FAQ’s
Can Stillness Therapy Meditation Help?
Is there a natural way to manage the challenges of life?
Let’s find a natural way to assist our young, to manage the challenges of life!
Life’s challenges, especially in the developing years, give rise to emotional problems that may lead to a variety of mental illnesses. The most popular forms of intervention include counselling, psychotherapy, behavioural modification and very likely, medication. While these modalities may assist, they will be more effective when the sufferer becomes more relaxed. With the letting go of unnecessary tension and the empathic interaction between therapist and client that takes place in the experience of stillness, increased trust, better communication and gaining of insight can help lead to an ability to understand and deal with issues of importance.
Let us help you discover mental health through mental rest – good for everyone, across the life-span.
I am interested in Stillness Meditation Therapy, whats next?
The first step to commencing your Stillness Meditation Therapy begins with an initial personal consultation to assess your situation and introduce you to a taste of Stillness Meditation. The next step is commencement of our recommended program. This involves attendance at group sessions with personal mentoring available at each visit. We also offer the option of individual SMT sessions, also structured within a program. For those living outside of Melbourne or who wish to hasten therapeutic results, an Intensive Program is also available. This is particularly useful for interstate or overseas visitors.
The Stillness Meditation Therapy Centre in Melbourne is conveniently located in Kew, which is close to nearby suburbs Kew East, Balwyn, Balwyn North, Camberwell, Mont Albert, Ivanhoe, Ivanhoe East, Hawthorn, Box Hill, Doncaster, Surrey Hills, and Deepdene.
Can I use Stillness Meditation at Home?
Family modelling is the first and most significant point of learning for any child. If tension is accepted as normal within a family, then it is likely that individual members will react with tension and suffer the consequences. On the other hand, if families are aware of the detrimental effect of tension and take steps to replace tension with ease and tranquillity, the home environment will remain reasonably relaxed. So, bringing Stillness Meditation into the home is an obvious step to better living and something to contribute to happier, more capable children who are less likely to succumb to stress. The less tension is generated, the less anxiety will be felt and the less stress will be experienced.
Should we teach children the art of stillness meditation?
Infants and very young children have a natural ability to spontaneously relax and let go of tension. This ability is usually lost by the time a child reaches school age, where habits of tension, apprehension and anxiety can lead to the experience of ‘stress’. In teaching young children the art of stillness as a form of meditation for children, we are helping them reconnect with the natural stillness and strength within themselves. The earlier this new learning takes place, the better.
SMT for children supports their natural ability to relax
SMT can bring calm to families which in turn leads to a calmer child
A calmer child will respond more readily to other therapeutic interventions
A calmer classroom fills a major educational need and reinforces awareness of the values of discipline and respect
Is SMT suitable for Children, Family & School Programs?
Our experienced consultants work with young people either individually or within groups to help them cope with the changes, challenges and expectations experienced during the growing years. As with adults, the first step is an initial consultation with one of our specialised consultants and an introduction to Stillness Meditation. Following this assessment, a suitable course of Stillness Meditation sessions will be recommended for the child alone or accompanied by parents or family members.
Many schools have incorporated SMT into their curriculum with remarkable success. We offer introductory workshops for teaching staff and an educational pack that includes specially tailored SMT programs to assist the staff direct SMT within the classroom. We also offer tailored programs to suit the individuality of each school’s requirements.
Can Stillness Meditation help adolescents?
These are the years when ‘stress’ may become a reality. At this time the introduction of stillness as a positive life-skill may intercept otherwise potentially dangerous outcomes. At this age, there may be resistance to adopting meditation therapy which, to the adolescent, may not qualify as being ‘cool’. But ‘stillness’, skilfully introduced into a class situation, empowers kids in a positive way.
Benefits soon become apparent as individual confidence develops, confidence, resilience builds, relationships improve, studies flourish and independence (especially from substances and alcohol) brings serenity to a time of life when the need for productivity and achievement is at a premium.
Within the framework of education there is little to empower young people with the gentle discipline of calm control, mental relaxation and stress relief. There is little in formal education that can assist in averting tension and anxiety and the many symptoms that accompany it. The discipline of stillness and its acceptance at school can achieve this. Within school meditation training, children can also be led to a new sense of care and respect for themselves which in turn may lead to greater respect for others and for all of life. The practice of stillness could therefore be recognised within the classroom as a priority life educational tool.
SMT in adolescence may intercept potentially dangerous outcomes
SMT can bring calm to families
Why should I consider Meditation in our Workplace?
Melbourne is a busy city and the stresses and strains of working in a competitive, fast-paced environment can inevitably take a toll on employees, most usually seen in the stress reaction.
Regardless of their level of responsibility each person’s ability to handle stress and pressure in the workplace has a direct effect on the organisation and its effectiveness in carrying out a successful business. In Victoria, stress is the second most common cause of workplace compensation. And according to ‘beyondblue’ depression and anxiety are often hidden factors that cost Australian business about $10.9 billion a year.
What do you offer in your Corporate Meditation Program?
The simplicity and strength of our Corporate Meditation Program makes it an ideal component of any stress treatment and management course, or any wellness or professional development program offered at workplaces across Melbourne. Free from the dependence of medication and enabling the avoidance of potentially harmful alternatives, when regularly practiced, this simple yet powerful life-skill powerfully reduces the ‘stress’ response. Simultaneously, immune function is strengthened which in turn, results in consistently better health and wellbeing. Any business environment, large or small can benefit from our SMT Corporate Meditation Program.
- Stillness Meditation Therapy (SMT) provides mental rest and restores equilibrium to the function of the central nervous system
- SMT activates the body’s natural defence mechanism for coping with elevated levels of physical or emotional distress
- SMT is a natural and superior form of stress management therapy for general life and within the workplace
Benefits include mood stabilisation, increased productivity, higher efficiency and enriched creativity. Having a calm workplace also improves interaction, creating better communication within the team and throughout the entire hierarchy. From SMT you can expect to gain a strong morale boost to staff at every level resulting in a generally happier and healthier working environment.
Do you offer Stillness Meditation at Professional Events?
Yes, we offer introductory meditation training at professional events in Melbourne and beyond. These presentations make an ideal contribution to conferences over one or more days and provide a respite from the volume of information delegates are asked to process. Periods of ‘stillness’ at events are important ‘punctuation pauses’ to allow better absorption of the information presented!
Do you provide Teacher training and information for medical and health professionals
Pauline McKinnon established the SMT Teacher Training Course to meet increasing demand from those who had personally benefitted from SMT and yearned to teach others. Graduates and students consist of primary and secondary school teachers, doctors, psychologists, tertiary educators, HR professionals, counsellors, artists, nurses and more. The two and a half year part-time course commences annually from February to November inclusive. For more information see our brochure and registration form. The syllabus can be viewed here
For health practitioners, regular workshops are held at the Stillness Meditation Centre. The sessions aim to provide therapists with an understanding of the theory and principles of Dr Meares work and how this style of meditation can benefit their clients as a complementary service. Please click here for the next scheduled session
For further information on the Teacher Training Course or Health professionals workshops please contact us
