Raja Yoga Meditation

Discover your true self, counteract your daily stresses, and relax; your inner power is waiting for you; all you need are the tools to find and reclaim it. This course is a logical, practical series of lessons and meditation exercises to lead you to a place of self-understanding.

This course will cover

• Real identity of the self
• Method of meditation
• Connection with Divine
• Benefits of meditation
• Law of cause and effect
• Understanding time
• Evolution of humanity
• The next steps

Each course session will provide you with –

• know-how e.g. the philosophy behind, and the method of, meditation;
• guided meditation commentaries;
• the opportunity to explore what does, and what doesn’t work for you.

The Benefits of Raja Yoga Meditation

Meditation, like any skill, requires practice: the course will give the foundation for this. As you build your meditation experience, you gain awareness of your self, your world and your life. Building your self-awareness allows the release of old patterns and the expression of your true inner you.

Raja Yoga enables you to change your habits and to re-define your attitudes; your response to life’s ups and downs naturally becomes more detached, clear and effective.

The course, in English, is structured as follows –

Every Monday and Wednesday for 4 weeks (8 sessions) - 10.30 - 11.45am or 6.00 - 7.15pm

Every Saturday for 8 weeks (8 sessions) - 12.30 - 1.45pm

These courses are also available in English, Gujarati, Hindi, Tamil, and Polish by appointment.

Raja Yoga meditation courses are provided free of charge.

The Journey from your HEAD to the HEART of your SOUL Millions obsess over it. Thousands have died for it. We all seek it. Few may ever find it. Even fewer will live it. It is LOVE. It seems we are frequently obsessed, yet slightly confused … about love. Many of us believe we know love so well, yet we find it hard to be unconditionally loving. So what is love … actually? Where is love … exactly? And why is love so elusive … precisely?

The Secrets of Self Esteem - the secret of sustained success

To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world: find your own special world and enjoy being there. This course explores the ‘cycle of self-esteem’ and explains how to manage it.

This course will cover –

• knowing yourself - introduce yourself to the real 'you'.
• accepting yourself - identify and work with your strengths and uniqueness.
• empowering yourself - explore qualities and techniques that support healthy relationships.
• becoming your self - realise your aim and step towards success and freedom.
• spoilers – the causes of poor self-esteem.
• how to identify your own strengths and weaknesses.
• recognise your inner qualities and build self-worth.
• develop practical skills to deal with your negative emotions and feelings.
• cultivate your strengths and self-esteem through experience in meditation exercises and visualisation.

This series of practical workshops will take you through an active process; follow the process and discover the secrets of self-esteem and uncover a happier and more balanced you.

The course is one session per week for 4 weeks on:

Friday evenings - 6.00 – 7.30pm

Saturday afternoons – 3.30 – 5.00pm

The Secrets of Self Esteem courses are provided free of charge.

Positive Thinking – transform yourself and be the most positive person you know!

Life will never be without its challenges: knowing how to create and adopt a positive attitude can change a problem into an opportunity.

‘You are what you think’ and ‘your life is what you think it is’ are simple but, very true statements. All words, feelings and deeds originate in the mind and follow thought.

If you decide you are happy, guess what your experience will be? If you decide you are feeling depressed, guess what your experience will be? This exercise is just to remind you that your feelings follow your thoughts. When you actively choose positive thoughts by harnessing your thought power, you can actively change your life.

When you understand and harness mind energy (thought), you can master your life and be in charge of your life experience and be content; you will learn these techniques during practical sessions.

This course will cover:

• how your mind really works - here you will explore the power of thought, learn how to create positive thoughts and how to change old thought patterns.
• understanding influences and the power of choice - you will learn that self-self-respect gives you freedom from negative influences.
• developing positive self-awareness – you will look into thought energy – is it an internal or external force and how does it affect your true identity?
• exploring spiritual principles that sustain positive living - your right to freedom comes with responsibility for your actions: what implications do spiritual laws have for the way you think and act?

The course is one session per week for 4 weeks on:

Friday afternoons – 12.30 – 2.00pm

Friday evenings - 6.00 – 7.30pm

Saturday afternoons - 3.30 – 5.00pm

Positive Thinking courses are provided free of charge.

