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I appreciate you and your willingness to create peace in your life. Those of us who meditate and teach meditation are truly sowing seeds of peace.
The reason I teach meditation is this: I want peace on earth. Some days it seems totally impossible so I look for inspiration and clues that it can happen. Here's inspiration from Lao Tsu, a Chinese philosopher and founder of Taoism, and author of the Tao Te Ching.
If there is to be peace in the world,
There must be peace in the nations.
If there is to be peace in the nations,
There must be peace in the cities.
If there is to be peace in the cities,
There must be peace between neighbors.
If there is to be peace between neighbors,
There must be peace in the home.
If there is to be peace in the home,
There must be peace in the heart.
No matter what you are celebrating this season, I hope you find peace in your heart. To get going, you can download and listen to these meditations,
Visit my website to learn more about the powerful programs coming up to celebrate the new year and through the upcoming year.
I wish you peace... this holiday season and always. Let's meditate together soon!
Sarah
Director, McLean Meditation Institute
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Peace During the Holidays: Stress-free Living Through Meditation
The holidays are here again! Are you still in that state of gratitude from Thanksgiving? Or are you feeling more overwhelmed than grateful as you try to create the perfect holiday season? Are you making unrealistic demands on yourself or on others? Are some unhealthy habits kicking in? Maybe it's due to stress.
Stress is a fact of life, and for some, the daily norm. Although occasional stress can help improve your focus and performance, the accumulation of the stress of the holidays can cause anxiety, depression and health issues. It can also lead to not treating yourself very well. Now is a good time to make the choice to take care of yourself and give inner peace a little extra attention. Here are some of my favorite ways to reduce stress during the holiday season:
With your attention on the here and now, accept the moment as it is. Your life is experienced in THIS moment. No other. When you notice you are focused on the future or the past, you can refocus your attention to the moment at hand. Fully experience the peace, merriment, and love that abounds from friends and family as the gifts, connections, and wishes for a wonderful holiday season arrive. Enjoy your meals and enjoy the company of others. With your attention in the present moment, you can experience life as it is rather than your idea of what should be. For example, if your family dynamic or relationships have changed, instead of resisting the change or wishing things were different, practice embracing what really is happening, and how you celebrate the holidays now. Perhaps a new tradition will be born.
Find your inner peace. Some people find peace through prayer, some through meditation. I do both. Both prayer and meditation are proven to create better health and well being. Most people know how to pray, but meditation can be confusing for those who weren't brought up with it. I can tell you meditation is easy to learn and do, and is often thought of as the perfect antidote for stress. Meditation trains your awareness to be in the present moment, helps you to be more aware of what you are putting your attention on, can help reduce anxiety and depression, and allows a new perspective and more spaciousness in your day. Find out more about meditation here. Read more.
Read more about stress-free living through meditation in my book:
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Interview with Lilou Mace, on Meditation & a Beginner's Mind
 | Meditating with a Beginner's Mind
Interview with Sarah McLean |
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Ask Sarah
Could you please elaborate more on "Don't try too hard" - one of the five essentials for the meditation? When I focus on my breath during meditation, I seem to direct my breathing in and out consciously. Does that mean I am overly concentrating? ~ KT
Thanks for the question KT. Yes, you might be trying too hard. Many people do practice different types of breathing that they've learned in yoga. And though there are some meditation practices that involved focusing on the breath, they don't often include adjusting or changing your breath. Instead, most meditation techniques ask you to allow your breath to be natural, and have you pay attention to what is actually happening, and what you are feeling, instead of trying to make it into a certain rhythm or depth.
I once taught meditation to a heart surgeon and his wife on New Year's Day (he had called and set up an appointment at 9 a.m., wanting to start the year off right.) After they learned to meditate he asked me how he could "get good at it." I asked him how he got to be "good" at surgery. Practice, right? Well, it's the same with meditation.
At first, you may try to do it "right." You can't try to do anything without the mind getting involved, so you'll soon find that trying, forcing, or concentrating creates more thoughts and bad habits.
As with any natural experience, too much effort can ruin the process. For example, trying to go to sleep, even if you're tired, can make you miserable. Trying to come up with a new idea and force your way through a creative block is the same-it rarely works. Trying to meditate is similar, because meditation is a natural experience and a relatively effortless pursuit. When you monitor your experience to get it "right" you can actually inhibit the natural settling down of the body.
You don't get good at meditation by trying hard to do it. Instead of expending mental effort or attempting to have a certain experience, such as a quiet mind, you'll discover that your attention your mind and body will naturally settle down when you meditate. All that is required is ease and effortlessness, and the effort to set aside the time and space for your regular practice. You'll learn to use a gentle easy focus and refocus your attention on it again and again.
Some of us are in the habit of having to be doing something in order to feel satisfied, and that includes "doing" meditation, or trying hard at it. You'll find that meditation is actually in the realm of "being" as you learn to be gentle with yourself and allow the natural experience to occur. Read about the Five Essentials of Meditation here.
New to meditation or looking for tips to enhance your meditation practice? Send your questions to Sarah@McLeanMeditation.com. Put "Ask Sarah" in the subject line. I'll answer you privately and perhaps feature it in an upcoming issue.
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December 31-January 1
Bring in the new year with deep meditations and inspiring meditation music at a powerful and nourishing meditation retreat. With Sarah McLean and musician Ani Williams.
January 4-7
Satori Spa Retreat at the Sanctuary Spa & Resort, in Paradise Valley, AZ
Find a more peaceful, centered and fulfilling life as you are pampered with signature massages, delicious meals, wondrous accommodations, and guided by Sarah McLean into self-awareness practices and deep meditation for insight, rejuvenation, and inspiration. Also offered in October 2015.
February 5-8
Sedona Yoga Festival in Sedona, AZ
Deepen your practice and tap into ancient wisdom with three days of yoga, music, and energy work in Sedona. Meditate with Sarah McLean. Held at various Sedona locations.
Think Spring!
May 28-31
Join Deepak Chopra, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sarah McLean & Joan Borysenko for a weekend retreat for women who seek to create their best lives. Want to know more, and get the best price? Call Gabrielle Forleo, your program consultant, and tell her Sarah sent you! 760.494.1639.
Visit www.McLeanMeditation.com for more events!
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Become a Meditation Teacher
The McLean Meditation Institute Teacher Academy offers a 200 hour-training in the theory, science, and practice of meditation. It begins with a self-paced foundational course followed by an 8-day intimate intensive and teaching practicum in the red rocks of Sedona, Arizona. Upcoming Intensives are April, July, September, and November of 2015, with future dates in Australia and Europe. The program is led by world-class experts in meditation, mindfulness, yoga, and earth wisdom. Admissions are rolling, so apply anytime to get started right away so you can be ready for the Intensive.
Learn More about the Meditation Teacher Academy
 | Karissa from Vancouver, B.C. is a McLean Meditation Institute
Certified Meditation Teacher |
This entire course is top-notch in every way. I was consistently pleasantly surprised by the quality (due to my experience with other courses). The comprehensiveness is amazing, and Sarah's passion to teach a solid course (not just make money) is evident every step of the way. Everything was phenomenal. James Henson, McLean Certified Meditation Teacher, Lubbock TX
The pace of the course was perfect, and it was the best of the best of its kind. I am feeling so blessed to have found the program and to have completed it. What a gift to my mind, body and spirit! Angie Hissong, McLean Certified Meditation Teacher, Greencastle PA
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411 State Route 179 #8, Sedona, Arizona 86336
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Check out this great program coming to Sedona!
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