Discovering Meditation: My Time at the London Meditation Centre

Meditation is often dismissed as a pretentious, self-help practice reserved for LA Influencers and hippies. However, there is no denying the positive impact that meditation has had on me and can also have on you.

I learned how to meditate at the London Meditation Centre. Owned by Jillian Lavender and Michael Miller, the centre caters to regular people who are looking to find calm amidst their busy lives.

My experience

After a brief introduction, Jillian starts the course with an opening ceremony. The ceremony involved lighting incense and chanting – seeming to spread apprehension across the room whilst some feared they may have joined a cult.

I was then taken into a private room with Jillian, where she gave me my ‘Mantra’ – a short private sound, unique to each person which is given to you depending on your stage in life. Jillian claims this Mantra to be “objective” and that every trained instructor would give you the same one.

Jillian then taught us to use our mantra and we meditated as a group. The type of meditation they teach is Vedic Meditation (VM), created by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the 70s. This type of meditation has you focus your attention on a mantra, repeating it in your head over and over for 20 minutes, twice a day.

Overall, my experience at the London Meditation Centre was a positive one.

See Jillian and Michael discuss the course here: https://www.londonmeditationcentre.com/

The benefits

The reason I still dedicate 40-minutes of my day to meditation is not so I can go around boring people with how I’ve found ‘inner peace’, but it’s because of the proven and noticeable effect it has on my life.

Here are a few of the benefits that I’ve found: 

1.Reduced stress and anxiety

This is the most noticeable change in my life since I started meditating regularly, and one that continues even months later. For example, it has improved irritable conversations with housemates about the cleanness of the kitchen!

2. Improved presence

I’ve found that I am less likely to turn to scroll TikTok whilst I’m on the train or before bed and I am more comfortable being in the moment.

3. Improved sleep

Jillian claims the rest you receive is 5x the amount of sleeping. Although I was sceptical of these promises, I find that I wake up more rested even though I have slept for the same time.

How to get started?

If you’re looking to try meditation but aren’t sure where to start, there are many options available. The London Meditation Centre offers a comprehensive program, but if it’s not in your budget, there are many award-winning meditation apps and free YouTube videos that can guide you through your practice.

• Headspace (Free 14 Day Trial)
• Balance (Free 1 Year Trial)
• Calm (Free 7 Day Trial)
• Breethe (Free 14 Day Trial)

Alternatively, many free YouTube videos take you through guided meditations.

Don’t let preconceived notions hold you back from experiencing the many benefits of meditation – give it a try today and see for yourself how it can positively impact your life.