Meditation

'To meditate' is defined as the practise of focusing ones mind for a period of time for spiritual purposes or as a method of relaxation (Oxford English dictionary). Our Lake Isle Retreats Meditation class is designed to satisfy  these two motivations. 

​As long ago as 1500 years before the present, early monks in Ireland established monasteries and silent retreats on several islands of Lough Erne. The feeling of meditation and calmness permeates the lakeland atmosphere, and we especially recommend you arise early and to experience this for yourself, even if the retreat you attend only begins at 8:30am. 
What is a Class like?
  • The facilitator sings some slow deep mantra chants using the beautiful harmonium instrument. Everyone relaxes and centres themselves. We pause in silence. 

  • Seated on chairs, everyone takes part in a silent meditation, attempting to expand his or her own consciousness through deep hearing. We focus on being mindful in the moment and listening to the sounds of the world, without our attention wandering - without day-dreaming. Simply hearing. Simultaneous to this, we silently repeat two simple mantras, representing the Divine masculine and the Divine feminine. The mantras help the mind to have a specific focus.

  • After our meditation, we discuss our experiences. The facilitator touches on some philosophy behind the practise of meditation. 
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  • Then we begin the relaxation sequence. Participants choose whether they want to remain seated on chairs, or switch to lying on a yoga mat or specifically-tailored flat cushions. Other options include sitting cross-legged or holding oneself in a yoga pose. Calming relaxation music is played out over the room, with flutes, oriental violins, and sounds of birds singing and water falling, etc. The participants are taken through a visualization sequence - a guided meditation where we travel to a distant beautiful land with the mind's eye. At the end, as we are all mentally returning to the room, the facilitator sings auspicious mantras along with the harmonium. Finally, participants open their eyes feeling very refreshed and enlivened.

  •  ​Other kinds of meditation experiences at Lake Isle Retreats include: (1) japa meditation: the soft chanting and murmuring of the maha-mantra using traditional wooden prayer beads. (2) mindfulness walks outdoors in nature, (3) kirtan-yoga, which is the singing of mantras accompanied by instruments such as harmonium, karatalas and drums. (4) Reading and discussing meditation philosophy as based on the 6th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita (Dhyana-yoga), (5) Mindfulness on specific retreats

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