May the New Year lead you to peace, good health, safety, prosperity and the gift of happiness
To those new to our services, a warm welcome as we look forward to assisting you in bringing calm control into your valuable lives.
Personal challenges and world events may test our serenity and our resilience.
We aim to help as many as possible to discover personal peace and the ability to manage whatever stressors may cross our path.
In sincere stillness …
We’re almost at Christmas again, a special joyful time … lots of excitement and fun for kids, surprise presents from Santa Claus … holidays to look forward to and time with families together for festive food, exchanging gifts and celebrating holiday time!
That’s wonderful … and yet …
… given the turmoil that’s evident across our world in these times, maybe we could all do with a reminder about the importance of peace? With another reminder too, that the origin of this festive season relates to the birth of Christ and a significant turning point in history from which became clear the importance of making peace among all people. So perhaps this year we should watch out for any missing pieces of peace and do our best to harness the real meaning of Christmas?
If we did just that, how much might change within personal lives, family lives, community lives, governing lives and universal lives …
we can generate peace by awareness of making peace in our own small ways
Let’s listen to mind and heart. Can we make more peace within ourselves and beyond ourselves through thinking twice at times, being a little more compassionate, offering a different kind of generosity … becoming less stressed, angry, anxious or fearful?
There is goodness within all human beings! But goodness can get lost when conflict arises. And conflicts – including those of our own – can unfortunately lead to fear, anger, selfishness, hurt and pain for ourselves and for those around us.
If peace truly begins within our self
With personal peace we can become happier individuals
And that happiness then flows out to others
And leads to well-ness – which leads to more happiness
Which leads to more peace
A goal that’s indeed worth celebrating?
What we do here … and how we like helping others capture personal peace
We teach Stillness Meditation … deep rest for the whole being
Originated by psychiatrist, author and poet Ainslie Meares MD, this unique style of meditation – the power of just being still – will assist ordinary people to manage life with greater ease. That means with less tension, less anxiety, less stress – and more peace of mind, more positive energy and much better health. We have been privileged over decades to witness positive change and much more peace in the lives of many others.
So yes, our world today is crying out for that message of peace … for kindness, sharing, love and care for us all. If each of us can bring peace to even one more person, that is one important step further into making our beautiful world a safer, happier and better place.
To all our friends and followers
We sincerely wish you a very happy Christmas
and peace and love to all who inhabit our wonderful world!
Courage, suffering and the healing power of nature
The month of November, among other themes, offers pause for remembrance.
Now is an opportunity to reflect upon the sacrifices made by all who serve and have served for peace in our world; to respect the courage of so many, to honour the fallen and to acknowledge the innocent whose lives have been lost in conflict or in acts of terrorism.
Our world today needs our thoughts, our prayers and our desire for peace and harmony between all people.
These considerations bring the reminder also, of the inevitability of personal suffering.
None can avoid misfortune, illness, accident, ageing, loss … the death of loved ones and an array of recurring themes that embrace pain, hurt and grieving within our own lives and the lives of others.
We can accept the many faces of suffering. Indeed, in time, with courage, we must. But how best to manage the emotional pain that may linger long within our life challenges?
For all time, humanity has sought images, words, potions and the power of nature to quell dis-ease for body and mind.
Hence the green and fragrant rosemary leaves come to mind … rosemary for remembrance. A humble plant yet history tells that the Greek scholars of old wore trails of rosemary to strengthen memory and assist their successful work – no doubt an early recorded connection between humanity and products of the earth.
Throughout all time nature is linked to the human condition
If we reflect upon nature, we will surely recall powerful moments where special recollections within the garden, the park, the mountains or the sea can trigger memories, laughter or tears.
Nature, like ourselves, is constantly changing. In nature there are times of rapid growth, times of feeding, times of peaceful resting, dormant times, times of pestilence and trauma, times of dying, times for pruning, times of flourishing, times with birds, bees and other insects … and times for nurturing …
Since naturalness and simplicity are within everything it seems wise to value those qualities for ourselves – to become better, stronger, calmer, happier and healthier for as long as we’re meant to lovingly live, enjoy and contribute to our world.
