Each ‘Day lesson’ contains a methodical rationale, plus a practical meditation exercise.

Lessons vary in length from 7 minutes to 18 minutes.

The lessons are highly condensed and it is recommended to practice each lesson more than once to gain greater understanding and to consolidate the practice.

Early lessons are more elementary, leading to highly integrated lessons toward the end of the Course. Take your time. There is no rush. A missed or misunderstood lesson will not forgive you, and will require a return to repeat and re-examine its contents. It is possible to complete the Course in 14 days, but there is no maximum time to completion; days, weeks, months or years. You have lifetime access to the Course.

Curriculum Days

1. Consciousness as Observer in the Meditation Process – clarifying meditation, differentiating between consciousness and mind, and testing some meditation skills. [7 min]
2. Consciousness and Mind – What is Consciousness? What is the Mind? ‘Who I think I am’ versus ‘Who I am’. Differentiating between Mind and Mind Space. [15min]
3. Identification of Consciousness – What is the first rule of Meditation? Freedom and Bondage in Meditation. [11min]
4. Modifications of Consciousness – What is the Identified State of Consciousness? What is a modification of consciousness and how does this relate to Meditation? What the Physical Body is, and how to use it in Meditation. [17min]
5. The procedure of Breaking the Identification of Consciousness in the Meditation. The cause of confusion, and the mechanical reflex. Meditation on the Physical body. [12min]
6. Pleasure and Pain in Meditation. What is Pleasure? What is Pain? Inclination Responses and how to overcome them in Meditation practice. [15min]
7. Desire as a modification of Consciousness in Meditation. What is Desire? What is to be done about Desire in Meditation? Choosing a worthwhile aim in Meditation. [13min]
8. Lower Mind Data Collection – the five sense organs and Meditation. The interference as well as the value of five sense data – seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching. [13min]
9. Common Sense and the Lower Mind coordination process in Meditation. What is Common Sense in the Mind? Overcoming the interference of Lower Mind data in Meditation. [10min]
10. Egoic self-integration as a modification of Consciousness. What is the Ego? How to break identification with the Ego in Meditation practice. [14min]
11. The Conceptual Egoic-self in Meditation practice. Motion Behaviours and Conceptual Forms in the Mind. How to differentiate and break identification with the conceptual Egoic-self. [16min]
12. Egoic Interest as a modification of Consciousness in the Meditation process. The cause of the high complexity of our mental life. Conscious and Unconscious self-interest. [15min]
13. Releasing Blockages and Frustrations. Illogical and irrational behaviour in the mind. Awareness, influence, and breaking identification with Blockages and Frustrations in the Meditation process. How is it so difficult to sit still in the body and bring the various levels of being to stillness? [15min]
14. Whole Pattern Principle and Meditational Integration. What is a Whole Pattern Principle? The meaning of Universal Function in Meditation. The Four Part Being and its inter-functional organisation. Meditation using a Governing Concept upon which Consciousness may rest and steer our individual life, intelligently. [18min]

This Course offers 11 video presentations – 6 explanatory insights and 5 practical meditation exercises.

The “Five Things to Do” insights are from the teachings of Eugene Halliday, and the practical exercises are to assist embodiment of the insights in the individual. Each of the 10 main parts, following the free introductory video, invite the participant to clarify the insight and then to apply one of potentially innumerable experiential meditation exercises. The Five Things to Do derive from mirrored teachings found in both Indian and European sources, The Taittiriya Upanishad and The Bible. The insights and teachings are Universal in value and do not require understanding of any philosophic or religious traditions.

The instruction is suited to everybody, regardless of age, experience or ability (physically or mentally). The practical meditations are intended to be undertaken in the sitting upright position, regardless of the particular seated posture. No special ability is required in how to sit, apart from the requirement to have the spine straight, and your posture may be adapted to your own preference.

It is encouraged that the videos are viewed and reviewed, and that the practical meditation exercises are repeated many times until the participant can apply the techniques inwardly and without listening instruction.

A total of just over 200 minutes of insights and precisely guided practical instruction – a unique treasury of universal teachings suited to any developing individual.

]]> https://ihsw.org/course/introduction-to-meditation/ Tue, 25 May 2021 22:30:29 +0000 https://ihsw.org/?post_type=course&p=684 This Course offers eight ‘practical’ video presentations showing many guided practical introductory aspects to meditation. Each of the eight parts, following the Overview, invite the participant into experiential meditation exercises. The instruction is suited to everybody, regardless of age, experience or ability (physically or mentally). Relaxation, sitting or lying down postures, breathing, sense withdrawal. concentration, meditation proper, and contemplation – all are included. The final video is a complete and combined full length practice which may be repeated regularly. A total of 200 minutes of precisely guided practical instruction – a good introduction to meditation for all.