Before I start with a dialogue about meditation, I want to highlight that the team at Vital Switch was really happy to host a very successful meditation weekend on February 26th and 27th with a full room of attendees at the Core Center. We are grateful to everyone who came, and enjoyed the weekend with us. We will be having our next weekend workshop there again on June 4th and 5th, so hurry and book soon as that will book out.

Vital Switch is also pleased to announce that we will host Tracey Stanton, International Feng Shui & Space Clearing Expert, in New York City as she facilitates her wonderful 2-day workshop Clutter Clearing and Space Clearing, April 30th and May 1st at the Core Center. Tracey will be teaching this popular workshop duo, created and made famous by Karen Kingston. The Clear Your Clutter class forms a foundation for the Space Clearing class. Just letting you know ahead of time that this will also sell out, so get in fast to book if you do want to go.

Blog

There are many different styles of meditation. If you are choosing a style of meditation for your own practice, it is good to be aware of the great range of techniques available and check them out to see what does resonate with you. Some of the meditation styles are based on religious traditions, some are purely about relaxation, some are simply techniques for stress relief.

In describing the style of meditation that I practice, I want to talk about contemplative versus dynamic styles of meditation.

Some techniques such as Vipashna meditation are purely contemplative where you are merely passively observing phenomenon. You can compare that to more energetic styles like Kundilini or Kriya which are actively drawing from resources of inner life force.

The Clairvision style which I practice and teach is a more energetic or dynamic style which is defined because you are wanting to activate dynamic forces that normally slumber in people. As a way of understanding this take the analogy of the way that Martial Arts work with the Hara or Dan Tien. The Hara or the Dan Tien is a centre of energy where people draw from to engage force.

The Clairvision style of meditation works on the centers of energy or chakras, starting with the third eye which is also called the ajna chakra in the Indian system. Meditation on the third eye is a dynamic practice that seeks to awaken resources and forces that generally slumber in people.

There is a lot more to say about this but I will leave it for another time. If you want to read more about how Clairvision style of meditation is about overcoming all limits and discovering the giant inside, go to the Clairvision website http://www.clairvision.org/about-us/meditation-is-not-relaxation.html

References:

Clairvision School of meditation website

http://www.clairvision.org/about-us/meditation-is-not-relaxation.html

Upcoming Events including Workshops in NYC:

New York Meditation Meetup

Friday, Mar 25th, 2011. 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm

Share a space of stillness and peace with some friendly meditators in Manhattan. We currently meet two Friday evenings a month.

This meetup is a chance to sit together with others who want to meditate, who like to sit together in a group and who also live in the City. It is ideal for anyone interested in developing a regular meditation practice.
The group is currently hosted by Matteus Levell and Samantha Keen, both experienced meditation instructors. They run New York-based wellness consultancy Vital Switch.
The group shares one style of meditation based on the techniques of the Clairvision School. It is a practical technique that works for modern people who want to learn how to silence the mind and be more in their lives.

When: Friday March 25th 7pm – 8.30pm
Where: Zendo Studio 37 W17th St, 6th Fl. New York City, NY.
Register: Samantha at ClairvisionNYC@gmail.com
Call: Samantha on 206.954.1717
Cost: $12.00 if pay on paypal ahead of time or $15.00 at the door.

CREATING SPACE FOR LOVE by Tracey Stanton

Monday, April 11, 2011. Core Center NY 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Join Tracey Stanton, International Feng Shui & Space Clearing Expert, as she shares her stories and tips on Love & Intimacy. In this light & lively talk Tracey will discuss how to: understand self-love, find new love, re-kindle the love in existing relationships, and methods for letting go of past loves. Using Feng Shui, Space Clearing and Clutter Clearing methods she will explain how to bring flow into your space, in order to create more harmony with loved ones and colleagues. Tracey’s passion for creating sacred & intimate spaces has led her to work with more than 450 people in the last 9 years.Expect to smile, laugh and be inspired to bring more love and joy into your life!

Register: Samantha at samantha@vitalswitch.com
Call: Samantha on 206.954.1717.
Pay by donation.

