By Chantal Hauser

Many articles have been published in recent months on meditation and a lot of people have noticed. Meditation is the talk of the town. Could the reason be that spring is around the corner in the northern hemisphere and people feel restless and confused?

By Michelle Taffe

I arrived on a sunny Sunday afternoon in early February to spend a week at Wat Buddha Dhamma – a Buddhist monastery of the Thai forest tradition, just a couple of hours north of Sydney.

Having come from a three-day festival of music, yoga and dance, I was looking forward to spending some quiet time at the monastery; meditating and reflecting on life in the company of like-minded souls.

By Manish Pole

Yoga Nidra has gained tremendous popularity within the yoga community because of its wonderful relaxation benefits. The fact that 1 hour of Yoga Nidra is the equivalent of 4 hours of normal sleep is startling, to say the least! Its ability to relax physically, mentally and emotionally even the most beginner of yoga students has meant that more and more people are learning this ancient art. In fact it is no exaggeration to say that your yoga practice is incomplete without Yoga Nidra!

What is Meditation

Many people think that meditation is a process whereby the student sits and struggles with the mind until they are able to empty the mind of all thought and thus find inner peace. But this is not an accurate picture of what meditation really is.

To find out more about meditation – the history, the traditions, some of the first meditators, and the different styles of meditation practiced around the world today – download the free TGY Short Guide to Meditation. Feel free to print out this guide and distribute to your yoga or meditation students.

By Michelle Taffe

What is Kundalini Yoga Meditation?

This was the question I asked myself before going to my first retreat with Swami Ganeshananda last year on the Mediterranean island of Majorca – where he regularly leads retreats for a small ‘sanga’ or spiritual community there.

By Michelle Taffe

Vipassana is an ancient form of meditation in the Buddhist tradition that uses the technique of self-observation to gain an understanding of the true nature of reality.

by Clayton Horton

The Inner Sunrise meditation is a style of meditation based on connecting with natural planetary rhythms. Since time immemorial, yogis, fakirs, shamans, monks and the like have awoken before sunrise to conduct their spiritual practice. All of life on planet Earth begins to awaken as the Sun’s early rays begin to fall upon the planet. The atmosphere is highly charged and provides the essential food to all living organisms in nature. Being still and quieting the mind at this auspicious time of day is transformational on cellular, glandular (endocrine), energetic and spiritual levels.

Swami Ganeshananda is a spiritual teacher, who teaches Kundalini yoga meditation to students all around Europe. Kundalini yoga meditation practice springs from the ancient teachings of Tantra and exists within the schools of Hindusim and Buddhism. Born and bred in Norway where he is now based, Swamiji spent many years living in the United States, where he first met his root guru, Swami Rudrananda, known to students and friends as ‘Rudi’.

By Michelle Taffe

What is meditation?

Let’s start with the Oxford dictionary definition of the verb ‘to meditate’.

Meditate: focus one’s mind for a period of time, in silence or with the aid of chanting, for religious or spiritual purposes or as a method of relaxation.

By Swami Ganeshananda

If you are considering starting a meditation practice, or if you are already practicing some form of meditation, you might be wondering about the role of a teacher. Do I need one? Do I want one? What will I use him or her for?