Naturalness and simplicity …and some thoughts about Stillness Meditation Therapy
When my story was first published (In Stillness Conquer Fear: 1983) Dr Meares authorised me to teach his work, sharing and guiding me like a kind of apprentice, in maintaining its natural simplicity. In teaching this life-art to others and witnessing extraordinary benefits in the lives of so many, I like to remind my clients of Dr Meares’ encouraging words:
“all easy … all natural” …
Stillness Meditation, like a kind of pruning, means first let go of tightness and tension … just easy … simply letting it all go. In effortless ‘letting’ … simply letting … we begin to capture a glimpse of stillness within our whole being. We remain with it, calmly, just being still. And gradually the mind follows. And the ease in our body begins to merge into ease within our mind. Just as the garden naturally and effortlessly rests, we can also rest. In effortlessness comes release and with repetition of the practice, physical, mental and emotional calm is gained. Like caring for the garden, and among other rewards from ‘stillness’ practice, the mind learns to capture ease and those symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression, tension, frustration and fear … gradually, gradually subside. Little by little, a gentle relief is gained. And so can be discovered a new way of ‘being’.
Our work at this consultancy strictly follows Meares’ tradition
Our clients are assisted through the support of reassurance, encouragement and facilitation of Stillness Meditation Therapy … deep physical and mental rest: a practice – or a ritual – to regularly repeat and gradually discover one’s own natural calm and serenity.
And so life improves to become calmer, happier and more true to oneself
When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace
There are many magnificent words spoken about peace as the search for world peace continues from time immemorial.
“If peace in our world is to truly come into being, then it’s up to us, we who inhabit this earth, to look at ways to make it happen.” Could those words of Jimi Hendrix provide an important, yet simple call to action? For Love, used to its fullness, could – and should make all the difference.
Let’s pause and pay attention? Let’s consider that maybe our human gift of ‘awareness’ is in need of review? Because if we’re truly aware of our self, our life and the world around us, we will recognise that capital L love is deeply at the heart of peace.
Yet everyday human awareness seems somewhat lost to us! The absence of world peace remains. Very likely the power of Love in its fullest expression has also become lost in our everyday experience of living?
Surely the power of love is made up of simple values such as courtesy and respect along with similar loving reactions that help to build peaceful communities? A small example springs to mind … in this busy 21st C, sharing a common footpath invariably means stepping aside from others as others push through crowded streets without regard to courtesy or even the concept of order.
Then add to that the unloving level of violence on our roads. One of the most pleasant moments in any driving day, is the friendly wave exchange when two drivers kindly give way to each other in traffic congestion. Yet, angry words, coarse language, gestures, bullying and aggressive driving, blaring ‘music’, or speeding out of control are not uncommon occurrences. Small incidents maybe? But a clear demonstration of an absence of respect or love or peace.
As violence creates violence, similarly, peace creates peace. If we want a peaceful world, maybe those small examples of awareness leading to courtesy and care are the key to change? And to lean again on Hendrix words, our leaders too, could take steps to ensure that their actions demonstrate the power of love rather than the love of power. Small steps now may lead to bigger steps later and, little by little, on to addressing, peacefully, the far bigger issues.
As human beings we are constantly ‘juggling’ both positive and negative thinking. Negativity is the product of fear. Negative thinking has the potential to destroy peace within our-self and therefore, within the wider world. The power of fear can make us defensive. It raises nervous tension, suffocates awareness and may lead to wrong judgments as well further negative emotions … frustration … anger … prejudice … envy … injustice … and more …
The practice of meditation, a practice of self-love can assist positive change. Meditation offers calm, rest, awareness, inner strength and many other benefits.