Clear Your Clutter and Space Clearing Workshops, New York, USA

When: April 30th and May 1st, 2011. Saturday and Sunday.

Clear Your Clutter
This workshop tackles clutter in all its forms – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual – leaving you in no doubt about how it affects you and how to clear it.

Space Clearing
Experience first hand the extraordinary sacred atmospheres Tracey creates as she demonstrates the power of Space Clearing. She will guide you expertly through the 21 steps of basic Space
Clearing, teaching you life long skills that will enable you to confidently clear stuck energies in your own home or workplace.

About Tracey Stanton
Tracey Stanton is one of only a handful of people in the world currently authorized to teach Karen Kingston’s workshops. Tracey is a Feng Shui, Space Clearing and Clutter Clearing expert. Since 2002, she has space cleared the homes and businesses of more than 400 people in the US, Canada, Asia, Australia and the UK. A passionate and inspiring teacher, she combines a wonderfully fun approach to clutter clearing with the wisdom of years of experience conducting consultations in a wide variety of homes and businesses around the world.

Venue: New York Core Center 115 E 23rd St # 12, New York, NY 10010-4556 (Subway 23rd st)

Ticket Prices:
Clear Your Clutter: Early Bird: $130*, Regular: $150

Space Clearing: Early Bird: $180*, Regular: $220
*Early bird date is April 14th

Workshop Package: Early Bird: $290*, Regular: $350

for workshop registration: www.red-alchemy.com/workshops.html
for information: samantha@vitalswitch.com, or call Samantha Keen at (206) 954-1717

Weekend Meditation Workshop, New York, USA

When: June 4th and June 5th, 2011. Saturday and Sunday 10am – 5pm each day.

Prices Two Day Workshop: $195.00. Early Bird discount (paid by Feb 5th): $170.00. Student Discount: $165.00.

A dynamic, interactive 2 day workshop introducing techniques from the Clairvision School.
This style of meditation is awakening and enlivening adding more alertness, focus and stamina to your day. The techniques are highly practical and can be immediately incorporated into your life, leading to more sustainable energy levels, coupled with a sense of inner silence and stillness. A tangible method to access deeper resources of energy and joy to enhance and center your daily experience.

Registration Essential
Contact Samantha Keen, Phone 206-954-1717, Email samantha@vitalswitch.com

The Venue: New York Core Center, 115 East 23rd St, 12th Floor. NY 10010

This entry was posted on Friday, March 11th, 2011 at 11:20 am and is filed under Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

Before I start the next piece about meditation, I want to let everyone know that February 5th is the cut-off date for the Early Bird Discount for our weekend meditation workshop to be held on February 26th and 27th in New York City. The Early Bird discount is $170.00 for the workshop, compared to the full price of $195.00.

At the bottom of this email there is a list of upcoming events including a free presentation at the Meta Center, NYC tonight at 7pm and a New York Meditation Meetup on Friday Feb 4th at 7pm at the Zendo Center.

Now for more about meditation:

If you set up your practice in a way that is harmonious for your schedule, your mind has less opportunity to fight the process. Anytime that the mind does begin to fight the process, with thoughts, distractions or just downright resistance, do not fight the fight. Just see the fight, acknowledge it and keep coming back to the practice. Find the most ease-ful way of continuing with the practice. It is always better if you can seduce the mind into meditating. Make it something special that you do for yourself to make your life better.

Finally, one of the most important factors that helps a lot of people to continue with a regular meditation practice is to have a group of friends or people that support them. Find some people who also like to meditate and meet with them regularly to discuss your experiences. Sit together once a week, or whenever you can. Sitting with a group of people and sharing the experience of meditation on a regular basis helps to maintain motivation, dispels resistance and makes it more fun.

The key to meditation is that even when it is challenging, there is something fun and exciting about overcoming your own demons and finding your inner truth. This is an adventure, or as it is described in the title of Satprem’s wonderful book about Indian Yogi Sri Aurobindo, Sri Aurobindo or the Adventure of Consciousness.

