Asunya

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What is meditation?

Meditation is the practice of moment-to-moment awareness, using techniques that help you become fully conscious of the here and now.

Through consistent practice every day, it’s possible to uncover the clarity and understanding which exists inside us all. And with a greater understanding of ourselves, it’s easier for us to relate to and understand others.

Meditation is an evolving process of enquiry and understanding, and is by definition 'experiential'. No amount of reading about the subject will ever replace the experience of doing it – just as no description of food can replace the experience of actually tasting it.

What are the different types of meditation?

There are many different types of, and names for, meditation techniques. Most of these were developed as a part of a spiritual discipline, but in more recent years they have been used to address specific issues of physical, psychological and emotional wellbeing. Asunya Meditation blends traditional techniques with respected methods of Western clinical practice.

Meditation techniques fall into two categories: ‘calming’ and ‘insight’. They are by no means mutually exclusive and can often overlap, but for the purpose of explaining meditation it is helpful to distinguish the two.

Calming Meditation: These techniques involve concentrating on one particular thing, which may be the breath, a mantra (a word or phrase repeated to oneself, either verbally or mentally), a visualisation, a physical object, or even physical sensations within the body.

These techniques, as the name suggests, tend to result in a quieter, more peaceful state of mind. Traditionally these methods were used as a preparatory phase for insight meditation. They were also used as a means for developing very deep states of concentration – known as absorption.

Insight Meditation: These techniques vary greatly. Traditionally, insight meditation was aimed at transforming the mind to develop wisdom and compassion. Such techniques can be investigative, enquiring or reflective in nature, and with experienced guidance can lead to a profound understanding of both oneself and others. One of the most well known insight meditation techniques in the West is that of Mindfulness.

Over the past 30 years, this technique has been combined with elements of calming meditation to create what Western Medicine refers to as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). MBSR is a core element of the Asunya Meditation system of training.

What is Asunya Meditation?

Asunya is a Sanskrit word, meaning something genuine and tangible, or a sense of being whole and complete. At Asunya Meditation, we bridge the gap between authentic techniques and the realities of modern life by bringing together the three core aspects of traditional meditation training:

Asunya Vision™:Reflective meditation techniques designed to address the habitual patterns of conditioned thought that affect your perception of the world around you.

Asunya Insight™: Meditation techniques designed to calm the mind, heal the body, promote clarity and increase understanding.

Asunya Action™: Integrative meditation techniques designed to be incorporated into everyday life – no matter where you are or what you are doing.

Can anybody learn Asunya Meditation?

Yes, meditation has been practised for thousands of years by people from all walks of life.

Although meditation is often taught within a religious context, Asunya Meditation is a system of training which is delivered in a non-faith, multicultural context, making it universally appropriate, regardless of nationality, culture, faith or tradition. Asunya Meditation uses everyday language which is easy to follow.

There are no specific age restrictions for learning to meditate, however the techniques used will inevitably reflect the age of the group - this is especially so with children.

Asunya Meditation is designed to address a wide range of psychological, emotional and physical health issues. However, please note that meditation is unsuitable for individuals suffering from the most severe forms of mental illness. In this instance, we strongly recommend that you seek medical advice from one of the GPs or specialist consultants that work alongside us at Asunya Clinic.

Do I need a teacher to learn Asunya Meditation?

The key to learning meditation is having authentic and reliable information. If you’re fortunate enough to have personal instruction from a qualified Asunya consultant, then this is highly preferable. However, if this is not an option then the fundamental techniques can be safely learnt from a reliable book, CD or DVD.

Whatever way you choose to learn meditation, try to ensure that it is from a teacher who has experiential knowledge of the techniques - a teacher that has received authentic teachings with the necessary guidance themselves.

How long does it take to learn Asunya Meditation?

Many people benefit from a more peaceful and spacious state of mind after their first experience of Asunya Meditation, and there are many beneficial effects of this system of training which can be experienced early on.

It is important to note though, that the path of meditation is unique for each individual, and the time required to address specific issues will vary from person to person. At Asunya Clinic, all new clients commit to at least 10 sessions of Asunya Meditation. This is generally considered the minimum number for making positive, sustainable changes.

How quickly you learn the techniques will depend on many factors, including your attitude, motivation and commitment to the practice. But again, the process is an evolving one and the more subtle aspects of the mind ensure that there is always more to learn if you so wish.

In fact, for effective practice, it is decidedly unhelpful to approach meditation with the expectation of quick results. In a results-orientated society, this is perhaps one of the biggest challenges of embracing meditation.

What's the purpose of Asunya Meditation?

People practice meditation for many different reasons and that motivation will largely determine the experience.

At Asunya Clinic, we use meditation to help individuals address issues of physical, psychological and emotional imbalance. Our Asunya Corporate programme is dedicated to improving employee wellbeing and reducing stress-related organisational health costs. Asunya Sport has been designed to help improve performance and aid recovery for professional and amateur athletes.

Whatever your motivation, it’s worth remembering that the practice of meditation benefits not only you, but others as well. This recognition provides a healthy sense of altruism to your practice, which in turn aids the development of clarity and understanding.

What are the benefits of Asunya Meditation?

Meditation has been scientifically proven to produce a wide range of psychological and physical benefits as summarised below. For a more comprehensive list, visit our benefits page here.