At this practice we offer stillness meditation as one powerful way to correct negative impulses and develop and maintain personal peace and ultimately, contentment.
Life must be constantly worked upon to better ourselves, to discover Love in its fullness and to cultivate personal peace with the aim of greater peace for the future of our world!
A comforting herbal brew, the perfect book and something green seems a simple and fitting way to open the topic of wellness. And yes, the month of August reminds us of the importance of wellness, fostering ideas and opportunities for self-care. We all need shelter, safety, nutrition, rest and a range of healthy habits for mind and body and the important attention to physical fitness.
Most of all, attending to our inner self, our management of stress and our mental health gained from work/life satisfaction and balance, meaningful companionship, recreation, fun and laughter, the gift of love, care for others, the search for peace of mind and development of the spiritual self.
The following words I recently discovered on social media. I’m not sure whose original thinking brought this concept into being but I’m grateful for the opportunity to share it … another example of attending to wellness.
You are holding a cup of coffee when someone comes along and bumps into you, causing you to spill your coffee everywhere.
Why did you spill the coffee?
‘Because someone bumped into me!’
WRONG ANSWER!
You spilled the coffee because there was coffee in your cup. Had there been tea in the cup, you would have spilled tea.
Clearly whatever was inside the cup is what will spill out!
Similarly – when life comes along and bumps you or shakes you (and this will certainly happen), whatever is inside you will spill out.
Now, it’s easy to fake it and pretend all’s OK – until you get stressed, rattled, overwhelmed. Clearly, it’s important to ask ourselves ‘what’s in my cup?’
When life gets tough for me, what spills out? Will joy, gratitude, peace and humility spill out? Or will it be anger, bitterness, victimization and the desire to quit?
Life provides the cup for each of us. It is we who choose how to fill it.
So, from hereon, let’s work on filling our cups with simple beauty: gratitude, forgiveness, joy, affirmation, resilience, positivity, kindness, gentleness and love for others.
Anne (not her real name) was first introduced to this premier practice by the master himself, Ainslie Meares. In this newsletter she shares her experience to help others discover this unique style of meditation and its life changing benefits.
“I commenced some 40 years ago with Dr Meares. As you know, I have continued the practice with you Pauline … regular, consistent sessions bring consistent results!
At the beginning I faced the long-time hurdle of learning how ‘not to try’. Trying to achieve stillness is the very thing that can make it difficult to capture.
Learning to release tension and accept whatever comes while just being still (even with racing thoughts), is the key to success.
Not every session of stillness is always the same. Sometimes I easily go deeper into the experience – and that is a blissful, wonderful feeling of calm. At other times the experience can be more difficult if thoughts try to claim attention.
But even fragments of stillness help the mind to rest. Dr Meares powerfully expresses this in his poetic work:
From the Quiet Place: Hill of Content Publishing, Melbourne, 1976
In a cluttered mind it seems counterintuitive to sit and be still. But just as the stressors of life accumulate to increase tension and anxiety, the regular experiences of stillness (deep or even less deep), accumulate.
As our mind repeatedly rests and gradually develops inner calm, stressful reactivity gradually fades.
Change comes gradually … less inner chatter, improved mood and most importantly, the calm ability to deal with the ups and downs of daily life. More bounce in my step, more laughter with others, more energy and zest within each day, no overwhelm at the prospect of challenging events – and more …
Stillness stands apart from other meditation styles due to its simplicity – as well as the ease of practicing at any time and at any place for any length of time. No props needed. No words to recite. No breathing techniques … no requirement to focus – or to do anything at all!