The next blog is about different styles of meditation, particularly exploring the style of meditation that I have practiced for 10 years.

References:
Satprem, Sri Aurobindo or the Adventure of Consciousness Mira Aditi Centre (January 2000) ISBN-10: 8185137609

Upcoming Events including Meditation Meetup, A Free Talk and A Weekend Workshop in NYC:

Free Talk: Meditation Skills for Everyday Life

Tuesday, February 1, 2011. 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm

A Free Presentation introducing a style of meditation and related skills that help you to be more Present in all your daily activities.

A highly practical and experiential approach that not only gives you an increased sense of peace, stillness and inner silence, but also brings focus, mental stamina and tangible boost in vitality.
Matteus Levell shares his wealth of knowledge gleaned from over 18 years experience in meditation and consciousness studies.

Originally trained at the Clairvision School of meditation in Australia, Matteus has led workshops on meditation and related skills of Dynamic Awareness and Vitality Enhancement in Asia, Australia and the US. He is passionate about exploring the deeper reaches of the human psyche through meditation, and in facilitating people to feel more present, empowered and free.

When: Tuesday February 1st, 2011. 7pm – 8pm.
Where: Meta Center 214 W29th St. 16th Floor. NYC
Register: Samantha at ClairvisionNYC@gmail.com
Call: Samantha on 206.954.1717.
No Cost.

New York Meditation Meetup

Friday, Feb 4th, 2011. 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm

Share a space of stillness and peace with some friendly meditators in Manhattan. We currently meet two Friday evenings a month.

This meetup is a chance to sit together with others who want to meditate, who like to sit together in a group and who also live in the City. It is ideal for anyone interested in developing a regular meditation practice.
The group is currently hosted by Matteus Levell and Samantha Keen, both experienced meditation instructors. They run New York-based wellness consultancy Vital Switch.
The group shares one style of meditation based on the techniques of the Clairvision School. It is a practical technique that works for modern people who want to learn how to silence the mind and be more in their lives.

When: Friday February 4th 7pm – 8.30pm
Where: Zendo Studio 37 W17th St, 6th Fl. New York City, NY.
Register: Samantha at ClairvisionNYC@gmail.com
Call: Samantha on 206.954.1717
Cost: $12.00 if pay on paypal ahead of time or $15.00 at the door.

Weekend Meditation Workshop, New York, USA

When: Feb 26th and Feb 27th, 2011. Saturday and Sunday 10am – 5pm each day.

Prices Two Day Workshop: $195.00. Early Bird discount (paid by Feb 5th): $170.00. Student Discount: $165.00.

A dynamic, interactive 2 day workshop introducing techniques from the Clairvision School.
This style of meditation is awakening and enlivening adding more alertness, focus and stamina to your day. The techniques are highly practical and can be immediately incorporated into your life, leading to more sustainable energy levels, coupled with a sense of inner silence and stillness. A tangible method to access deeper resources of energy and joy to enhance and center your daily experience.

Registration Essential
Contact Samantha Keen, Phone 206-954-1717, Email samantha@vitalswitch.com

The Venue: New York Core Center, 115 East 23rd St, 12th Floor. NY 10010

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 1st, 2011 at 11:37 am and is filed under Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

Most people who attend a weekend meditation workshop want to know how to develop a regular meditation practice. Most often people feel overwhelmed by the idea of fitting in the time to meditate when their lives are already so full.

The answer is three-fold: make it a part of your routine, start with a small block of time every day, get support from friends who also meditate.

Fitting any extra activity into a busy schedule can seem challenging until it becomes part of your routine. Brushing your teeth in the morning, carrying out regular exercise, cleaning your clothes each week are all examples of activities that are most likely part of your routine.

Meditation can become a good habit. This happens when you make it part of your routine if you practice it at the same time every day. Here I mean at the same time in your schedule such as after you have a shower but before you have breakfast. If you meditate every morning, it will become part of your habitual daily activities before you know it. And then when you miss it, things don’t seem right in the same way that when you miss brushing your teeth you don’t feel quite right.