Psychological and emotional benefits include reduced levels of anxiety, depression, anger and irritability; greater stability of emotional wellbeing; and increased levels of clarity, creativity and concentration.

Physical health benefits include reduced risk of heart disease, well regulated blood pressure, reduced incidence of acute and chronic pain, reduced incidence of muscle tension and fatigue, reduced incidence of insomnia, improved respiratory function, and a significantly enhanced immune system.

As impressive as this research is, there are many other benefits to meditation. Sustained practice with experienced guidance can significantly increase your sense of happiness, fulfilment and purpose in your life. With increased clarity and focus, this can enhance your performance both at work and at play.

The benefits of increased self-awareness allow us to respond more skilfully to situations rather than reacting from a place of highly charged emotion. The result of this is often improved communication, happier relationships and a greater understanding and respect for one another.

What scientific research has been done to establish the beneficial effects of meditation?

Attempting to objectively quantify and validate what is often a subjective experience is challenging. However, several well-established and respected institutions, such as Harvard Medical School, George Town University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and John Hopkins University, have led the way in scientific research on meditation for over 30 years.

Working extensively with meditation practitioners of all abilities, from beginner to expert, they’ve examined both the psychological and physiological responses to meditation. Research has focused on a wide range of topics which include, but are by no means limited to, the following:

Neurological activity, cardiovascular and pulmonary function, sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system response, respiratory function, cortisol and blood lactate levels, serotonin production, fatigue, insomnia, and sleeping patterns.

The results have consistently underlined the psychological and physical health benefits of practising meditation and have been widely published in respected academic journals such as The Lancet, the British Medical Journal and the American Medical Association Medical Journal.

How can Asunya Meditation help me in my work?

Contrary to popular opinion, meditation is more than simply sitting on a cushion. Certainly some form of seated practice is an essential part of learning to meditate - and even just a short amount of this type of practice each day can give us a greater feeling of calm, spaciousness and wellbeing.

But this type of practice is just one aspect of Asunya Meditation. The other techniques are designed to be fully integrated into your everyday life, including your work life. If your performance at work relies in any way on clarity, focus, creativity and good health, then Asunya Meditation will be of genuine benefit to you.

What’s the difference between meditation and yoga?

Yoga refers to a complete system of spiritual training, ranging from ethics and morality to contemplation and meditation.

In the West, we tend to think of yoga as the practice of stretching, breathing, and contorting ourselves into all manner of positions at the local gym. But this physical aspect of yoga, while vitally important to the system of training as a whole, is just one of the many aspects of yoga discipline.

Meditation is another integral aspect of the complete system of yoga and allows the Yogi or Yogini, as the male and female practitioners are respectively known, to develop their awareness and thus work towards greater understanding.

What’s the difference between meditation and relaxation?

Relaxation is widely confused with meditation and the two words are often used interchangeably - even by health professionals. They are however quite distinct.

Meditation can be accompanied by varying degrees of relaxation including the most profound. However, in the true context of meditation, relaxation cannot be considered the goal, objective or aim. It is more accurate to say that relaxation is simply a wonderful side effect of meditation.

In fact, there are many ways to simply relax. You can use specific techniques to achieve that outcome, or you can find yourself in that state through doing something pleasurable, such as sitting in the sun, walking in the park or listening to music.

What’s the difference between meditation and life coaching?

Life coaching is a relatively new phenomenon and can vary greatly in quality and technique. As a general rule, the coach aims to help the client find a way to change their life in order to achieve their personal or work-related goals.

Meditation, on the other hand, has been practised, refined and developed over thousands of years. It has been tried and tested by individuals who have devoted their entire lives to the practice. Meditation seeks to empower individuals to take responsibility for the way in which they live their life and for the choices they make.

Meditation is experiential and a lifelong process of enquiry. Despite its many benefits, meditation is not designed to 'fix' a problem or 'achieve' a goal. It is practised to gently uncover one’s innate understanding, the natural result of which is an increasing sense of peace, harmony and physical wellbeing.

Is Asunya Meditation religious in any way?

No. Although meditation is often taught in a religious context, it cannot be considered religious itself. Meditation does not belong to any one faith or culture. It can be embraced equally by both those of a practising faith and those with no faith, regardless of background, culture or nationality.

Asunya ensures that all its meditation training is free from religious or culturally specific terminology, while maintaining the authenticity and integrity of established techniques. All Asunya Meditation programmes are strictly secular, using everyday language for the modern-day world.

What conditions are needed to practise Asunya Meditation?

A common misconception is that meditation is about closing yourself off from the world, as if sensory input were some kind of nuisance to be avoided. Nothing could be further from the truth, and there is no need to lock yourself in a darkened room or head to the nearest mountaintop to experience meditation.

Like any new skill, Asunya Meditation certainly benefits from conducive learning conditions, especially in the early stages. In the beginning, it is generally easier to concentrate and focus when you are sitting still and free from distraction, and this type of seated meditation forms an important part of the training.

However, Asunya Meditation has a far broader scope than this. With our guidance and support you will be able to integrate anything into your meditation practice – no matter how noisy or distracting it may first appear.

Do I have to sit cross-legged on the floor?

Not at all! There are a number of reasons why the lotus position is associated with meditation, however it is quite possible to practise meditation in another position or sitting on a chair.

Once this practice is established you will be able to apply the techniques wherever you are and whatever your position, whether you’re sitting in the office, standing in a queue, walking down the road or lying on the sofa.

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