Meditation

What this is

Meditation is training attention. That is the whole of it, and it is less mystical than the word suggests. You sit, you put your attention somewhere — usually the breath — you notice it has wandered off, and you bring it back. The noticing and the bringing back is the practice. Not the staying.

The goal is not to empty your mind or get rid of thoughts and feelings. It is to become more aware of them, and to learn how to move through them without getting stuck in them. Most people arrive believing they are bad at this because their mind is busy. A busy mind is not a disqualification. It is the ordinary starting condition.

I teach it plainly, without incense-and-mystery language, and I keep the sessions short enough that you might actually keep doing it after you leave.

What it can help with

Lying awake with a mind that will not switch off
Being unable to sit still without reaching for your phone
Carrying your work home in your shoulders and jaw
Reacting instantly and regretting it four seconds later
Reading the same paragraph three times and taking in none of it
Living permanently a half-step ahead of yourself, planning the next thing during this one
Wanting some quiet in a week that does not offer much of it
Having tried meditation from an app and given it up by day four

What a session is like

You sit on a chair or on the floor, whichever your back prefers. You do not have to fold your legs into anything. You do not have to close your eyes if that feels exposed — lowering your gaze to the floor works.

I talk you through it. There are stretches of quiet, and they are shorter at the start than people expect. If your mind wanders the entire time, you have not failed; that is what the practice consists of, and I will say so out loud during the session because everyone assumes otherwise.

Nothing is forced. You can open your eyes, shift position, stretch a leg that has gone numb, or step out. There is no chanting you have to join in with and no sharing circle afterward unless you want to stay and ask something.

Afterward I usually suggest something very short to practice at home — a few minutes, not thirty. Short and daily beats long and abandoned.

Practical details

Format: Ask when you message — I’ll tell you before you book
Group size: Ask when you message — I’ll tell you before you book
Session length: Ask when you message — I’ll tell you before you book
Fee: Ask when you message — I’ll tell you before you book
How many sessions: It depends on what you come with. We review as we go, and you decide whether to continue
Languages: Ask when you message — I’ll tell you before you book
Where: Center St. Elie, Antelias
Cancellations: Ask when you message — I’ll tell you before you book
To book: Message me on WhatsApp or call 03-267-243

Common questions

I can’t stop thinking. Doesn’t that mean I can’t meditate?

No. Everyone thinks. If you notice you were thinking, that noticing is the skill, and you just did it. People who believe they are naturally good at this are usually just less honest about where their attention went.

Is this religious?

Not the way I teach it. It is a practice of attention and breathing. You are welcome to bring your own faith to it or leave it entirely out; nothing in the session asks anything of your beliefs.

Do I have to sit on the floor, or be flexible?

No. A chair is fine. Sitting comfortably matters more than sitting correctly.

I don’t want to talk about myself in front of strangers.

You will not have to. There is no going around the room. You can arrive, sit, practice, and leave without saying a word to anyone.

If you are not sure whether a class or a one-to-one session suits you better, message me on WhatsApp or call 03-267-243 and I will help you decide.