Meditation Teacher Training

19 Aug

I recently attended a meditation teacher training 60 hr course with Dan Peppiatt @Yoga Like Water. It was the most incredible course in Cornwall with no signal on a small holding. The four days were simplistic, wholesome, with fantastic company.

I have been practicing guided meditation, hypnotherapy & visualisation for many years, but I never understood the philosophy behind meditation, the types and meaning and quite frankly I realised I knew nothing about meditation and its origins and why we do it, other than for the benefits. Much of the course was from a Buddhist perspective delving into the rich history and philosophies.

So here is what I have learnt so far and how I will be using meditation for myself and for clients to support self-management of pain and health conditions.

“Mediation” comes under three headings and mean very different things. From a Buddhist perspective much of what is advertised as meditation is often mindfulness or relaxation techniques, which has caused a lot of confusion (this was all eye opening for me)

Meditation -

Usually focused concentration in a seated position, requiring you to stay awake. These tend to have a few words every 5 minutes or so, to keep people safe and grounded in the here and now, also to offer a reminder to observe thoughts and come back to the breath (as the thoughts never stop), we just need to allow them to come and go, without getting taggled up or engage. Its an opportunity to really experience the world and ourselves. Deep inner work is likely to occur, old memories, past experiences and epiphanies around deep rooted unanswered questions can happen. It is a tool to access our own innate wisdom and answer our own questions, rather than giving our power away to others who may or may not be right. No meditation is right or wrong, good or bad. Sometimes very uncomfortable feelings and realisation’s occur. It is an opportunity to truly see ourselves and to deeply understand and change for the better. Sometimes its insanely hard to sit out the boredom, however our boredom is the best tool to accept life for what it truly is, not what we are chasing, it allows us to be content with the mundane and enjoy the simple things in life. There are also many meditations which set an intention, these are a little more guided and helpful for people looking for a specific problem to work on i.e. managing pain. Beginners should start with 5-10mins and slowly increase over the months and years.

https://youtu.be/G3XUee3-meA?si=ceW2OxQ7Qh48aop-

Mindfulness

Mindfulness meditations take our attention to our awareness of sounds and senses outside of ourselves or sensations within. It can be done sitting or walking and allows the brain activity to slow down from the unwanted notifications, usual life chaos and again engaging in our endless internal dialogue. Mindfulness is a beautiful way to really notice sounds and feelings that we are usually to busy to notice. Its a great way to connect to nature and to feel gratitude. Mindfulness is also reached when we find our flow state, often intrinsic joys such as painting, dancing, surfing, colouring in, yoga etc. Mindfulness can also be carried into your daily life, when we’re peeling potatoes, cleaning and doing daily chores, allowing us to live more in our parasympathetic nervous system more often, and reducing or becoming aware of repetitive behaviours, arguments and negative reactions to situations and relationships, increasing our wellbeing and contentment in life. 10-20mins is a good starting place for mindfulness meditations. breathwork can be used anywhere for a few minutes to evoke feelings of safety, calm and feeling centered.

https://youtu.be/7-1Y6IbAxdM?si=Xx7Oam2coirdeNCJ

Relaxation

Relaxation is done lying down, often accompanied by gentle non vocal music, sound baths, massage, body scans, Yoga Nidra’s, as with meditation and mindfulness the idea is to sooth the nervous system, tapping into the Vagus nerve using the breath (a longer soft exhale). Relaxation is important and often not achieved in busy schedules, people who suffer with chronic pain, often find deep sleep difficult to achieve. A lack of sleep sets off a cascade of hormonal disruptions, which makes managing pain more complex. Organised relaxation groups are really beneficial to reset the individual.

https://youtu.be/_noquwycq78?si=HmvERadRX5IMcg0b

https://youtu.be/7H0FKzeuVVs?si=lMIaLMk66lEpvWjX

https://youtu.be/-BlO514Iwvo?si=1NU1F-42S5H7ildG

https://youtu.be/k408ULXJCTk?si=nPZMfIfn18uS08O-

I haven’t gone into the philosophy or Buddhist perspective, but am happy to answer any questions and will upload some links to various teachings at a later date for those who are interested.

My plan for the course, is to use mindfulness and relaxation alongside the breathwork I am training in to support clients with Chronic pain, health conditions and to aid relaxation for those who are busy. I will use it mostly through videos i will send to those who ask and I will also upload to YouTube and blogs. I do not feel ready to share meditation, because I do not feel I have enough experience or a solid practice to feel comfortable to share quite yet, but hope to do so in the future.