Overcoming Anger - say goodbye to anger for all time

Anger is one of life’s most powerful and destructive experiences. Anger has many faces - both passive and aggressive including - silent brooding jealousy; sulking; full-blown rage; cold fury; mild irritation and resentment.

Each form and experience of anger changes our behaviour and relationships and deeply affects our lives: it is impossible to make clear decisions under the influence of anger.

So, what is anger all about? Anger is a sign that all is not well within; there is pain because (our) expectations are not being met and that our inner world needs some attention.

With practical tools and understanding, anger can be prevented, diffused and with new self-awareness, the damage of an episode can be dealt with.

This course will cover -

• understanding the underlying causes of anger;
• seeing the effect of anger on our well-being;
• realising the impact of anger on our relationships;
• using our energy in a more productive way.

The course is one session per week for 4 weeks on:

Friday evenings - 6.00 – 7.30pm

Saturday afternoons - 3.30 – 5.00pm

Overcoming Anger courses are provided free of charge.

Time to do both the things you need to do and the things you want to do; a proper balance between personal time and your responsibilities to others; time to be happy and watch the flowers grow. What a sublime way to live. However, if the way you live your life at the moment feels a bit ridiculous, come and find out how a few simple changes can bring about a different experience.

It is not necessary to search for peace – it is within. Our original state is one of peace. External situations will pull me away from peace – if, that is, I let them. When I learn to be in charge of my mind, then peace is a thought away.

Let’s face it – some things in life are hard to swallow. Resisting difficult or unpleasant circumstances is so natural. However, for how long does the strength to resist endure? Although acceptance may seem like an open invitation to chaos, it can offer a more tension-free response to life’s tribulations. When I stop the struggle stalemate situations can magically shift.

It’s easy to start a relationship, but not so easy to sustain it. It’s easy to offend someone, but not so easy to forgive. The art of relationships is the greatest challenge, the most profound learning curve, and the area in which we can experience the most significant successes in our life. How strange it is then that no one ever teaches us how to do it!

It is not always easy to say no to a friend, family member or colleague. Co-operation is an invaluable component of life, but understanding and setting boundaries is equally important. Saying no with confidence requires self respect, a state of being that needs to be nurtured. Establishing and maintaining boundaries is an essential element in our personal development and in sustaining successful relationships.

Bring the sunshine into your life by appreciating yourself for who you truly are. Real happiness comes from genuine self-esteem, and from finding the freedom to be ourselves. Negative emotions, difficult situations and baggage from the past can rob us of our self-respect and contribute to our feeling less than good at times. Learn how to transform negative into positive, and recapture that ‘great to be alive’ feeling!

It takes strength to face adversity and see it as a stepping stone to success. When I am able to respond rather than react, be pragmatic rather than negative, and step willingly outside my comfort zone, then I am able to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem. Mistakes become opportunities and each situation brings with it a useful lesson.

A mother, a husband, a friend, a colleague,  a next door neighbour, manager of the design team, dog owner, football supporter – in my life I play many different roles. But who is the inner being that plays all these roles? Where is the boundary between the inner being, the soul, and these roles? And what is the difference that comes into my life when I know?

There is no emotion so controlling or slippery as guilt. Guilt traps our feelings in painful situations, in regrets and reminders of past mistakes; it undermines our self esteem. Let me acknowledge my mistakes and weaknesses; but then I need to forgive myself, respect myself and let go. Only then can I move on with lightness and optimism.  

Overcoming Anger - say goodbye to anger for all time

Anger is one of life’s most powerful and destructive experiences. Anger has many faces - both passive and aggressive including - silent brooding jealousy; sulking; full-blown rage; cold fury; mild irritation and resentment.

Each form and experience of anger changes our behaviour and relationships and deeply affects our lives: it is impossible to make clear decisions under the influence of anger.

So, what is anger all about? Anger is a sign that all is not well within; there is pain because (our) expectations are not being met and that our inner world needs some attention.

With practical tools and understanding, anger can be prevented, diffused and with new self-awareness, the damage of an episode can be dealt with.

This course will cover -

• understanding the underlying causes of anger;
• seeing the effect of anger on our well-being;
• realising the impact of anger on our relationships;
• using our energy in a more productive way.