When beginning a daily meditation practice it is better to sit for a short time every day than to try for longer periods and then only get around to it once or twice a week. I have found that people do get a benefit from meditation if they practice for 20 minutes every day. But you can even aim to start with 15 minutes if that makes it easier. Essentially you want to leave less room for the mind to resist, and therefore make it more enjoyable.

The next blog will unfold more about building a regular meditation practice.

Upcoming Events:

New York Meditation Meetup

Friday, January 28, 2011. 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm

Share a space of stillness and peace with some friendly meditators in Manhattan. We currently meet two Friday evenings a month.

This meetup is a chance to sit together with others who want to meditate, who like to sit together in a group and who also live in the City. It is ideal for anyone interested in developing a regular meditation practice.
The group is currently hosted by Matteus Levell and Samantha Keen, both experienced meditation instructors. They run New York-based wellness consultancy Vital Switch.
The group shares one style of meditation based on the techniques of the Clairvision School. It is a practical technique that works for modern people who want to learn how to silence the mind and be more in their lives.

When: Friday January 28th 7pm – 8.30pm
Where: Zendo Studio 37 W17th St, 6th Fl. New York City, NY.
Register: Samantha at ClairvisionNYC@gmail.com
Call: Samantha on 206.954.1717
Cost: $12.00 if pay on paypal ahead of time or $15.00 at the door.

Free Talk: Meditation Skills for Everyday Life

Tuesday, February 1, 2011. 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm

A Free Presentation introducing a style of meditation and related skills that help you to be more Present in all your daily activities.

A highly practical and experiential approach that not only gives you an increased sense of peace, stillness and inner silence, but also brings focus, mental stamina and tangible boost in vitality.
Matteus Levell shares his wealth of knowledge gleaned from over 18 years experience in meditation and consciousness studies.

Originally trained at the Clairvision School of meditation in Australia, Matteus has led workshops on meditation and related skills of Dynamic Awareness and Vitality Enhancement in Asia, Australia and the US. He is passionate about exploring the deeper reaches of the human psyche through meditation, and in facilitating people to feel more present, empowered and free.

When: Tuesday February 1st, 2011. 7pm – 8pm.
Where: Meta Center 214 W29th St. 16th Floor. NYC
Register: Samantha at ClairvisionNYC@gmail.com
Call: Samantha on 206.954.1717.
No Cost.

Weekend Meditation Workshop, New York, USA

When: Feb 26th and Feb 27th, 2011. Saturday and Sunday 10am – 5pm each day.

Registration Essential
Contact Samantha Keen, Phone 206-954-1717, Email samantha@vitalswitch.com

The Venue: New York Core Center, 115 East 23rd St, 12th Floor. NY 10010

Prices Two Day Workshop: $195.00. Early Bird discount (paid by Feb 5th): $170.00. Student Discount: $165.00.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 25th, 2011 at 4:22 pm and is filed under Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

Meditation gives me so much more than focus and clarity, although I love that I get those benefits from my practice. The main reason I meditate regularly is to connect to deeper parts of myself and the experience of Being.

Wikipedia defines the word Being as an English word used for conceptualizing subjective aspects fundamental to the self —related to and somewhat interchangeable with terms like “existence” and “living”. The Wikipedia page is quite mixed in its definition of the term, as it also says that in philosophy, being is the object of study of metaphysics, and more specifically ontology.

Another definition of Being by Satprem:
“So when there is nothing, what is left? There is a centre of strength, of Being. There is something left. And that is the key.” Satprem in an interview uploaded on Youtube.

For the context of this blog I am using the word Being to describe a transcendent experience of self. Being is used to describe a state of awareness that is still, full with the experience of presence and deeply nourishing. It is a metaphysical experience. I am using the word Being in a fairly general way to describe connecting into a state of consciousness that is beyond thoughts, deeply connected in its essence.

Here I want to emphasize that meditation gives people something that the studies never show. Meditation gives people an opportunity to connect with themselves in a meaningful and deep way every day. Connecting into the deeper reserves of self with a daily meditation practice is a profoundly healing experience. Day-to-day meditations may be difficult, distracted or full of thoughts. But the overall affect of the regular meditation is a growing sense of self. Connecting in this way on a daily basis also improves the trajectory for the day.

