Why Aussie Meditation?
At Aussie Meditation, we proudly teach the Unified Mindfulness System, created by esteemed Meditation Teacher and Neuroscience Researcher Shinzen Young.
This system:
- Is recognised and used by top institutions like the Harvard Medical School and Carnegie Mellon for Meditation research.
- Has a robust framework with 40 standard techniques inspired by global contemplative traditions, catering to every meditator.
- Highlights three Core Attention Skills that, once learnt and practice lead inevitably to the profound benefits of Mindfulness.
- Has precise terminology and concepts, offering a systematic and accessible approach to Mindfulness.
- Is secular, making it suitable for individuals of any or no religious background
- Guarantees impactful results with just 10 minutes of daily practice
Experience research-backed Mindfulness benefits with us!
The Benefits of Mindfulness
Many of us are attracted to meditation because we’ve heard about its research supported benefits.
A common short-list might include:
- Feeling more grounded and centred
- Being more present
- Better focus and productivity
- Improved emotional regulation
- Reduced anxiety
- Less preoccupied with past and future
Diving a little deeper..
Less Suffering
With the attention skills of mindfulness our experience of pain can move from something overwhelming to an experience we can open up to.
Meditation is a great support when struggling with emotional pain, addiction or compulsive behaviour. With Mindfulness we can clearly track the mental images, mental talk and body sensations involved in painful emotions as they arise. ‘Deconstructing’ the parts helps lessen their combined impact. This keeps us from being caught up in the narrative while allowing the emotion to pass without trying to suppress or avoid it. Our trauma informed approach to mindfulness gives options to support this.
We can work similarly with the urges behind habits and behaviours we would like to change. As we ‘deconstruct’ an urge it passes allowing us to breathe the fresh air of change and possibility.
Loving Life/Self Knowledge
Mindfulness Skills are attentional skills. When you train them with meditation you are increasing your everyday level of concentration. That means there’s a greater level of intensity that makes the good things feel more fulfilling. You are ‘here’ for it! Everyday experiences turn out to be fascinating and vibrant in ways we normally don’t notice. Life takes on a shine that feels fresh, spontaneous and alive.
Mindfulness shines the light on our sensory experience and how we relate to it. By paying close attention we make discoveries about ourselves and the world. These insights can be anything from ordinary to profound. Self knowledge is a profound benefit of practice that is often not discussed among the ‘benefits of mindfulness’. It is however one of its shining stars and should be of real interest if you have a passion for personal growth or self knowledge.
Performance
No matter your endeavour you will be more effective with a high level of mindful focus.
The backbone of any level high achievement is concentration – the first of the attentional skills of mindfulness. Meditation trains concentration. Study becomes more efficient. We are more effective at problem solving. With high concentration any work we do to acquire a new ability is not diluted by distraction. On top of this a high level of focus reveals its own kind of intrinsic pleasure.
Health
A high level of focus and deep relaxation (the characteristics of a meditative state) affects the body and mind.
Some of the impacts of Meditation include:
- Increased brain alpha waves
- Decreased skin conductivity (associated with reductions in stress/anxiety)
- Increased metabolic efficiency
- Lower blood pressure
- A more effective immune system
Relationships
With improved attention skills we’re just better at being ‘present’.
Our loved ones, friends and colleagues are also the beneficiaries of this change.
Our communication skills benefit from our ability to work with any negative emotions, helping us to respond in more skillful and less reactive ways.
We are less drawn away by whichever internal or external distraction seeks to capture our attention. Instead we are engaged fully with those with whom we are present.
As our practice deepens we feel the culmulative effect of the benefits. Our empathy and sense of connection to others naturally grows alongside our happiness.
Putting it all together
At Aussie Meditation we are all about working with people to apply Mindfulness to what matters most to them. To do this we love using the Unified Mindfulness Happiness Grid. The Grid is like a roadmap to help anyone explore how they could use Mindfulness to enhance their happiness. It draws the benefits of Mindfulness down to 5 key areas.
They are:
- Reducing Suffering
- Increasing Fulfillment
- Knowing Yourself
- Skillfull Action
- Connection
Each area also has layers of depth to explore. The Grid is a helpful tool that helps people to think about where they’re and what they would like to enhance or change. It can also open up new lines of thinking about areas of personal happiness we might not have considered previously.
Mindfulness Articles and Research
Harvard Business Review: Why Leaders Need Meditation Now More Than Ever - by Matthias Birk
An article outlining the importance of the kinds of skills that mindfulness fosters in a…
American Psychological Association: Mindfulness Meditation - A research-proven way to reduce stress
An important article giving an overview of mindfulness and various research findings confirmation the positive…
Forbes Health: 10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
Meditation can improve the quality of your life. Here are 10 Health Benefits of Meditation,…
Time Magazine: How Meditation Helps Handle Stress Better by Mandy Oaklander
A great Time Magazine article about a recent study published in the Journal Psychiatry Research.
G'day Meditators!
**My Discovery**
From the world of Classical Music to now being a Certified Unified Mindfulness Teacher, I’ve found myself at the intersection of two professions that can change and heal. This journey has created a unique approach to living a more mindful and satisfying life.
As a professional conductor, I vividly remember the moment I realised that my career was going to be about more than ambition. After that I craved the fulfillment I got from work that really changes lives. When I discovered Unified Mindfulness and experienced how it transformed my life so dramatically and positively I knew I had found the way I could really make a difference.
**Purpose**
In my musical life I was always obsessed with how it works – what are the skills involved and how to train them. I dove into Mindfulness with that same spirit and found the perfect place to land in Unified Mindfulness. It’s a System that is skills based, uniquely comprehensive, precise and clear about ‘How it Works’, ‘Why it Matters’ and ‘What to Do’. This level of clarity and its basis in research was an exciting discovery. The benefits I discovered showed me that Mindfulness goes way beyond just being a stress relief solution.
My goal now is to help people learn the mindfulness skills to transform their lives and happiness in whatever ways matter most to them.
**Beyond Conducting – Mindfulness for Long Term Well-being**
This is much more than just a job for me.
I’ve seen a huge number of people discover the transformative impact Mindfulness can have on their lives through using the Unified Mindfulness System. Now through Aussie Meditation I’m bringing the Unified Mindfulness System to Australia.
Further to this I am also committed to taking this into the world of music to create an approach to self care that uplifts and trains our young musicians to balance the demands and pressures with practices that help them to thrive personally and professionally.
**Join Me**
With all our tech and ways to connect, many of us are haunted by a pervasive feelings of disconnection and stress. Together, with Mindfulness, we can journey inward on a path to find relief, greater fulfillment, presence and connection. My mission is to engage and inspire you to learn and practice Mindfulness skills to apply to YOUR happiness goals for long term wellbeing.