Of course, in learning to capture stillness there are ups and downs as the challenges of life will arise. It doesn’t matter though. The important thing is that I have stillness … and I maintain it to keep that natural calm. I know it will always help me get through! Thanks again for carrying on Ainslie Meares’ work and for doing it so well”.
a rested mind
allows natural healing
brings calm and ease throughout
our whole being
less tension
less stress
less anxiety
less depression
less anger
less fear
inner strength, joyfulness, peace of mind
and a calmer, better life
a time to prepare
a time to strengthen
a time to let go
Letting go into naturalness … a very different style of meditation
Expect rather the experience of deep naturalness. Utter naturalness. It is only when this comes to us that we realise that true naturalness is something quite foreign to us in our ordinary life. Simplicity. Such profound simplicity that we are almost overwhelmed by it, immersed in it. And it is easy to become confused by the simplicity of the procedure and what seems to be an absence of a logical basis
Ainslie Meares MD (The Wealth Within: Hill of Content Publishing Melbourne: 1978)
Busy, stressful world? We can help you find calm … the wealth within yourself … the natural way to live life well
Pauline McKinnon’s book In Stillness Conquer Fear, first published in 1983, is testimony to the work of Dr Ainslie Meares, breaking down the barriers surrounding anxiety and its related limitations. As director of this consultancy, Pauline has more than forty years’ experience in successfully sharing stillness with some thousands of others. A clinical member of AAFT, Pauline is founding patron of Meditation Australia and is widely known for her work in the management of stress, anxiety, nervous tension and related conditions
Welcome to all our clients, to newcomers and to all our regular visitors. And a special welcome to those who return – sometimes with the words …
I was going really well so I let my practice lapse … or … I did what you taught me for a while and then I went back to work and forgot to practice … or … moving house sort of changed my routine … and … I didn’t think I needed to anymore! Oops. Big mistake that final one.
It’s very human but strange nonetheless, that the skills that serve us best are very likely the skills we may easily neglect. Do we not care enough for our self? Do we feel guilty taking time for our self? Do we not value the natural gifts that best nurture our self? Did we not understand or gain sufficiently from first learning SMT? Are there questions or reassurances we need to have answered? Do we allow other things to take priority over our own mind, body and spirit? Or have we come to mistakenly believe that life’s new hurdles may be seen as a failure of the stillness experience?
New hurdles are part of life. And yes, each new hurdle may cause stress, anxiety and related symptoms – especially in these times and as we meet new challenges. It is at these times that mental rest can provide our strongest support. We sleep each night to restore and rebalance our body; similarly, but different, it makes good sense to regularly rest our mind. Stillness Meditation continues the wisdom so perceptively introduced by psychiatrist Ainslie Meares … so I quote from one of his beautiful poetic reflections:
A quiet mind
Is nature’s physician.
Call him to the bedside.
My book, In Stillness Conquer Fear, is often the trigger for your first appointment. Here is an opportunity to gain from all I’ve learned over some 40 years of teaching this life-art. Share your story, your needs, your expectations. I will listen, learn and offer insights. And from there, I will offer you the assistance you seek within your first experience of stillness as a form of therapy.
The journey of change begins. Patience, practice and perseverance will bring relief and results.
In time, you may choose to join one of our intensive group programs. We offer profound stillness within small groups of likeminded others whose experience of stillness continues to enrich and support each valuable life. Limited places by appointment only so pre-booking is essential.
These popular sessions developed in 2020 when COVID prevented personal attendance. Zoom has enabled large and small group attendance at enriching maintenance SMT sessions. Less personal of course but these groups still offer powerful and effective maintenance within a virtual shared environment.
Zoom sessions are conducted twice weekly. These sessions are cost effective where large numbers can be accommodated. Groups are conducted in twice-weekly ten-week programs. Both weekly sessions may be attended if you wish. Programs may be joined at any time for the set fee and providing that you are a current or former client.
The excellent facility of Zoom permits all services to be available throughout Australia and way beyond. Please make contact!
Individual counselling, psychotherapy and mentoring may contribute to the development of insight and change while supported by the practice of stillness meditation.
SMT assists the natural regulation of the nervous system through deep mental rest. At our facilitated sessions you will learn this practice correctly and benefit from our extensive experience ... we aim to help you change your life!
