MEDITATION & SELF-AWARENESS
This ten week course is designed to teach basic meditation skills and to help students develop greater self awareness. It is suitable for beginners wanting to learn how to meditate, as well as for those individuals who would like to deepen their meditation practice.
During this course you will learn how to detach from and observe your thoughts, actions and reactions to situations. In observing yourself in this way, you will become more self-aware and will be able to recognise situations that create stress in your life. This course will also teach you basic techniques to help you deal with this stress.
Through regular meditation practice and observation of the ‘self’ we become more mindful, and we are able to gain a deeper understanding of our true nature. With practice we can learn to still our thoughts and to master the mind for long enough to connect with the true self within, that part of us which is pure consciousness.
Each week we will cover an aspect of meditation and self-awareness. There are two guided meditations during the class and students are given a mini meditation with which to work during the week. These mini meditations are designed to develop self- awareness.
Summary notes are also provided at the end of each class.
| Week 1 | An Introduction to Meditation Learning the basic meditation skills and exploring the physical, emotional and psychological benefits of maintaining a regular meditation practice |
| Week 2 | Posture & Breathing How correct posture and breathing can support and enhance your experience of meditation |
| Week 3 | Mastering the Mind You will be taught techniques to help you to master the mind and you will also learn how to slow the mind for long enough to reach that centre of calm within |
| Week 4 | Meditation on the Body Meditation is self knowledge so where better to start than with the physical body |
| Week 5 |
Week 5 Meditation Techniques Exploring the various methods that can be used to calm the mind including the breath, mantras and visualisation techniques |
| Week 6 | Self Separation The key to developing self awareness is to be able to separate the true from the false. We can do this by observing the nature of our thoughts, actions and reactions |
| Week 7 | Dealing with Stress Learning to recognize the mechanical nature of the mind which leads to worry and stress. How to use self separation to observe and release the emotional blockages which can lead to stress |
| Week 8 | Meditation at Work Identifying situations which create stress in the workplace and using meditation techniques to deal with these |
| Week 9 | Deepening your Awareness Identifying the signs that indicate a deepening of your awareness and an expansion of your consciousness |
| Week 10 | Supporting your Practice Reviewing key areas from the course and practicing some of the skills that have been taught here |