An important point here is that meditation does not have to be a religious experience, nor does it have to conflict with any religious beliefs. People from many different cultural backgrounds and a variety of religions do practice meditation. The techniques do not have anything to do with the beliefs or dogma. Therefore, it is my experience that it is fine to meditate, whether or not you practice any kind of religion, and no matter what kind of religion you may have chosen.

The next blog is about how to find time to meditate when you lead a busy life.

P.S.

To see a profoundly beautiful contemplation on what is Being go to the Youtube video of an interview with Satprem, a survivor of the concentration camps, a writer of many spiritual books including playing a key part in the publication of 13 volumes of Mother’s Agenda. Satprem (1923-2007) was a French author and confidant of ‘The Mother’ and Sri Aurobindo.
During World War II he was a member of the French Resistance. He was arrested by the Gestapo in late 1943 and spent one and a half years in German concentration camps. I can highly recommend his book: Satprem “Sri Aurobindo or the Adventure of Consciousness” (originally published in 1964).

References:

Satprem. (September 1993) Sri Aurobindo or the Adventure of Consciousness. Institute for Evolutionary Research. ISBN-10: 0938710044.

Wikipedia on Being
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Being

Youtube: An interview with Satprem Part 1.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4XPbV1xH5c

Youtube: An interview with Satprem Part 2.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9xMMzT_hwg

Upcoming Events including 2 Free Talks in NYC:

Free Talk: Meditation, Self Awareness & Personal Transformation

Wednesday, January 19, 2011. 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm

* How can meditation bring personal transformation?
* What’s the place of self awareness in a meditation practice?
* Do different styles of meditation lead to different experiences?

In this free talk Matteus Levell will address these questions and more.
Matteus has over 18 years experience practicing and teaching the Clairvision style of meditation, focusing on cultivating and awakening self awareness and vitality. Join him for this exciting event.

When: Wednesday January 19th 8pm – 9pm
Where: Zendo Studio 37 W17th St, 6th Fl. New York City, NY.
Register: Samantha at ClairvisionNYC@gmail.com
Call: Samantha on 206.954.1717
No Cost.

Free Talk: Meditation Skills for Everyday Life

Tuesday, February 1, 2011. 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm

A Free Presentation introducing a style of meditation and related skills that help you to be more Present in all your daily activities.

A highly practical and experiential approach that not only gives you an increased sense of peace, stillness and inner silence, but also brings focus, mental stamina and tangible boost in vitality.
Matteus Levell shares his wealth of knowledge gleaned from over 18 years experience in meditation and consciousness studies.

Originally trained at the Clairvision School of meditation in Australia, Matteus has led workshops on meditation and related skills of Dynamic Awareness and Vitality Enhancement in Asia, Australia and the US. He is passionate about exploring the deeper reaches of the human psyche through meditation, and in facilitating people to feel more present, empowered and free.

When: Tuesday February 1st, 2011. 7pm – 8pm.
Where: Meta Center 214 W29th St. 16th Floor. NYC
Register: Samantha at ClairvisionNYC@gmail.com
Call: Samantha on 206.954.1717.
No Cost.

New York Meditation Meetup

When: Friday Jan 7th 2011 @ 7pm to 8.30pm
The venue: Zendo, 37 W17th St, 6th Floor. New York, NY 10011
Price: $12.00 pre-pay via pay pal or $15.00 at the door if you have rsvp’d
rsvp/contact: New York Meditation Meetup or Vital Switch Contact or call 206-954-1717

Weekend Meditation Workshop, New York, USA

When: Feb 26th and Feb 27th, 2011. Saturday and Sunday 10am – 5pm each day.