This is a 2 part seminar

Saturday afternoons - 2:00 – 5.00pm 15th May & 29th May

Overcoming Anger courses are provided free of charge.

Resentment, frustration, jealousy – all emotional toxins that prevent my heart from working properly. A diet of peace, forgiveness and gratitude is the antidote. When I know how to bring these qualities into my life, my spiritual and emotional health is guaranteed.

Worry is like a disease that can infect each waking moment and invade ourdreams. Doubts and imaged events become real monsters creating fear. My spiritual treasures of peace, love and happiness are stolen away and I become emotionally bankrupt.

Mahatma Gandhi once said “Become the change you want to see”. It takes courage in today’s materialistic world to remain true to yourself, to your real self, that inner being of peace and divinity. When I keep courage and take the fi rst step, help comes from the Divine. Then, instead of adding to the negativity and peacelessness that already exists, my heart opens, and I am able to donate kindness and compassion to our troubled world.

As we travel through life most of us accumulate excess baggage – not just unnecessary material objects, but memories and emotions that make us feel heavy, tie us to the past and limit our creative potential.

We need to know how to discern and hold on to what is precious and useful – and then let go of the emotional burdens that weigh us down and take away our happiness.

This dynamic group meets weekly, focusing on a particular topic, to explore practical spirituality in everyday life.

What happens – a short talk on the topic is followed by an interactive, facilitated group discussion that explores the practical application of spiritual tools and the experience of their effective use.

Our group is open to all, is non-denominational and welcomes those wishing to develop self-understanding in a friendly supportive environment; come and discover and nourish your authentic self!

Saturday afternoons 2.00 - 3.00pm

All Women’s Empowerment Group meetings are provided free of charge.

"The only thing that stands between a person and what they want from life is often merely the will to try it and the faith to believe that it is possible" - Richard M. DeVos
So tell yourself you’re wonderful, get out of your box and go for it! This evening’s talk will show you how.

The mind and body influence each other and work together; neither side can be ignored. If there is a need for medicine, then take it, but also learn to be your own spiritual doctor. Whatever the nature of an illness, it is through the power of meditation and the imbibing of the pills of love, peace and happiness that the illness can be overcome.

The natural state of the inner self is one of love, peace and happiness. Inner pain, like physical pain, comes as a messenger to tell me that something needs my attention. When faced with painful feelings how do I respond -- wallow in them, skate round them in a state of denial, ignore them, or heal them and let them go?

Tsunamis, earthquakes, meltdown of the world’s monetary systems -- how well prepared emotionally and spiritually are you for an unexpected crisis? To remain stable, positive and effective in all situations we need to relinquish our old defensive coping mechanisms and reclaim our inherent inner personal power.

The power to tolerate is the ability to remain undisturbed by any event going on around me or within me – to pro-actively give good wishes and positive energy rather than react in kind to criticism or abuse. It is the art of being an observer whilst also being an active participant, and being able to see beyond the superficial to the underlying truth of any situation.

Behind every action we perform is an intention – a wish, a desire, a hoped-for outcome. These intentions are not always obvious; an action that appears to be caring, for instance, may have its roots in a negative energy of some kind. Sometimes when things ‘go wrong’ in communications or relationships it is because I am not in tune with the real intentions behind my own words and actions. To understand my intentions clearly, I need to know how to listen to what is in my own heart.

What would it be like to feel real peace of mind? To be able to ask your mind to stop its incessant chatter and worry and just relax into an experience of inner silence? Come along for a calming evening, in a peaceful atmosphere, with guidance on how to discover the sweet spot in your mind that releases an experience of peace whenever you need it.

Intolerant, unwilling to trust, unco-operative - all symptoms of a spiritual miser. A spiritual miser’s heart is small and unhappy. But when I learn how to open my heart and have good wishes for everyone I meet, then cheerfulness, tolerance, trust and co-operation will grace every corner of my life.

A Time Management Strategy with a Difference

Here are some important questions to consider -

• what is time and why does it need “management”?
• how does time move so fast or so slowly?
• if I achieve more in a given time, am I a more effective person?
• why is it some people have all the time in the world?
• if I am time-poor, what is happening in my life – am I missing something?

