Meditation is not the most traditional of Yorkshire past-times, but here at God’s Own County, we are receptive to new ideas and if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing well. So we have been looking into what meditation is, and how you can go about getting started.
Meditation is the art of silencing the mind and going beyond the frustrations of our thoughts. It’s like looking down at some litter on the footpath – usually this would make us frustrated. But – rather than get caught annoyed at the bad we can see down below – we can look up and see the vast beautiful landscape beyond. As soon as we look up, we change our perspective on life.
If we avoid getting caught up in the minor dramas and small frustrations of life – if we can silence the mind, then we can experience a much greater sense of peace and well-being – and it is this inner peace which is meditation.
Meditation reminds us we always have a choice – whether we want to pursue an internal dialogue with ourself – which doesn’t get anywhere – or whether we want to become concentrated on something beautiful, uplifting and fulfilling.
We could be walking in nature and perhaps unconsciously be meditating or at least clearing the mind. But, when we sit down to meditate, we make that conscious effort to dive deep within and discover a part of our being we are rarely in touch with.
If you look at a reservoir on a windy day, you just see the waves on the surface. But, when the wind dies down you can see below (trusting the water is fairly pure!) But, the point is – when everything is rough and windy, we can’t see below the surface. It is the same with our mind when we silence our constant chatter and thoughts we can become aware of a deeper part of ourself. We learn to be at peace with ourself.
Sri Chinmoy, says of meditation
“We meditate for various reasons. Peace of mind we all badly need. Therefore, when we meditate, either consciously or unconsciously we aim at peace of mind. Meditation give us peace of mind without a tranquilliser. And unlike a tranquilliser, the peace of mind that we get from meditation does not fade away. It lasts for good in some corner of the inmost recesses of our aspiring heart.”
– Sri Chinmoy
Meditation classes in Yorkshire
There are quite a few different meditation groups in Yorkshire, and each will have their own way of approaching the subject and reality. With meditation, there is no competition, we all are aiming at the same goal – even if we will arrive there in different directions. We can choose which path suits us best.
This summer, Tejvan, an occasional writer for God’s Own County, will be giving meditation classes in Leeds and York as part of the Sri Chinmoy Centre’s programme of free meditation classes.
Sri Chinmoy was born in India in 1931 and moved to the West, (New York) in 1964. He passed away in 2007. He visited both Leeds and York in the 1970s, giving lectures at the respective universities.
More details on the upcoming classes are available at
If you fancy learning more about meditation, do come along and we’ll let you know when our next classes start.