By Sasha Benz
“I just don’t have the time,” was always my first reaction when people told me I needed to meditate. Equally, I felt like it was a personal attack on my lifestyle and work obsession. It wasn’t just about not having time, it was the fact that meditating had become a trend, something people preached, and that bothered me, irritated me for some reason. I don’t know why I had such a closed mind to it, but I did, and I just didn’t have the energy to change my own mind.
The past two months, my life has been crazier than normal. I have been traveling a lot, working abnormal hour days, editing and styling and growing the site, which was all so positive, but I was neglecting a lot of areas of my life, to handle the work load. I can easily testify that the past two months have been the busiest time of my life. So, when it seemed like I had no time for myself, away from work, that was exactly when Matt, from Bondi Meditation, appeared. I can’t decide if the timing was everything but I just knew it was time and I finally let my guard down. I signed up to a meditation course.
Six hours, across four days. I had to make the time (even if it meant less sleep than usual that week).
I could sit here and write for hours about the experience with Matt and how I think he has changed my life in so many ways, but it is not something I want to preach or explain to you in words, it is something you need to experience.
For someone like me, who is a workaholic, but also knows how to party just as hard, Matt is relatable and honest. He makes everything relevant to your situation and is realistic about just about everything. He made everything make sense, and I walked away each day feeling a little bit wiser, happier and yes, believe it or not, more relaxed. Nothing felt as serious or pressured anymore. It was about enjoying ‘the now’.
“If the president can find time to do it, so can you.” – I don’t know why, but this line resonated with me more than ever; it seemed to put everything in perspective for me.
It’s been a week since I started the course, and I can’t believe I’ve waited so long to do something as good as this for myself, my mind and my future.
If you don’t believe me, just read a little more from Matt below, and hopefully it’ll lead you in the right direction…
At Bondi Meditation we teach a technique called Vedic Meditation. It’s incredibly easy to learn and you feel the benefits straight away. People commonly report feeling calmer, happier and less reactive as early as Day 2 of the course.The technique involves the use of a mantra, or sound vibration. Each person has a specific mantra which is suitable for them and part of the teacher’s job is to choose the right mantra for each person. The student knows it’s the right mantra for them because the first time they close their eyes and repeat it mentally, their mind starts to become quieter and their body goes into a deep state of relaxation.
The course runs over four days for an hour and a half each day – so a total commitment of 6 hours. During that time, we teach a student to become fully self sufficient in their meditation practice. By Day 4 they will be able meditate without any assistance from their teacher, or anyone else. They take a great skill away with them, which they will have for life.
I know it’s a cliché, and rather convenient for me as a meditation teacher : ) but everyone can benefit from meditating. You could go further and say that everyone needs to meditate. Without meditation, or a practice like it, the stress just keeps building up in our bodies – it literally, physically builds up – and we have no way of releasing it. As soon as we start to let these stresses go, through meditation, we feel a lightness, an opening and start to feel more like our real selves again, rather than just an expression of the stresses we’ve accumulated. It turns out our real selves are lovely!
Meditation is for everyone. Everyone can learn, and anyone can do it.
For models in particular, they arguably have to endure more stress than the average person. There’s the constant pressure to appear a certain way physically, the scrutiny and rejection that comes as part of the job, the instability and uncertainty of where the next gig is coming from, the long hours of work and travel, the list goes on. Meditation can really help to process this stress out and help you to remain calm and adaptable to situations as they arise. In such a materially obsessed industry, it also gives models the chance to dive deeply inside, beyond surface appearances, and nurture their spirit. This can give you a much needed perspective and help keep you grounded, in potentially very challenging situations. Not to mention the fact that a famous study scientifically proved that Vedic Meditation causes ‘reverse-ageing’!
In the study, Vedic meditators were found to biologically reverse age by 8 years in their first 5 years of meditation. They were 3 years younger at the end of the 5 year study than they were at the start!
Have a look at Matt’s website and sign up for a free intro talk at www.bondimeditation.com.au.
Alternatively, you can email Matt directly at matt@bondimeditation.com.au.
