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I really, truly appreciate my life. I get to do work I love. I appreciate that more and more people are seeking to learn meditation and to live more mindfully. I appreciate all the heart-centered and sincere students, staff, friends, family, teachers, and others in my life dedicated to creating peace in this world.
I also appreciate the opportunity to participate in a retreat this weekend at the Earthfire Institute, a wildlife sanctuary in Driggs, Idaho. It's our first (hopefully annual) Conservation Conversation retreat. Powerful and thoughtful leaders will gather for a few days to reflect on what might be required to create a social shift: a shift in the way each one of us lives on and appreciates this planet.
We'll also explore how humans can create a more harmonious relationship with the natural world. Sounds like a tall order, but I like to be open to all possibilities, and I'm not alone.
As many of my friends know, I am passionate about giving voice to those who have none: whether it be humans who are underrepresented, ecosystems that are threatened, dwindling wildlands, or endangered or exploited animals.
I believe that when people live with more awareness (often cultivated through meditation and mindfullness), they wake up to the wonder and beauty of this earth, and they begin to live lives that reflect that.
Among those joining me and Susan Eirich, the director of the Earthfire Institute, is one of my teachers from the Zen Center where I lived. Sensei Seisen Saunders will introduce the attendees to a way of facing and addressing difficult issues, a way of socially engaged spirituality. It includes the three tenets of being a peacemaker:
1. Not knowing (giving up fixed ideas about ourselves and the universe);
2. Bearing Witness (to the joy and suffering of the world);
3. Taking Loving Action (that arises from these two).
I will let you know what we discover. Hey, you never know what is going to happen next!
Check out the events listed below and visit
my website to learn more about upcoming classes, retreats, and programs that can transform your life. 
Let's meditate together soon!
Sarah
Director, McLean Meditation Institute
411 SR 179, #8
Sedona, Arizona 86336
USA
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Let Go of Expectations
You may have accumulated ideas of what is supposed to be going on during meditation such as how you should feel or what you should experience. We've seen the photos on magazine covers or in the news, some have heard the stories, but having expectations in medidtation can only hinder your experience. First-timers often have no expectations about meditation and that's why I love to teach them. They sit with me for 20 minutes and then come out of meditation to report they feel good and it was easy. I attribute this to "beginner's mind," an attitude you can develop.
During meditation, you'll have all kinds of experiences - some you'll like better than others, and some you'll want to repeat in your next meditation. However, you have to let go of expectations or wanting your meditation to go a certain way. Instead, it's important to treat each meditation as innocently as the first time you learned to do it, and expect nothing. The body and mind are intelligent and will do what they need to do to eliminate stress and to create a nourishing effect.
I'm often asked, "How will I know I'm doing it right?" My answer is that when you approach meditation without expectations or preconceived ideas, without trying too hard or controlling your experience, and you meditate with a sense of ease, welcoming whatever experiences arise, then you are doing it right. Ultimately, most people realize they are doing it right because they've noticed changes in their lives: they're happier, more relaxed, less stressed, more creative, more perceptive, and more appreciative of life.
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Sarah McLean Leads a Discussion on Waking Up
Followed by a Guided Meditation
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 Walking Without Labels
This walking practice can be done anytime, anywhere and creates a new way of experiencing the world. As you walk, let whatever you see, smell, taste, touch and hear, meet your awareness, without attempting to label or identify your surroundings.
Here's how:
* You can do this exercise with your eyes open all the way or with capped eyes, gazing softly toward the ground about 3-4 feet in front of you, focusing on nothing in particular.
* Begin by standing where you are, giving attention to your breath and your body for a moment. Relax while feeling the support of your body and the earth.
* You can do this walking practice as you walk slowly or at a normal pace. However you move, keep your attention on the moment at hand.
* As you walk, connect with the essence of whatever you encounter: listen, look, touch, and smell (taste, too, if that's appropriate) as if you were experiencing it for the first time.
* Explore what you experience with curiosity and openness.
* Resist the urge to label anything that meets your eyes or ears, whether it's a bird, tree, car, or cloud. Avoid categorizing or preferring one thing over another. If you notice yourself doing so, return to your beginner's mind, simply sensing the object of your experience and the qualities of it. Notice its shape, edges, light, reflections, shadow, colors, movement, density, sound, texture, space around it, etc.
* Whenever you notice your attention drifting away to a thought of the future or the past or some other place, come back to the present moment by becoming aware of your body and breath. Then return to the exercise.
* Continue to walk this way for 5-10 minutes.
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Ask Sarah
Hi Sarah,
I recently read a book called Silence by Thich Nhat Hanh. He says phrases/verses during all types of meditations. It makes me think he is saying a prayer because of how long they are. Is he trying to change the way people think by encouraging them to say a phrase or verses over and over again? ~ Tracy A.
Dear Tracy,
There are as many ways to meditate as there are ways to make music! When you describe the mediation that Thich Nhat Hanh uses, it could be a contemplative practice. There are certainly contemplative practices that involve repeating a verse, prayer, or poem.
