Meditation Classes
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Related Links:
- Meditation on SriChinmoy.org
- Meditation Music on Radio Sri Chinmoy
- Meditation-Silence on Sri Chinmoy TV
- Meditation: Touching The Infinite – by Jogyata Dallas
Our warmest greetings!
With many years of teaching experience, our course instructors are genuinely delighted to have this opportunity to share their love of meditation with you. Our structured courses will introduce the key steps and practises you'll need to develop an effective personal meditation programme. Each workshop is informal and based around simple yet powerful techniques – in these sessions we encourage you to ask questions or seek clarification wherever necessary. We also encourage people to try and attend each of the four or five sessions of the chosen course to gain the most benefit, and to practise at home as well – even after two weeks you'll see positive and inspiring results!
About Meditation
We are each born with unlimited potential and a deep inner knowledge of truth, but life would be without meaning if we did not have to work towards this self-discovery. We have, too, our own God-given gifts to accomplish something unique on earth. It is the discovery of our potential, the quest for this wisdom, the search for our true purpose that gives our life a higher meaning. Meditation is the practice of developing ourselves holistically, of calming the mind and opening the spiritual heart. It is the practice of mindfulness, compassion, grace and love through all actions. We learn what our deeper purpose is and how through life's many teachings and lessons we can offer these gifts selflessly for the betterment of all creation. And most importantly, we learn how to be truly happy.
Some Benefits of Meditation
Improved Physical Health
Stress, tension and negative emotions silently erode our life-force. As we decrease these negative influences through our meditation, we experience profound positive effects on our health from increased vitality to a greater sense of general wellbeing.
Better Life Decisions
You are unique, and you have a uniquely special path to follow in life. In the silence and stillness of meditation, you will perceive more clearly the still, small voice within that can guide you safely along your life's path. By bringing you closer to your life's purpose, meditation sets you free to become more truly and uniquely yourself.
You Will Be Happier
Sri Chinmoy believes strongly in the power of sport to foster international friendship and harmony – as in the Olympic dream of a world family rising above cultural and national interests to compete in a spirit of oneness.
We tend to seek happiness outside of ourselves – where we are, what we possess, who we are with, but meditation helps us to realise that real, lasting happiness is an experience which flows from within and exists independently of our outer circumstances.
Spiritual Growth
At the very core of our existence lies great beauty, wisdom and delight. This is none other than our own highest self. Through meditation we begin to rediscover our limitless potential and our inherent spiritual nature, and all of this inner wealth becomes ours to use in our day-to-day life.
Inner Peace Brings Outer Peace
Everything starts from within! As we develop more inner peace through our practice of meditation, our outer life will become more peaceful as well. Little things start to happen as your outer life is touched by the expanding fragrance of our inner life: problems fall away or are resolved more easily; our dealings with people become deeper and more fulfilling; and we develop new and greater outer capacities.
Continuation Classes
At the conclusion of our introductory courses we usually offer an ongoing free continuation programme on one or two evenings of each week. A timetable will be given out at the end of each course.
Online Meditation Course
We have developed an online meditation course to guide you through your first weeks of practise which can be accessed here: Meditation Course – Learn to Meditate Online.
Social Activities
The Sri Chinmoy Centre of New Zealand organises a number of free concerts of spiritual music each year, and also occasional meditation retreat weekends. We also welcome you to join in our adventure outings each Sunday morning – these involve hiking and running trips out to the Waitakeres, Muriwai, West Coast beaches and Woodhill Forest to escape from the city for a morning.
Fun Runs And Races
Each year the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team organises some 800 athletic events worldwide to promote physical fitness. In New Zealand our team hosts the national 24hr track race championship and a number of fun runs and road races. For more information, kindly visit: Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team – New Zealand.
Vegetarian Cafés
Be sure to visit our vegetarian cafés: The Blue Bird Vegetarian Café in Mt Eden, Auckland; The Sweetness-Joy of the Unknown Beyond Vegetarian Café/Juice Bar in Newmarket, Auckland; and The Lotus-Heart Vegetarian Café/Restaurant in central Christchurch. All three of our cafés offer vegan/vegetarian home-baked foods, salads, fresh juices and feature a gift bar with incense, books, guided meditation CDs and Sri Chinmoy's music and artwork.