BEGINNERS AND INTERMEDIATES
 THE ART OF MEDITATION BEGINNERS AND INTERMEDIATES We begin by training concentration and serenity as an antidote to restlessness and mental agitation, allowing us to still the mind and begin to discern matter and energy directly. Mindfulness (clear and present awareness) is then developed to enhance our faculty of wise attention, allowing us to begin to perceive directly the root causes of imbalance and sickness in the body. One of the first things we come to realise is that the mind has a significantly greater effect upon the body than does the nutriment that we eat. And since all medicine is nutriment of some kind, we start to understand why so many conditions that have been unsuccessfully treated using medication, quickly improve even in the early stages of our practice of meditation. (See testimonies page of examples)
The Harmonious Mind arises through our meditation and during the Retreat we learn how to establish and familiarise ourselves with this Harmonious Mind and put it to work to heal the body or to improve bodily energetic functions . Deeply held energetic blockages are released and the body's own intelligence is allowed to re establish itself. We connect with the extraordinary re-organising principal that is latent with in us, as soon as we learn to step out of the way and let go. Fundamental realisations arise during the course of this work which encourage the process of "letting go". The accompanying Chi Kung work undertaken during the course and at the dedicated Chi Gung workshops greatly accelerates this process-itself. The practice may also be used as a healing process to rid ourselves of negative habit patterns be they physical, emotional or more subtle; and experience deep peace and release. Very soon on the Usada 1 course we begin to sense and feel in ways that we have probably not experienced before- People are constantly amazed at how much can be achieved in one short week with such a focused and well structured approach. Why develop such a complete system of meditation on the body? The reasons are twofold : 1. It enables us to dig out and heal all the dysfunctional energy stored and blocked within the body, at its many levels. Thus we heal and make healthy the body as a support to higher and more rigorous meditation in the future. To develop high states of concentration & mindfulness requires tremendous energy, and we have to properly prepare the body to sustain such effort. It has become apparent from interviewing numerous practitioners of Vipassana meditation, that so many yogis make great initial progress and then get stuck, sometimes for years, without making much further headway. The reason for this is that the base of mind is not yet strong enough to overcome the deeper blockages, and the physical body cannot provide the energetic support that is required to break through. For this reason we must develop and build into our system stronger energetic pathways as a basis from which to progress. 2. The second reason for such a detailed investigation of the materiality of the body is simply explained by the words of the Buddha himself : "He who has meditated upon and clearly comprehended the entire sphere of materiality will begin to understand and clearly comprehend mentality. If one tries to meditate on mentality before he has come to comprehend the entire sphere of materiality the meditator will fall from his practice as a mountain cow falls from the path on taking an unfamiliar route." The knowledge of mind and matter and their producing causes is the first level of insight knowledge taught by the Buddha .This is the first stage of the Buddha's eightfold noble path . As the nature of materiality becomes known to us, the nature of the mind reveals itself gradually. If you were only ever to sit this one course of meditation, you would go away with a practice that would serve you for the rest of your life, owever far you wished to take it. Whilst I do strongly believe there is a very discreet and well defined path that leads to the realisation and liberation through Nibbana as taught by the Buddha, there are so many staging posts along the way and so many people at such differing stages of progress. My job as a teacher is to best guide each student through the stages they currently face. When I started out I felt it was my duty to teach the Buddha's meditation techniques, as he himself practiced and that led to his own Liberation .Over time I have come to realize that there are many people who may not have set their heart on the attainment of such a lofty goal and are seeking meaningful and workable teachings and techniques to help them navigate through life's challenges. But for those of you who have decided bravely to begin to untangle the knots of confusion and let go the accumulation of what has become meaningless, then I strongly urge you to give enough time to meditation that might make your mind a companion and ally, rather than a hindrance and obstacle on the road to happiness. If you can quieten the mind enough to begin to listen to the heart, you will find that you already have the answers you seek. Most Sickness and Suffering is caused by poorly organised energy and mis-information. Of all the influences upon our system the one that has the greatest capacity to disrupt the state of balance is the very consciousness that supports the life process in the body 24 hours of every day of our life.
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