DEEP LISTENING
Meditation Practice E-Course with Michele Sierra
As our world changes in unimaginable ways, a strong inner life is a reliable refuge and wise guide.
Commencing February 22, 2022
20 unique emailed-lessons and meditation instructions to read, practise and be inspired by.
Would you like to establish a practice of ‘presence’, of deep listening, that becomes a steady force of strength and insight you can rely upon in every moment?
REGISTRATION for Deep Listening: Meditation Practice E-Course includes 20 unique emailed-lessons and meditation instructions to read, practise and be inspired by. These readings are yours to keep and return to any time. Also included are several audio meditation practices and live online group sessions for course participants to support your practice.
This newly revised Meditation Practice E-course has been created especially for those of us wanting to reignite some inspiration and continuity in the practice of meditation. The course aims to support you in establishing a regular meditation practice. Through a series of weekly readings, audio recordings, short practical mindfulness exercises and occasional virtual interactions with the course facilitator, the Deep Listening Meditation course will support your intention to practice AND keep it going! Irregular practice will most likely bear irregular outcomes. Meditative awareness is a timeless, ongoing practice we can always turn to. It can be experienced in every moment, not just when we stop or sit down to meditate. Naturally, it requires resolve and continuity to establish any worthwhile skill. Sticking with it long enough to experience the results, can be the hardest part; supporting you to keep going through all the twists and turns, is the focus of this course.
What’s included?
Readings: Each lesson consists of a few pages of reading and a short 1-7 minute meditation exercise. The readings offer relatable wisdom, heartfelt reflections and practical, everyday practices to guide you in cultivating resilience and spiritual insight. Themes draw from Buddhist and yoga spiritual philosophy; western neuroscience and psychology; creativity, art and ecology.
Example of topics included
Working with emotions & stabilising a busy mind
Breathing techniques to regulate the nervous system
Daily Rituals & Meditation techniques for various lifestyles and demands
Contemplative Photography & Creativity to develop attention. Respond to life's complexity with curiosity and a sense of wonder by looking through a different lens. Contemplative sometimes means to think things over, but in relation to meditation, it means to recognize that seeing and thinking are very different. Thinking relates to the world through ideas and mental images. Seeing perceives things directly, just as they are. In this course, the camera is used as a mirror to reflect your state of mind.
Nature – whether in the form of wild bushland, a single houseplant or our own bodies – we can learn to reconnect with the naturalness inside ourselves, and take inspiration from nature’s regenerative expressions
Virtual community. Live group sessions with Michele for course participants, will support your practice and provide an opportunity to dive into some lively discussions on course topics of interest. Join with others to inspire and encourage each other along the way. Meeting with Michele every 4-6 weeks on zoom, sessions will be recorded and accessible for one month after the live session ends. Participation is optional.
Audio: Some meditations are recorded to help get you established and support continuity in your practice. Recordings are accessible for the duration of the course.
Unplug. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by your devices and increased screen time lately, you will be happy to know that the course material will not lure you further in. Apart from the optional live-sessions with Michele, and the time required to read each lesson, you will not need your screen. Written inspiration (pdf) arrives in your inbox once a week containing an occasional audio link to guided meditation practices. All material is fresh and ready for you to read or listen to at leisure – whether indoors or outdoors. Unplug and return to centre!
Will you join with me in this revised meditation E-course, to reinvigorate the motivation to meditate and reflect … to prioritise some time and energy for practices that support mental clarity, warm-heartedness and inter-connectedness with the wider world?
Cultivating a personal meditation and contemplative practice continually reminds us of what is meaningful, sane and lasting, in a world that is increasingly troubled, fearful and confused. It is the greatest gift we can bestow on ourselves now and for future generations.
CLICK HERE for a more detailed course outline with FAQ’s and testimonials from previous participants.
Michele Sierra (Cu. Psych, Senior Member Yoga Australia)
Michele is a visual artist and has more than 30 years’ experience teaching and practising meditation and yoga, and working professionally as a psychotherapist. She continues to deepen her study of meditation and philosophy in the Buddhist tradition, applying current research into the benefits of mindfulness-based meditation to her life and work. Michele has facilitated many courses nationally and internationally with a teaching style that is practical, enabling and insightful.