Yoga teachers can learn from tapping into the meditation trends that are emerging in London and beyond, particularly if you’re seeking inspiration for your own classes or planning a workshop or special event.
I talked about how meditation is no longer being seen as a distant, esoteric practice largely reserved for monks living in the Himalayas in my last blog, but rather is being steadily embraced in the mainstream. It’s really exciting to see the rise of group meditation and events emerging across London as not just a way of relieving stress and tapping into higher states of consciousness but also as a way of socialising and connecting with others.
I feel that it’s something that yoga teachers can really learn from, whether it’s on the scale of incorporating a more meditative aspect into your classes, or planning a special event in collaboration with a meditation teacher – there’s plenty of opportunities to expand your own practice and benefit your students.
See Also: Introducing The 5 Brain States Of Meditation, According To Science
Mindfulness in the Limelight
And it’s not just through special events — meditation and yoga are also becoming part of our everyday working lives. As a recent New York Times article says
“…mindfulness, it seems has become a mainstream business practice and a kind of industry in its own right. Meditation instructors are the new management gurus and companies like Google […] are sending their employees to classes that can run up to $50,000 for a large audience.”
It’s good news for yoga teachers as more companies are seeking in-house yoga teachers as well as meditation programmes to help their staff relax and enjoy greater wellbeing. How wonderful is it that after decades of a largely ‘work until you drop’ culture in London it’s now becoming the norm for companies to place the wellbeing of their employees much higher up their agenda!
More and more leaders are recognising that sitting at a desk for eight hours a day is not going to get the best out of staff, rather a more health-focused approach is in fact going to drive higher productivity and loyalty to the company. It’s really interesting to see how the developed, work-focussed Western world is catching up to the ancient Eastern traditions that have helped so many people access their true inner potential for centuries.
Meditation in London
If you’re interested in checking out some of these events for yourself in London, here are my recommendations:
- Carly Grace is a Reiki master and runs beautiful sound and energy meditation sessions. Expect to be bathed in loving energies as you enter a deep space of relaxation and healing as your body lets go of tension, emotional blockages and worries from Carly’s guided meditation and the sounds of the crystal bowls! The intention of the sessions is ‘to provide a sanctuary, a space for you to deeply relax, receive and re-set.’ I have been to many of Carly’s sessions and have always left floating on air!
- Veronica Amarelle is a life coach, reflexologist and Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) practitioner who runs fortnightly group meditation sessions in London. As Veronica says, “you’ll learn how to use different techniques to support yourself in our busy thriving world, understanding how to use the power of your mind, imagination and intention to support you through all of your endeavours just by learning to play with it.”
- Anna Hunt is a former journalist turned shaman who uses ancient shamanic guided meditation and sound techniques to run workshops and energetic detox sessions to swiftly release emotional tensions including crystal work for a ‘profound mental, physical and emotional detox to leave you feeling grounded, energised, clear and with a deep sense of wellbeing.
A Global Movement
London would do well to follow in New York’s footsteps in bringing meditation to the masses — a meditation studio dedicated to multiple styles has recently opened up in Manhattan called MNDFL. The studio has been set up by its founders Lodro Rinzler and Ellie Burrows in the hope ‘to generate a new wave of interest in the ancient spiritual technique.’ Studio guests can ‘book a cushion’ online for a 30 or 45 minute session led by one of 23 experts, whose meditation specialisms range from Vedic to Kundalini to mindfulness.
The appetite for incorporating practices such as meditation and yoga is clearly huge as more and more people are opening up their hearts and minds to living a more peaceful, conscious life. Whilst living in such a bustling city as London can be wonderfully full of opportunities to experience new things, it can also be isolating and stressful. That’s why it’s so great to see that so many Londoners are coming together to embrace new ways of being — seeking connection and healing through the ancient modalities of yoga and meditation.
I believe that yoga teachers can learn a lot from diving into the emerging trends of meditation — from learning new techniques both for personal benefit and for their students, to being inspired by the way a meditation event is run or meeting new people to collaborate with.
