Do I have to sit on the floor to meditate?

No. Meditation can be done sitting in a normal chair. If you have any issues that make sitting in a chair uncomfortable, you can lie down on the floor (we provide mats for doing this). If you are flexible enough you may sit cross legged on the floor, or in a yoga pose, or you may even use a small meditation stool.

The main point is to be physically comfortable, with your back reasonably straight (i.e. not hunched over or bent). We spend time in the first class checking that everyone is comfortable – a little time spent here makes it much easier to enjoy your meditation experience!

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What should I wear to a meditation class?

Comfortable clothing.  Facilities are available for changing.

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I tried to meditate before, but I couldn't stop all of the mind chatter – will it be different at a Lifeflow course?

Many people think that to meditate properly you have to get into a space where there is no 'mental chatter' at all, believing that 'if you haven't got there, then you have failed at meditation'. This is not true, and it causes many beginners a lot of unnecessary concern.

In our courses we spend a lot of time explaining about the nature of the mind, and that wandering is an inherent part of the meditation experience. We let you know what to expect, and how to work with it.

Even if your mind wanders a bit, you can still get the benefits from a meditation. Of course, you may also touch deeper experiences of calm when your mind is completely still – many people do experience this in our Learn to Meditate course. We explore this as well.

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When I tried to meditate I just fell asleep. Is this a problem?

This is a stage that most beginners go through and is actually not a problem at all. Invariably it means that you are tired. (Often there is a degree of background tiredness that we are just not aware of. We usually don't notice this because our thoughts keep us revved up, so we never feel the tiredness until it is overpowering. Once our mind starts to settle and body starts to relax, this tiredness can be felt and at this point it is very easy to fall asleep).

In the course we'll explain what is happening, and what you can do about it. The worst side effect of falling asleep in meditation is that you'll wake up feeling more refreshed!

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Does meditation have health benefits?

There have been many claims made about the curative effects of meditation. If only they were all true! The approach we take at Lifeflow is the view that there is normally a stress component in nearly all illnesses. In addition, one of the side effects of long term stress is decreased efficiency of the body's immune system.

Where meditation can be highly beneficial for health related issues is that you can learn to relax your body and calm your mind, and return your emotions to a state of balance. This takes enormous pressure of the body, and allows its own healing systems to work optimally. So, the health benefits are a (great) side effect of the relaxation that you can achieve through meditation.

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I've learnt meditation before, should I start with the Lifeflow Learn to Meditate course?

This course is for anyone new to meditation, or anyone with limited experience with meditation, or anyone who is new to Lifeflow meditation.
Many people who have tried meditation at other centres or schools have also benefited from coming to this course.

We have also found that students with significant prior experience have found great benefit from starting with our Learn to Meditate course. This has been in part due to the breadth of meditations covered plus the depth of the teachers' knowledge. We recommend all newcomers to Lifeflow to start with this course.

Does meditation improve focus and concentration?

Yes. Meditation is a tool par excellence for developing focus and concentration. Meditation is actually a practical tool for training the mind - as such one of the principal threads of the 2 1/2 millennia meditation tradition are the exercises in developing concentration.

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Is Lifeflow meditation any use in the real world? Or is just an escape?

Meditation can be used as an escape, or it can be used as a way to train the mind and engage more completely with life. In all Lifeflow courses we emphasize linking the experiences of meditation back to what is happening in your every day life. Even if you can develop great calm and concentration whilst meditating, it is much more useful if you can apply this in your every day life situations. We do not see meditation as an escape, but rather a way of learning to live skillfully.

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Where do the Lifeflow meditation practices come from?

The meditation practices taught at the Lifeflow Meditation Centre are based primarily on both the Burmese and Tibetan meditation traditions.

From the Burmese (sometimes called Theravadin) tradition, we have the highly developed Insight, or, Vipassana practices. These advanced practices lead to a direct realization of the nature of the mind and consciousness. Aspects of these practices are incorporated into all of our classes, as the nature of insight is clear seeing, regardless of whether it is an introductory or advanced meditation exercise.

From the Tibetan tradition, we have incorporated important Mahayana and Vajrayana practices. The Mahayana practices focus on developing compassion, or, an ethical approach to living that develops respect for yourself and for the community and environment in which you live. The Vajrayana practices become relevant at advanced stages of meditation work, where a Member will work extensively with a specific Teacher.

With all of these practices, the aim has been to teach meditation in a way that is relevant and practical for everyday life. The aim of Lifeflow practices is to live in such a way that thoughts, emotions and actions are not in conflict with one another. For this to happen, the meditation practices and teachings have to be grounded in personal experience. As such, each Lifeflow teacher will naturally present a slightly different approach to the meditation teaching and practice, depending on their individual life experiences.

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