We are delighted to announce the return of our meditation group on Saturday 17th September 2016 in central Sligo. We can hardly believe that we have been running the group for 4 years now, it has become a not only a personal development must, but also a social event! We run the group 3 times a year for 10 weeks each time and the group consists of returning members and also new comers each time. It is lovely to see both familiar and new faces and it has become a community where we learn from each other, and not just about meditation, I have learnt where to get French grinds, where the best bluebell forest is and good places to eat among other useful things!

Myself and Hugh started the group for a number of reasons, including our conviction of the benefits of meditation for health and well-being and also to cement our own meditation practice as part of our daily routine. We meet every Saturday morning in central Sligo for the 10 week period from 11am to 12 noon and there is the option of tea and biscuits after, which most people stay for. The cost is €70 for the 10 weeks.

Meditation is the practice of being in the present moment. It promotes relaxation, calmness, an attitude of acceptance and can help with anxiety and stress. The type of meditation we practice is a sitting, silent meditation using our breath as the anchor point to rest our attention. This practice of using the breath is called Shamatha Meditation in Buddhist teaching. Shamatha means 'calm abiding.'

During this meditation we are employing mindfulness which is the moment to moment awareness of immediate experience. Awareness is knowing what we are doing, while we are doing it. Being in a state of mindful awareness is sometimes referred to as being 'present.' Mindfulness is also exercising gentle control of our mind and not letting it run amuck, i.e. the practise of returning our attention away from thought and back to our breath. In this way we can reduce unnecessary suffering, distress and anxiety caused by our minds being pulled into negative and frightening compulsive thinking. This is particularly important when you consider that the average person has 60,000 thoughts a day and 95% of these are repeats!

Everyone has the capacity for mindfulness within them; it just takes consistent practice to cultivate presence.

Our meditation group is open to beginners and seasoned meditators alike. To book a place please call us on 087 7014335.

"To know yourself is to be rooted in Being, instead of lost in your mind" Eckhart Tolle