Johannesburg Meditation Course Outline

Our course content is drawn from Sri Chinmoy's best selling publication, 'Meditation', a comprehensive and outstanding guidebook that leads the reader from the very first beginning steps to advanced levels of practice. Written with the simplicity and clarity that are hallmarks of Sri Chinmoy's teachings and writings, Meditation is available at a number of bookstores or at any of the classes.

A typical 5 session introductory meditation course outline:

_{Session 1:}

• Topic: What is meditation? - How does it work? An introductory overview of the benefits and principles of meditation.
• Exercise: 'Still mind – still breath'. Breathing techniques to focus and calm the mind.
• Topic: The ABC's of meditation at home – when/where/how long/ how often? Introducing the first steps in developing your daily practise.
• Exercise: The heart chakra – a guided meditation in the spiritual heart centre to bypass the restless mind

_{Session 2:}

• Exercise: Breath visualisation and opening the heart centre through meditation – developing our concentration on the power of breath.
• Topic: An introduction to mantra meditation.
• Exercise: Putting theory into practise – a guided exercise in mantras. We learn to use chants and mantras to still the mind and go deep into the spiritual heart.

_{Session 3:}

• Topic: An introduction to the principle branches of Yoga.
• Exercise: Bhakti yoga – a guided meditation.
• Topic: Physical excellence and well-being as a foundation for spiritual growth.
• Exercise: 'Light of the soul' – a guided meditation.

_{Session 4:}

• Topic: The principle of holistics – the mind/body/spirit connection and how to harmonise these to deepen your meditation experience.
• Exercise: Music and meditation.
• Topic: Using meditation as a life-skill in problem solving/decision making/eliminating stress.
• Exercise: Japa meditation – purifying the mind.

_{Session 5:}

• Topic: An overview of the spiritual paths and masters.
• Exercise: A meditation visualisation on the crown, third eye and heart chakras.
• Topic: 'Enhancing creative potential through meditation' – how to use the silence, stillness and inspiration of meditation to tap into the source of creativity and discover new capacities in art, writing, music.

What's Next?

_{A Continuation Programme.}

Once you have completed an introductory course you are most welcome to join our free continuation programme. This normally offers two evenings per week of guided meditations and discussion points and focuses more specifically on deepening your meditation practice. We will also introduce in more depth the teachings of Sri Chinmoy which are filled with practical advice on how to develop and maintain a strong and blossoming spiritual life while living in our busy modern world.

"Meditation is a divine gift. Meditation simplifies our outer life and energises our inner life. Meditation gives us a natural and spontaneous life, a life that becomes so natural and spontaneous that we cannot breathe without being conscious of our own divinity" - Sri Chinmoy.

_Homestudy:

For those unable to attend our free workshops, a 'Learn to Meditate' Homestudy course has been put together to guide you through the basic techniques and provide important reading and study sources. Homestudy provides a comprehensive four week step-by-step course covering breathing techniques, concentration, cultivating a calm mind, creative visualisations, meditation in the spiritual heart centre and helpful advice on setting up a home practise.

If you wish to purchase the materials used in this course – a Homestudy instruction manual; Sri Chinmoy's Meditation guidebook (260 pages); a Flute Music for Meditation CD/cassette; and a guided meditation/visualisation CD, please contact us.

Alternatively you can explore the official Sri Chinmoy web site and the Sri Chinmoy Centre global web site as they include a wealth of information on meditation.

For more information on any of our course options please contact us and we will send out full class information.