster stability and clarity in any circumstance in which we are collectively headed.
In order to overcome habitual negative mental states, live well, and unfold our unique gifts to the world, there are 4 attitudes that we must develop:
Happiness, Compassion, Friendliness, and Non-Reactivity.
These 4 attitudes propel our advancement, and are the objects and fruits of meditation for this new series, Meditation - 4 Paths to Freedom. This series will help you personally, while also empowering you to be a beacon for others.
Every week prior to the group instruction, each student receives a one-on-one energetic check-in with your teacher, Virginia. This individualized attention gives you time and support to ground, get really present, and see and be seen. This is called a "Gating Ceremony," and it helps you focus your mind, leave behind burdensome thoughts and tension, and, instead, gather your energies to focus on & nurture your well-being. It is a rare opportunity to really connect with an empathic person highly trained in holding space; in a hectic world that is often structured for disconnection, this is often a remedy. Plus, it makes the rest of our collective time together more potent!
Group practice then opens with a brief discussion of the focal point for the week. We then begin standing and do very simple movements and stretches to release tension in the body.
Each lesson is accompanied with physical practices of spaciousness, focus, balance, and strengthening to better understand and harness the innate power of your mind & its potentials for peace.
Every session includes practical guidance for a comfortable & steady meditation practice, including how to:
- Prepare the body and mind for meditation;
- Practice smooth, relaxed breathing, and awareness of the flow of the breath;
- Using focus & vibration to provide a focus and resting place for the mind;
- Observe yourself and the thoughts that arise as you meditate; and
- Truly take the time and space to notice how you feel before, during, and after meditation.
In addition, you'll learn how and why fostering a strong and supple core, working with an elongated and strong spine, and flexible hips helps you to sit well. You'll learn multiple ways to choose a sitting posture that’s just right for you, so you can easily slip into the depths of meditation that replenish the mind with infinite pools of life force.
All levels of experience are welcome, and postures can be modified to fit your particular physical needs. Virginia brings vast training and thousands of hours experience in providing alternative postures so that it becomes your individualized & accessible practice that inspires you to continue, even as the mental benefits are amplified with the power of the group momentum.
In each portion of this 4-week series, you will receive guidance in ancient yoga philosophy, made EASY. We'll explore yoga philosophy foundations that help us align with a pristine and enlightened mind, through the light of these FOUR PATHS.
Practicing these 4 attitudes, guided with the ancient wisdom of the Yoga Sutras, alongside relatable, everyday examples in our contemporary world, will allow you to enhance self-awareness, bring balance to the nervous system, stabilize clarity of mind, and anchor the fruits of spiritual practice.
You'll discover:
- How yogic practice of these 4 paths cleanses, rests, and restores the mind;
- How true, lasting happiness is built upon discernment and neutrality;
- How rich compassion is active, so that we enter a state of non-judgmental understanding of ourselves and the world, to serve goodness even in the presence of suffering;
- How friendliness is the antidote to global and local animosity, division, and hatred, and how reflection and meditation clear distortion so we see and act clearly;
- How to self-observe quietly and kindly to maintain a positive mind and ensure our practice yields vitality and well-being.
These all provide you a taste of the profound transformation inherent in sincere practice of these four mental-emotional approaches that reveal their power over time to make best use of our finite lives to awaken the infinite within us.
You will learn the secrets of cultivating these FOUR PATHS alongside practical ways meditation AND inner reflection improve your life and help you calm, clear, and empower the mind. Particular attention will be given to mindfulness, or the ability to observe yourself and STAY PRESENT, and concentration, the ability to rest your mind in its soft yet potent focus.
Each session, you will be guided through the 5 essential steps of Meditation:
1. Stillness - including how to make your meditation seat COMFORTABLE;
2. Relaxed and Effortless Breathing;
3. Systematic Relaxation while seated;
4. Breath Awareness at the Nostrils; and
5. Resting Awareness in the Sound of a Mantra.
We will also practice breath training to strengthen the diaphragm. This can be done seated or lying down, and often uses a weight on the abdomen. We will also work with breath awareness to ensure that you are breathing diaphragmatically. Each week we will review and practice the 5 essential qualities of optimal diaphragmatic breathing: smooth, deep, even, continuous, and quiet.
Then, we move into guided relaxation. This is an essential step that is often overlooked or not fully appreciated. Relaxation will occur as you lie on your yoga mat, using blankets, bolsters and other props as needed to ensure your comfort and support. Relaxation practices are traditional, systematic, and step-by-step methods. They are done lying down because this allows you to fully relax the body, soften nervous agitation, and quietly calm the mind.
Precise techniques are used to shift your attention from the outer world to your own body and become aware of the flow of your breath through techniques such as 61-points (Sithila Karani) and Breath Wave (Shavayatra) exercise. These methods help you soften and also enhance breathing and soothe the physical body.
You relax your body, breathing, nervous system, senses, and mind.
Meditation is sequential practice, with order and form. Understanding the process makes it more reliable and effective. But we all live busy and often harried lives. Understanding the "why" and lovely traditions of generations of meditators who have come before us, AND how yoga meditation must adapt to contemporary times, you also gain INSPIRATION. It is inspiration that will fuel your continued practice, making new habits to awaken your highest self and brightest happiness.
Come learn how to relax your body and breath, focus your mind, and sit resting in a place of stillness inside yourself, supported each week by these FOUR PATHS of YOGIC ATTITUDES, nourishing practical yet profound insights.
With this deep dive into meditation techniques AND philosophy, you will have the tools you need to discover your own inner sanctuary and be the light we all so piercingly need collectively.
At the end of our 90 minutes together, we will close our sacred circle, in order for you to learn how to take these improved states with you throughout your days. Your teacher, Virginia, will be available after sessions to answer questions, or simply to provide inspiration, encouragement, conversation, and – of course! – immense gratitude.
Gentle reminder to BRING A YOGA MAT: Yoga mats are REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE IN THESE SESSIONS. Chairs, blankets, pillows, bolsters, hand weights, and other props will be provided.
Looking forward to seeing you. I am so blessed and delighted to be able to bring yoga meditation to our little neck of the beautiful woods; it could not happen without you, so thank you from my innermost heart.
In service,
Virginia Hill
AHA Yoga Meditation Teacher,
Awakening Magic Mentor;
Transformational Coach
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