In level 4 you have the opportunity to study in depth the highest levels of philosophy, psychology and meditation practice derived from the Buddhist tradition. The knowledge you gain is integrated with our own philosophical and psychological tradition for there are many aspects of the two which are complementary. As with all our courses this level embraces all three uses of meditation: for personal development, for therapeutic use and for spiritual growth.
As always we link the theory back to the realities of everyday life. The course is intended for students who have a well-established personal meditation practice.
The course is taught in self-contained modules, each one being 1 term in length. The entire course comprises 8 terms which are taught sequentially over 2 years. You may start in any term and continue for 2 years to cover the entire program.
In these modules you will learn the detailed instructions and theory for the Highest Yoga Tantra, the Six Yogas of Naropa. This text, and the exercises, have been completely adapted and translated to make them easily accessible and totally practical in your own daily life. Here is an integrated system for actually doing what is so often offered in psychology and self-growth and awareness, for these exercises go to the core of our minds and emotions and give a physical way of understanding the mind and transforming emotional states.
The six yogas are: The Yoga of Inner Fire, which transforms our instinctual energies to bliss. Radiant and Transparent Body Yoga. Dream Yoga. Inner Light or Clear Light Yoga. The Yoga of Transition. Transformation Yoga.
Topics covered include:
Practical study of the Energy Body and Chakras or Energy Centres.
How to bring the experience of bliss together with the realization of open space and luminosity.
How to apply the exercises to everyday life. The relationship between Self and Shadow and how this affects all relationships.
The difference between repressing, containing and transforming emotions and how to transform emotional states.
These modules complete an advanced examination of the practices of developing calm and concentration. We look at how different meditation exercises have been deliberately designed to produce differing levels of concentration. In addition, this module explores the correlation between apparently "contrived" meditation exercises and how we actually work with our own minds in everyday life.
Topics covered include:
The 40 different subjects of meditation and to what level of absorption each one will take you.
The structure of Mandalas and how they can be used practically.
The different forms of Mantra and Visualisation.
Explanation of meditation focused on an object and meditation without an object.
Linking psychological types with the different types of meditation.
The different meditation paths.
Study of the concepts of formed, potential and boundless states and their unity.
These modules bring together the different lineages of Mindfulness and Insight meditation in the Buddhist tradition and show how these can be very valuable resources in daily life. They show how the practice of mindfulness leads to the experience of insight into the nature of our minds, and give you the opportunity to explore, in a theoretic and practical way, the experience of consciousness.
Topics covered include:
Consciousness of the senses, of the mind sense, of the self, and the foundation of consciousness.
The five different levels of the realization of Emptiness (Sunyata), or Spacious Openness.
The process of consciousness (skandhas); how it works and how our perceptions are formed.
The 16 stages leading to direct insight into the mind - from the Vipassana tradition.
The Tibetan traditions of Mahamudra and Dzogchen; the process of understanding and training leading to the discovery of the natural state of open, clear awareness.
How thoughts are formed and the different stages through which each thought progresses.
The Buddhist Abhidharma tradition.
The Japanese tradition of the Ox-herding pictures.
These modules are particularly aimed at applying the resources, knowledge and techniques learned in the previous modules to your daily life so that you can live happily and skillfully in your body, in your community and in the environment.
Topics covered include:
The different mental and emotional realms in which we all live and how they affect our lives.
Transforming the emotional states which drive our habitual actions.
Looking at the issues of motivation and will from both Eastern and Western perspectives.
How we act - where does action begin and where does it end? This is a study of Karma in its original sense of action.
The process of decision and habit and how to see these at a deeper level.
The interdependence of our inner and outer lives and of everything which exists. (Paticcasamuppada).
Extend your knowledge of the meditation path and of the stages of integration. Explore classical Buddhist concepts and the deeper meanings behind many apparently esoteric teachings.
Thoroughly test how the theory and practice hold up in everyday life. The theory penetrates right to the core of the Buddhist concepts of mind and creation and how they relate to the discoveries of neuroscience. Learn how to apply the practices and concepts and also how to check the results for yourself.
All courses are led by highly qualified teachers - each teacher has at least 10 years personal meditation practice.
Who is it for - prerequisites
This course is for students who have completed two years of Level 3 classes plus at least two weekend retreats.
Time Commitment
The course is taught in self contained modules, each one being 1 term in length. The entire course is comprised of 8 terms which are taught sequentially over 2 years. You may start in any term and continue for 2 years to cover the entire program.
Each module runs for 7 classes of 1 1/2 hours' duration each.
Students are expected to undertake at least one retreat per year whilst attending Level 4. Refer to our section on retreats to find out what is on.
The concession rate is available for full time students or Health Care Card holders. Please present your concession card when starting a course or when booking in person.
Discounts available
Introduce a friend to Learn to meditate and save!
If you introduce a new friend to one of our Learn to meditate courses (ie someone who hasn't previously done the Learn to meditate course), then both of you receive a 10% discount. To be eligible for this discount the two of you must book and pay at the same time. Not valid with other discounts.
Members receive a 10% discount on this course and all other retreats and courses per year of membership. Refer to our Membership page for full details. Not valid with other discounts.
Enrolments by phone or in person
Phone us on (08) 8379 9001 between 9.30 am and 4.30 pm to enrol by credit card over the phone.
Enrolments can be made at our Come and Try session.
You can also enrol on the first night of the course. Please note payment must accompany any enrolment.
Scholarships
A limited number of half fee scholarships for the Learn to Meditate (Level 1) course and individual Level 2 modules are available for full time tertiary students and holders of Health Care cards. Check out our Scholarships page for more info.
Psychologists can claim CPD points for attending Lifeflow courses and retreats
Because so many psychologists were attending our courses we were asked to seek endorsement with the Australian Psychological Society. The APS replied. “APS Members can accrue CPD points by participating in CPD activities they determine to be relevant to their individual professional skills, learning plans and goals. These do not need to be endorsed by the APS”.
Download a pdf brochure about our courses or retreats:
Relax – practical meditation training to restore yourself
Includes details on Come and Try sessions, Levels 1 and 2.
Updated each half year.
Refresh – nurture and restore yourself with a Lifeflow meditation retreat at Tara Hills
Find out more about our weekend and week long retreats.
Updated each half year.
meditation courses
In level 4 you have the opportunity to study in depth the highest levels of philosophy, psychology and meditation practice derived from the Buddhist tradition. The knowledge you gain is integrated with our own philosophical and psychological tradition for there are many aspects of the two which are complementary. As with all our courses this level embraces all three uses of meditation: for personal development, for therapeutic use and for spiritual growth.
Relax – practical meditation training to restore yourself 
Refresh – nurture and restore yourself with a Lifeflow meditation retreat at Tara Hills 