Saying any phrase out loud or silently or over and over again settles down the nervous system. It can also create new neural pathways. IT's also found that when you repeat a sound or mantra in a formal meditation practice, this can train the brain to be able to focus more easily on one thing at a time, by simply repeating a number, a phrase, a mantra, or an affirmation.
The word mantra has two parts: man, which is the root of the Sanskrit word for mind; and tra, which is the root of the word "instrument." A mantra, therefore, is an instrument of the mind.
Repetition of any mantra can help you disconnect from the ongoing thought activity, and this settles the mind. Then you can experience the silence that underlies each thought.
Mantras can be used in many ways.... they can be used silently in meditation, where you focus on the sound of the sound. They can be listened to, as in a chant (listen to some of Deva Premal's mantra music or Snatnam Kaur's music) or you can chant them out loud yourself. The use of mantras has many applications. Each mantra induces specific vibrations in the mind, which is why people use different mantras depending upon their intentions. I believe that Thich Nhat Hanh's mantras are based on an intention for people to have a more peaceful life!
New to meditation or looking for tips to enhance your meditation practice? Send your question 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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Events with Sarah McLean
Discover the keys to Satori, discovering your true nature. Find a Sanctuary Spa & Resort - Satori Retreat with Sarah McLeanmore peaceful, centered and fulfilling life as you are pampered with signature massages, delicious meals, wondrous accommodations, and guided into deep meditation for insight, rejuvenation, and inspiration. Experience the yoga of breath, meditation in motion, and mindfulness practices. Look at the itinerary and discover what is included in the Satori Retreat at the award-winning Sanctuary Spa & Resort on Camelback Mountain here. Or call 480-624-8513.
October 25, November 7 & December 31
Learn how to practice mindfulness and how to meditate in a half-day class with Sarah McLean at the McLean Meditation Institute or Agave Center in Sedona. $225 per person. Bring a friend and save 10% each!
If you can't make it to Sedona, find a certified meditation teacher near you!
October 30-November 1, Sedona, AZ
offers a weekend of personal empowerment and transformation. Workshops and presentations are offered by a myriad of dynamic speakers including KC Baker, Sarah McLean, Martha Mertz, Ruth Hartung, Zeffi Kefala, and many others. Topics range from health and beauty, to peace and happiness. $245. Find out more here.
 November 6-14Become a professional meditation and mindfulness teacher. Learn to teach mindfulness and meditation techniques including the Simple, Easy, Every Day Meditation method at the Meditation Teacher Academy. It's a comprehensive 200-hour teacher training program which begins with a 150-hour self-paced, distance learning and personal practice course. That is followed by an intimate 8-day Meditation Teacher Intensive, a teaching practicum and meditation immersion in Sedona, Arizona. Call (928)204-0067 to learn more. Admissions are rolling, so you can start right away!
 December 4-6
For many, writing is a spiritual practice which leads to a profound experience of timelessness. A single moment of inspiration can become an eternity. The same is true of meditation. For those who practice meditation, life can be transformed physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Best-selling Hay House author and meditation teacher Sarah McLean leads participants in provocative mindfulness practices, deep meditations, and expansive writing exercises to express their creative soul. Call (928)204-0067 to register or learn more.
 December 10-13
Join Deepak Chopra, Lynne Twist, Martin Birrittella, Sarah McLean & so many other great speakers! Explore tangible, practical tools for health and wellbeing, relationships, success, and personal growth to live your life at the next level. Call Gabrielle, Chopra Center Program Consultant, at (760)494-1639 to get your best price.
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The McLean Meditation Institute Teacher Academy offers a 200 hour-training in the theory, science, practice and teaching of meditation and mindfulness. The training 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 November of 2015 and January, April, July, and November in 2016. The program is led by world-class experts in meditation, mindfulness, yoga, brain science, and more. Admissions are rolling, so apply anytime to get started right away and get ready for an upcoming Intensive!
I had high expectations when I signed up. The actual course exceeded my expectations. It was intense, thorough, and more than accommodating. The materials are designed to completely cover my needs, a turnkey. The bonus was the personality of Sarah, her staff, her volunteers, and the other attendees. Overall, it was a wonderful experience. I would highly recommend it whether one wants to teach or one wants to delve deeper into one's own search.
~ Mary Jaqueline Notter
Life-transforming. Well worth the time, energy and cost.
~ Rick Powers
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 Meditate: Guided Meditations with Sarah McLean
This inspiring CD includes:
- Why Meditate?
- Keys to a Successful Meditation
- Introduction to a Simple Mantra Meditation
- Guided Meditation using a Mantra
- Transformational Healing Meditation
- Guided Gratitude Meditation
- Crystal Bowl Healing Sounds
With her soothing voice, Sarah McLean guides listeners through meditations set to sacred healing sounds. Some say this CD is "the most essential tool a meditator can have." Order it here.
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