Meditation Wisdom
I was overwhelmed with a huge amount of anxiety when I discovered meditation.
I had three children and a fourth on the way. I was studying, and running a business in a semi-rural community.
The very first thing my teacher encouraged me to do was to meditate every day for ten minutes and to listen to the mantra. Surely I could find a way to carve out ten minutes a day to meditate? There was no question, I had to!
I started by grabbing moments in my day to practice, when hanging out the washing, or at school drop-off or pick-up, squeezing a few moments of meditation for myself. I still do this to this day!
Learning to sit in meditation was like learning anything else in life, there were spills and frustrations but almost immediately I felt a difference and gained the understanding that I was on to something really good.
Slowly I built the staying power or energy and these moments or grabs built into a precious meditation practice. Ten minutes became exquisite, timeless, restful moments with my very own soul.
My practice grew and became such an integral part of my well-being so I started to rise before anyone in my household stirred. This was a real game changer for me and I began to really settle in and gain more experience and insights.
As my energy grew, so did my practice, which led me to create a sacred space to meditate - with a shawl, cushion, candle, incense and a picture of my teacher.
At the same time, I took the mantra into my heart. Back in those days, we were still using CDs, so I played the mantra in the house 24/7.
Mostly, the mantra was on silent when the house was in full swing but when I had the house to myself I would turn the volume up and allow myself to sink into its meditative, relaxed feeling of energy or Shakti … because the mantra can lead to meditative states I wouldn’t recommend using the mantra when driving!!!!
The link to the mantra that I was given is below, it is an initiating mantra Om Namah Shivaya and it means I honor my highest Self, such a nourishing contemplation.
I managed to carve out time from my busy schedule to be on retreat and progressed to having regular 1:1’s with my spiritual mentor.
These first steps laid a firm foundation for my practice and for my life.
Put this to work for you:
See if you can find pockets in your day to meditate. ( I still do this)
To start with just super simple, close your eyes and watch your breath. Or close your eyes and just notice what you experience, colour, shapes, sounds, sensations, feelings, your mood, a vast void anything you notice is amazing.
You can connect with us and we can support you with some practices.
Check out the link and listen to the Mantra - you can have it playing in your home and you can listen to the mantra as part of your meditation practice. It’s so helpful as you learn to sit for meditation - on the Apple podcast, the mantra is called Japa.
You can set up an area for meditation. This can be as simple as a candle on a shelf or a vase of flowers or you can make your meditation space as elaborate as your hearts desire. The important thing is to have a seat or cushion dedicated to this purpose and perhaps a shawl. Just become established in your practice and then if you want to develop your space in a more elaborate or fun way you can, but for now, focus on a seat where you won’t be interrupted and a shawl or candle.
Want to know more about the meditation techniques I learnt and cultivate a deeper connection within and to your spiritual practice (sadhana)?
Read:
Happy for No Good Reason - Swami Shankarananda
Talks with Ramana Maharishi - Ramana Maharishi
Meditation for the Love of it - Sally Kempton
Listen:
Connect:
Book a 1:1 free discovery call or join one of our upcoming workshops
At the Mukti Project, our work together is a contemplative conversation about what wellness means to you and therefore a collaborative process towards healing.
We would like to acknowledge the Bunurong peoples, the traditional custodians on whose lands we work, live, learn and play, we pay our deepest respects to elders past and present.
We also express from the fullness of our hearts, gratitude to our lineage, to Bhagavan Nityananda, the source from which wisdom flows, and to our community of caretakers, we say, Jai Guru Dev, Jai Bhagavan.
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I Remember a Time: A Reflection on Grief and Beauty
What happens when beauty and sorrow meet?
In this deeply personal reflection, I share a time in my life when grief felt insurmountable—a heaviness that even my cherished spiritual practices couldn’t seem to touch.
And yet, through small, fleeting moments of light—walking my greyhound, lighting a candle, offering flowers—I began to rediscover beauty amidst the sorrow.
This piece is an invitation to explore how light and darkness, joy and grief, coexist as doorways to the divine. It’s a reminder that even in our darkest moments, beauty is still here, waiting to meet us.
If this reflection resonates with you, I’d love for you to join me on a new journey. I’ve created a sacred space on Substack to share devotional writing, reflections, and practices that connect us to the light within. Click here