Everyone has their own pace, and yet each seems to have different time-effectiveness. Modern city life is intense and fast-paced whereas in the countryside, life is slower-paced - just consider how slowly people speak in the country.

A half-hour on a clock can be really long if it is boring or it can be really quick if enjoyed – it is not time but our experience of it that counts – change your perception of time and both your perception of and experience of time will change.

Speed does not make effectiveness in life - it is well-aimed direction and purpose that determine the course of events: if you just keep running, but without map or compass, you may just get lost, confused, burned-out or all three!

This seminar will cover -

• how you waste your time and why.
• where to invest your time for maximum output and effectiveness.
• how personal responsibility is the key to freedom in the workplace.
• how to inspire the co-operation of others in achieving a task.

Time Management seminars are provided free of charge.

One of the deepest false beliefs that we inherit is that we can control other people. Becoming upset at another person is a demonstration that we are trying to control what we cannot control. The secret of success in all situations is based entirely on self-control. When I concentrate on controlling myself and all my responses are proactive, I will be more attractive to others, and therefore more easily able to influence them.

What we think we are determines how we treat ourselves and others. Many people seem to look at life on a material level only and spend much of their valuable time, energy and money trying to fulfil themselves in this way. Is there another dimension to us, a more subtle spiritual one that is truer to what we would like to be…… could this be our true identity? If we knew ourselves properly could we then be truly fulfilled?

We all have hopes and dreams; they are the common ground in diversity. The world divides us into categories based on age, sex, religion, ethnic origin and nationality – but inside, away from these judgements, we are united in possibility and through many thoughts, feelings and values.

In reflective meditation we can join together and unite our hearts and minds in the experience of a healing where the common ground is what we share.

We will provide you with gentle music, visuals and brief commentaries, to aid your meditation. The meeting is open to all – from beginners to advanced meditators – and offers a unique opportunity to give special time to you, the group and the planet.

Every Monday (except Bank Holidays) 6.45 - 7.45pm

Reflective Meditation activities are provided free of charge.

Stress-Free Living - how to turn stress into success

Stress is short for distress, the feeling where we are unhappy, fearful, emotionally vulnerable or just plain angry. What we forget is that stress is a valuable signpost telling us we have a problem somewhere and that it needs attention. When stressed, your well-being becomes unwell being!

The trick is to see the messenger for what it is, read the message and take action:

• acknowledge there is a problem: remember the symptoms of stress are giving you an opportunity to deal with it!;
• accept the emotional and/or physical symptoms are there because you are struggling;
• understand the problem gives you a positive lesson about you and how to manage your life;
• act to improve your life situation – change your attitude or approach, change your circumstances or just take some space;
• enjoy how pleased you are for caring for your self, just when you needed it!

This practical, skills-based course was developed to help you listen to the messenger so you can deal with life and any stress experiences. Each workshop is led by an experienced facilitator and will focus on practical techniques to transform stress into success; tools used include meditation, creative visualisation and positive thinking.

This course will cover –

• identifying the causes and cures for stress - the what, why and how of stress will be explored;
• clarifying identity and values - you will examine the true root causes of stress;
• healing relationships - by being aware, we can look to heal and prevent the damage stress can cause in our relationships;
• rediscovering meaning and purpose – the opportunity to rediscover the importance of your life.

The course is one session per week for 4 weeks on:

Friday evenings - 6.00 – 7.30pm

Saturday afternoons - 3.30 – 5.00pm

Stress-Free Living courses are provided free of charge.

Style guru, management guru, food guru – the word ‘guru’ has come to mean ‘expert’. But in today’s diverse world ‘experts’ don’t all offer the same advice! A true guru, however, is one who can show seekers of truth the path to the truth, the eternal and unlimited truth. Is there a True Guru, and how can I find Him?

Success means to reach such a constant level of positive thinking that pure actions happen naturally. Pure actions are like good seeds – they produce sweet fruits. Concern for the quality of my actions today is the easy way to ensure the success of my tomorrow. Success like this requires hope; hope in today’s world requires courage; courage plus honesty brings God’s help – and then my path becomes easy.