Brenda Murphy, who recently moved from her farm in Goderich to Thornbury, believes in the power of meditation and wants to share her practice with the community.
“I thought it would be nice to offer something that will help people find some peace in these stressful times,” says Murphy, a certified meditation and Hatha yoga instructor.
Murphy has maintained a private meditation and yoga practice for more than 40 years. She recently participated in a global meditation event, the Sattva Global Himalayan Meditation, which offered a continuous wave of guided meditations from instructors around the globe.
“Basically, Sattva Yoga (Rishikesh, India) teachers across the globe are coming together over a 12-hour period to offer a unique, one-time event for healing and change,” Murphy explains. “There are hundreds of teachers like myself participating, and will reach ten of thousands at the conclusion.”
The event was offered for free and participants followed along on Facebook Live. Murphy hosted her meditation session on Thursday morning, but plans to continue offering these sessions through her personal Facebook page.
“Aside from this particular meditation this morning, I am offering daily meditations live at 10:00 a.m. every morning, (and recorded) for people to access at their convenience through my personal page. It is a nice way for me to continue teaching,” she says.
Murphy was certified through the McLean Meditation Institute in Sedona and mentored by meditation teacher, Sarah McLean, who is also offering live, guided meditation sessions four times daily until April 15.
Both Murphy and McLean note the benefits of meditation and its ability to ease anxiety, which they say some people may find helpful in the face of COVID-19 stress.
“Yoga and meditation facilitate the healing of body and mind as well as literally re-wires the brain based on our directive,” Murphy notes.
She explains that meditation and yoga incorporates both ancient and modern techniques and serves to calm and soothe the mind and central nervous system, and that, regular practice can facilitate the reduction in anxiety, blood pressure, and improve sleep, concentration, memory, productivity and compassion. For more details, visit Murphy's website - Interior Conciousness.
