Imagine you read about a pill that if taken once a day would enhance
your self-fulfilment, reduce anxiety and increase your contentment.
Would you take it?
Imagine that this pill had further positive side effects such as:
Increased self-esteem, empathy, trust and improved memory
Imagine, finally, that this pill is natural and costs you nothing.
Would you take it?
This pill exists. It is called ’meditation’.
In the “Psychology & Spirituality”
course I teach about the background, benefits and general theory of meditation.
In the “Meditation & Self-Growth” course we experience and practice
meditation. It is beneficial to complete the “Psychology & Spirituality”
course before the “Meditation & Self Growth”. I will teach about a new
meditation technique each week which we will then experience in class. You will
be asked to practice the technique at home during the week for about 15 minutes
a day.
Meditation can have a far-reaching impact on
your life. It facilitates a deeper feeling of peace and calm while at the same
time allowing you to engage with yourself at deeper levels. It is an important
tool in our journey of self-discovery and therefore invites us to grow. Following
the practice in class we will discuss our experiences with meditation and allow
time to contemplate and ask questions. This is an experiential group that will allow
you not only to experience meditation but also to discuss and understand
whatever it brings into your life.
Meditation techniques we will practice include:
Zazen Mindfulness
Meditation –Zazen literally means ‘seated meditation’ andisfrequently practiced in Buddhist monasteries. In this session we will
practice Zazen Mindfulness Meditation where we invite our consciousness to
become aware of everything whilst not reacting to anything. This is an art you
will develop during this course.
Walking meditation – Walking
meditation is a form of meditation that has been performed by Buddhist
practitioners for thousands of years. It is an alternative to sitting
meditation and allows you to practise mindfulness (the art of being in the
present moment) in a more dynamic way. In doing so, walking meditation allows
you to more readily bring this state into your every-day life. We will
experiment with the walking meditation in class and apply it during the week.
Talking Meditation – Have you experienced occasions when you are talking
to someone but your mind is busy elsewhere? You might be nodding your head as
if you are listening but you already have an answer and aren’t really paying
attention. Are we even capable of truly focusing our attention on communication
with someone else without our minds wandering? In this session we will examine
our ability to remain present as we communicate and the impact this has on our
relationship with ourselves and with others.
Mantra meditation –
Mantra is a Hindu word which is translated as a sacred
verbal phrase/word/sound repeated in prayer or meditation. We will choose
a mantra in class and practice meditating on that mantra whilst examining
the influence it might have on our levels of relaxation.
Breathing Meditation – The most popular meditation technique. We will
experience a variety of breathing meditations in class (with/without music;
eyes open/closed) and apply the meditation as we engage with different
activities during the week.
Chakra meditation – “Chakras” is a
Sanskrit word that means ‘vortexes of energy’. There are seven of these energy
areas in our body and they control different aspects of our physical and
spiritual lives. During this meditation we will focus our awareness on our
Chakras as we explore the sensations we might have. It doesn’t really matter
whether you believe in Chakras or not – the importance of the mediation is to
make you more aware of the subtle sensations in your body.
Eating Meditation – As we eat, our mind is frequently elsewhere. What
would happen if you became present as you eat? How would it influence your
relationship with food and your body? We
will practice eating with awareness in class and examine its consequences.
Course objectives:
The most important aims of this course are to
allow you to engage with a variety of meditation techniques, to experience
meditation and to see how it feels. In addition, the course will allow you to
observe the impact meditation has on your life. The meditation techniques I
have chosen are not only accessible, but are easy to implement between sessions
during the week. This is important as the impact is not based on a couple of
hours per week during class but also on the continuous experience of meditation
everyday during the course. Such regular work creates true change in your life.
Another objective is to create higher
levels of presence – being able to bring your awareness to the “Here &
Now”. Meditation invites us to become more present in our everyday lives. This
course will teach you a variety of meditation techniques which will allow that presence
to penetrate whatever it is you do during the day. It will create a shift from
a mind that is constantly busy and scattered into experiencing a mind that is
focused and connected to the moment.
Another important aim of this course is to
break attachments and patterns. We frequently react, automatically, to certain
things in certain ways and might not even be aware that we do this. As a result
of becoming more present, meditation would allow you to expand your awareness
of those patterns and make a conscious choice: “Is this reaction a healthy one?
Is it right for me?” Imagine that, as the button is being pressed you have a
short pause where you can ask these questions. This pause is the result of meditation
practice. Such awareness and choices are fundamental to your experience of
freedom. Breaking automatic reactions and making a conscious choice is the
essence of freedom and self-growth.
Meditation & Self-Growth - Course details and
registration
Dates: 18th September - 23rd October / 2012
Day & Time: Tuesday 18:00 - 20:00
Number of classes: 6
Venue:
UCL (University
College London)
Department of
Psychology
26 Bedford Way
London WC1H 0AP
3rd floor, room 305
Nearest Underground
stations:
Russell Square (Piccadilly line)
Goodge Street (Northern Line)
Euston Square (Hammersmith & City, Circle and Metropolitan Lines)
Tottenham Court Road (Northern and Central line)
For a map - click on
the picture below:
Course Fee: £70
Special Fee (If you enroll for more than one course at the same time): £55 per course
Concession Fee: £45 (Students, Unemployed, Low
income) Special Concession Fee (If you enroll for more than one course at the same): £35per course (Students, Unemployed, Low
income)
If a financial problem prevents you from
joining the course please Contact Itai
Payment options:
1. PayPal - PayPal is free, It only takes a few minutes,
and is the safest and most secure service on the internet.
You can pay with any major credit/debit card or with your PayPal
account.
2. Cheque - Please make your cheque payable to
“Itai Ivtzan” and send it to this address: CLICK HERE
In addition, please complete this form below
(click on the picture). Please complete the form and send the cheque at the same time:
3. To arrange any other
form of payment please Contact Itai.
Cancellation
Policy - Terms and conditions:
If you cannot attend the course you have booked, no refund is
possible - but you can choose an alternative course.
Meditation & Self-Growth course
