The Lifeflow Meditation Centre
City Studio 447 Morphett St ADELAIDE SA 5000	Postal Address PO Box 10454 ADELAIDE SA 5001	T: E: W:	61 8 8353 0000 info@lifeflow.com.au lifeflow.com.au

Member Feature – Andy Baldwin

Andy is a glassblower, glass artist or ‘crafty’, depending on the day; he is also a student in Level 4 and long-term member of Lifeflow.

Andy on the way to Stirling Ranges National Park in WA during a bike ride from the west coast of WA back to SA across the Nullarbor.

What brought you into contact with Lifeflow meditation?
As a child I was always curious to discover why we are here on planet Earth. For some reason I got the idea I could learn the answer through meditation.

I taught myself to meditate from books along Anthroposophical lines [a philosophy based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner] when I was a teenager. Then I tried traditional Vipassana meditation before finding Lifeflow.

Did you have to do anything differently to make room for meditation in your life?
Because I started meditating quite young, it was already a normal part of my life – sometimes more prominent, sometimes less.

What difference has it made?
The more I meditate, the more space I have in my life to enjoy what I’m doing.

On retreat it’s easy to open up to things going on around me so I find myself staring in wonder at small things like the play of light on the trees in the morning. When I return to my working life this kind of happiness stays with me for a while.

This state of openness is also a great source of inspiration for my work as a glass artist.

What has surprised you about doing Lifeflow meditation?
It’s not a scary as I thought!

I was also surprised to find that meditation makes me more practical and less of a dreamer. But probably the biggest surprise was when I came home from retreat one day and could no longer fit into the messy life I had previously known.

What have you found valuable in the Lifeflow meditation classes?
Learning simple tools for dealing with little and large things in life – like knowing the process the mind goes through when setting out to do something new.

I’ve found enormous comfort in knowing more about the way my mind works: that the ‘bad’ emotions and mental states are just as much a part of the process of life as the good ones.

Any personal suggestions or tips for beginners?
Work out when you find it easiest to meditate (e.g. morning or night). Start with short, regular practice. Enjoy it!

Is there a piece of advice you have received regarding your meditation practice that stands out?
John [Burston] got me to learn mental quiescence (the process of resting the mind in the senses without thoughts: for instance letting your mind rest on a visual object like a brick; just observing it without naming) and that felt like scraping the rust off an old pair of garden shears. It’s my favorite practice but I just do it on retreat (as it requires a very balanced state of mind and intense periods of concentration).

Other interests/passions in life?
Making Venetian-style wine glasses; going to the gym and working out with the lads; touring on my pushbike; rock climbing; and growing fruit and veggies in my garden.

Related pages

• Membership of the Lifeflow Meditation Centre - general info
• Membership application form
• Life Movements issue 21 pdf
• News articles home page