calmer and quieter
introduction
What we are concerned with here is complete relaxation, calmness of mind and real ease of being. It is also about being able to live in a more relaxed and peaceful way and thus live our lives with all their ups and downs more easily.
To that end we offer a straightforward and systematic approach - understanding the causes of our tensions, anxieties and unease, and learning what we can do about it all, effectively and tangibly.
The approach is much like learning to ride a bike -it isn't difficult; it just takes practice. Certainly we will wobble a bit along the way and we will occasionally fall off, but with a sense of humour, it can be quite an adventure.
Though we learn many things as we do this, our approach is, in essence, very simple - it is a way to relax into the peaceful ease of simply being. And we do this one relaxing step at a time.
overview
We have all sorts of internal conditions and experiences that are far from relaxed. It could be stress, worry, anxiety or simply just not quite feeling at ease.
And all of these are the result of a complex interplay between many things - nerves, emotions, impulses, thoughts, sensations etc... We could liken this internal activity to the weather, where all sorts of things - heat, moisture, pressure etc. - combine to create certain weather patterns.
So, here, we are all about learning how to get this weather to completely settle. And we do this by learning how it all works, how everything interconnects, and about the habits and tendencies we have that inadvertently prevent the weather from settling.
Then we can best allow the weather to clear and simply rest in the peaceful openness of the sky.
simply being
Let's say we sit down and manage to totally and utterly relax - a complete relaxation, with quiet nerves, a calm mind and a deep sense of ease. We would be content and nothing would be lacking. And, we would not be doing anything at all - we could say that we were simply being.
So, continuing the analogy of the weather, this simply being is like the natural openness of the sky. The sky is always open - it is only the weather that obscures it. We don't actually create the peaceful openness of the sky.
So that natural peaceful openness of simply being is at once the goal and the ground of everything we do here. It is the flavour of our approach.
mind-body-breath
So how can we approach this internal weather of thoughts, emotions, nerves, sensations, impulses etc. and allow it to all to settle?
Well, we have three things that we can work with - the mind, body and breath. And the mind, body and breath are as fundamentally interconnected as everything else.
The fundamental key to our systems is the breath. Think of laughing, crying or gasping... all examples of mind, emotion, nerves and body/breath functioning in harmony to a certain end. And, importantly, they all have an obvious breath component to them. It is this interconnectedness with the breath at the centre that we work with.
The breath is very curious because it is the one function in our systems that we can easily control.
And, by working with the breath we can influence the nerves and the mind and thus the rest of the system in various calming and relaxing ways. And when we work with the mind and breath together to relax then the effects are deeper.
We also work with the mind by understanding its various habits and assumptions that actually prevent us from letting go. We learn how to relax these tendencies so that they cease agitating everything else.
So, when we can learn to relax as many of the interconnected elements as possible, the deeper and more effective our ease of being will be.
stages of relaxation
Our approach here is one of progressive relaxation. Firstly we use the breath in very gentle ways to calm the nerves, release tension and restore a sense of balance to the whole system.
As we relax a little we can then start to create a sense of space and openness and slow everything down - also by using the breath.
This, then, naturally evolves into calmness meditation. This is where we begin to cultivate a calm and stable sense of presence as we begin to relax the mind itself - its habits, tendencies and assumptions, that inadvertently prevent us from really being at ease.
Working with the mind is the subtlest part of all of this, so that is why we thoroughly relax everything else first. And as the mind is also the most influential element in all of this, when the mind relaxes and calms the whole system then follows suit and begins to really, really relax.
And when the mind is calmer and quieter we can more easily recognise and sink into the natural, peaceful ease of simply being.
relaxation as an exercise
As our old habits of mind have a lot of momentum behind them, we cannot unfortunately just switch them off.
This then calls for a realistic, and thus systematic approach.
It may seem strange to think of relaxation as an exercise, but we can approach it in exactly that way. We can train in releasing and letting go, just as we can practice being present and quiet. When we do this systematically, it gets easier and we get better at it. Our systems learn and adapt - as with any kind of training. It is cause and effect.
Another exercise analogy would be that of learning to play the piano. Initially there are things to learn, notes, scales, chords - technical things. We practice and train in these. This would be like the breathing and initial meditation phase of what we do - things to learn and practice.
With practice our skills get better and in very little time we can start playing some good tunes. But, in fact, from day one we are actually already making some kind of music.
And music/peace is what we are all about.
classes
As stated above, mind, body and breath are intricately interconnected, so for the most effective results we work on all these aspects.
The mind element is at the heart of all this so that is why everything is centred around meditation.
All classes include meditation, but some emphasise different supporting elements more than others - the body and breath elements.
The drop-in classes are casual, easy going affairs and provide a great introduction to breathing and calmness meditation. (No long-term commitment is required.) They aim to give an overview to mental relaxation and each class addresses one aspect of the theory or practice, with emphasis given to the breathing component.
The meditation only classes are for those who have or want to start a regular meditation practice. (A few drop-in classes are recommended first.)
The hatha yoga, qi gong and meditation classes work to really open up the body side side of things which helps to more effectively approach complete stillness of mind. Due to the guided nature of the class, the meditation element is more in the area of awareness meditation.
The course introduction sessions do exactly that, and cover the reasons for regular consistent practice and how to get started with it.
Most classes happen both online and in person in Lewes, Sussex, UK - though at different times.