Registration Essential
Contact Samantha Keen, Phone 206-954-1717, Email samantha@vitalswitch.com

The Venue: New York Core Center, 115 East 23rd St, 12th Floor. NY 10010

Prices Two Day Workshop: $195.00. Early Bird discount (paid by Feb 5th): $170.00. Student Discount: $165.00.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 at 10:49 am and is filed under Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

People are busy, especially where I live in New York City. Everyone is in a rush, and they are usually late. A study quoted in Richard DeGrandpre’s book Ritalin Nation: Rapid-Fire Culture and the Transformation of Human Consciousness says that when asked on the street, New Yorkers new the time within 5 minutes and those without watches were generally more accurate.

New Yorkers “know exactly what time it is … and they’re running late”, DeGrandpre says. And when they were asked how often they were rushed, most of them answered “most of the time”.

So why would anyone running late most of the time want to fit an extra 20 minutes of meditation into their busy schedules?

Firstly, regular meditation improves people’s ability to focus and also increases mental clarity or alertness. Therefore, this extra activity could end up saving you a lot of time in that you will be more effective. There are many sound scientific stu‪dies which show that meditation does bring focus and clarity.

ScienceDaily.com reported in June 2010 that a study led by Katherine MacLean, who worked on the study as a graduate student at the University of California, Davis, found that meditation “can improve a person’s ability to be attentive”. The study titled “Intensive Meditation Training Improves Perceptual Discrimination and Sustained Attention”, was authored by 13 researchers and examined 60 enthusiasts who signed up to attend a three-month meditation retreat.

In June 2007 ScienceDaily.com reported that researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that practicing even small doses of daily meditation may improve focus and performance. The article said: “Meditation, according to Penn neuroscientist Amishi Jha and Michael Baime, director of Penn’s Stress Management Program, is an active and effortful process that literally changes the way the brain works.” The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the Penn Stress Management Program.
I like the Penn study because it found that even people new to meditation experience benefits after practicing the techniques for a matter of weeks.

Working with people in New York, London, Munich, Sydney and Singapore, I have been surprised to see they do experience benefits from applying a regular meditation practice even after a short time. Recently in New York, one It professional came to a meditation meeting and learned a simple technique. When he returned 3 weeks later he said that he really did notice the difference when he meditated daily. He laughed when he said the difference was most palpable when he did not meditate because he felt that his day did not flow so well, and he was not so effective in achieving his goals.

In Singapore, a managing director of a successful trading firm decided to hire Vital Switch to teach the trainees meditation skills. After 3 sessions of training, the managing director implemented a program where he sat with his trainees in meditation for 10 minutes every day ahead of the morning meeting.

The managing director tells us that his trainees benefited so much from the meditation that their trading results went up 100 per cent. The MD says that practicing the meditation techniques made his team more effective, faster and more accurate.

The next blog will be about meditation as an opportunity to connect to yourself and give you a better trajectory every day.

References:
DeGrandpre, Richard. PhD. Ritalin Nation: Rapid-Fire Culture and the Transformation of Human Consciousness. W. W. Norton & Co London and New York. (2000, 1999) ISBN 0-393-04685-0

ScienceDaily.com “Meditation Helps Increase Attention Span” (July 16, 2010)

ScienceDaily.com “Meditate To Concentrate” (June 26, 2007)

Tierney, J. (July 20,1997) “Some Like It Fast.” New York Times Magazine; 16.

Upcoming Events:

New York Meditation Meetup

When: Friday Jan 7th 2011 @ 7pm to 8.30pm
The venue: Zendo, 37 W17th St, 6th Floor. New York, NY 10011
Price: $12.00 pre-pay via pay pal or $15.00 at the door if you have rsvp’d
rsvp/contact: New York Meditation Meetup or Vital Switch Contact or call 206-954-1717

Weekend Meditation Workshop, New York, USA

When: Feb 26th and Feb 27th, 2011. Saturday and Sunday 10am – 5pm each day

Registration Essential
Contact Samantha Keen, Phone 206-954-1717, Email samantha@vitalswitch.com

The Venue: New York Core Center, 115 East 23rd St, 12th Floor. NY 10010

Prices Two Day Workshop: $195.00. Early Bird discount (paid by Feb 5th): $170.00. Student Discount: $165.00.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010 at 9:46 am and is filed under Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.