In this 3-hour experiential workshop we will focus on bringing our attention into the present moment, accessing the healing intelligence of our body and experiencing awareness that is beyond our thinking mind. The participants will be guided through a mixture of sitting and movement-based (body-based) meditation techniques and there will be multiple opportunities to ask questions that come up during the practice. This workshop is not religious and is not centered around any specific tradition or guru.
The workshop is open to both complete beginners and experienced meditators. For complete beginners this workshop offers an opportunity to have their first meditation experience and to begin exploring the spiritual dimension of their life. For experienced meditators this workshop offers an opportunity to explore a different modality of meditation techniques and to use the focused group environment to go deeper. The exact contents of the workshop will be tailored to the needs of the participants.
The workshop is offered by Valera Koltsov, a certified Tai Chi instructor with 10 years of teaching experience, in his home studio in Laingholm on a non-commercial basis. Koha is optional ($15 suggested).
Time: 2:30pm – 5:30pm on Saturday 28th of March 2015.
Registration: Register using the form below. Limited to 12 participants.
Current Bookings: All 12 places are booked. Registrations will now go on the waiting list (to be notified if one of the participants cancels).
Location: 11 Laingholm Drive, Laingholm (close to Titirangi), West Auckland.
Getting There: 40 min car drive from the city. Or use the 171 bus:
1:40pm – New Lynn Interchange, 1:50pm – Titirangi Shops, 2:00pm – Laingholm Drive.
6:00pm – Laingholm Drive, 6.26pm – Titirangi Shops, 6.36pm – New Lynn Interchange.
Workshop Requirements
- This workshop is not suitable for people who have a mental illness or take psychiatric medication.
- Wear clothing that is comfortable for movement. Wear socks.
- Do not use any essential oils or scented products – perfume, cologne, deodorant, aftershave, hair products – on the day of the workshop to ensure that we have fragrance-free air in the room. This is important for breathing techniques.
- Do not smoke, drink alcohol or take any drugs on the day of the workshop.
- No cell phones or electronic devices in the building.
Food recommendation: start the day with a good breakfast and have a filling lunch before the workshop, to see you through until dinner. Optional suggestion: making your lunch vegan can strengthen your receptivity in meditation practice (ex: a base of rice, pasta or potatoes with cooked vegetables, beans or lentils).
All you need to bring is yourself. There will be filtered rain water to drink during the workshop, and a cup of tea afterwards for those who want to stay and chat. Taking written notes during the workshop will be impractical – focus on the experience and write after the workshop if you want to record some ideas.
Update:
Thanks everyone, it was a great day.
I hope to get confirmation of my registration soon.
Hi Margaret, I will be going through the registrations tomorrow – will e-mail you then.
Thanks Valera – Totally enjoyed the workshop. Your place is beautiful, you created a comfortable environment (both physically and mentally) with just the right balance to experience and get a better understanding of what mediation is (which was my purpose for attending this workshop). So, thank you – you are very good at what you do!
‘a better understanding of what mediation is’
….meditation probably.
Congratulations Valera!
E-Mail Newsletter:
Greetings,
The first workshop at Laingholm 11 was fully booked and went very well. I felt that everyone was able to “go in” which was confirmed by the participants’ description of their experiences. Participants described what it was like to be fully present in the moment, to listen to the sounds without having mental commentary, to tune into and follow the guidance of their body, and to observe the thoughts as they arise and drop away. The purpose of the workshop – to experience what it is like to go beyond the rational mind – was realized.
Thank you to those who sent feedback and testimonials (those are still welcome if anyone else wishes to contribute). There is a testimonial on the workshop page and it was interesting to see that out of three feedbacks I’ve received one person found the workshop a bit on the long side, one just right, and one said that it was over too quickly. I guess 3 hours length may have hit the balance for “one size fits all”, if there is such a thing. I will look at offering longer workshops in the future, but for now I’ve decided to offer another workshop in 3-hour format.
The next workshop will be about being in the present moment. We will focus on bringing our attention into the present moment and learning to just “be” – without having to do, fix or change anything. The participants will be guided through a series of meditation techniques that help to overcome the mind’s constant need to solve problems, worry, dream and be entertained, uncovering the state of conscious presence underneath. As with the first workshop, my aim is to go beyond theory and create conditions where everyone has a real experience. I believe that information is in abundant supply in today’s world, while experiences and practical realizations are what really moves us along the path of personal and spiritual discovery.
The Being in the Present Moment workshop will be held at a similar time of 2:30 – 5:30 PM on Saturday the 2nd of May. This timing coincides with the bus services to and from New Lynn and Titirangi. The registrations are now open and I suggest not leaving it until the last week in case this workshop gets booked up like the last one.
Feel free to contact me if any questions have come up after the workshop, or if you have any interesting experiences that come out of what you’ve learned. I’m always interested to hear about the effects of what we do here.
The next Tai Chi Open Class is at 7PM on the 6th of May. Our Tai Chi classes are a great way to practice meditation with a group once per week and to learn a form of exercise that is very beneficial for both the body and the mind.
Have a good month!
Valera.
Thanks Valera
I appreciate the very clear and clean space you facilitate, to experience within.
I highly recommend your workshops and teaching.
Sean
Thanks for a great meditation, as always Valera. I appreciate the simplicity and clarity with which you guide the process, and how you manage with such ease to provide an entry point for beginning practice, as well as an opportunity for deepening practice. And thank you for noticing what participants requested and somehow managing to meet the different needs. I experience your meditations in a very embodied way – leaving me grounded, more awake, and ‘closer’ to myself. Love the hand pan too!