Wellness Retreats on the West Coast of Ireland
The word meditation is everywhere nowadays, from celebrity gossip to corporate wellness.
But what does it truly mean?
At the Burren Yoga Retreat, we encourage you to look beyond the passing trends and delve into the
ancient, authentic source of this transformative practice.
The philosophy that underpins yoga and meditation is profound: it is a Oneness of All—a universe
that is intrinsically One.
However, humans using their brains and in particular the left hemisphere, look out at the world and the first
thing they do is to cut it up into arbitrary little bits.
This thing, and that thing… and they put names on these “Things”.
However the Yoga Philosophy says these concepts of “Things” are not the real representation of the
Universe and are in fact creations of the mind.
And then humans juggle these concepts around in their minds using language and logic, and actually think
they are talking about the Universe.
But Yoga says that they have fundamentally distorted the Universe in the first place by conjuring up these
non-existent ‘divisions’ and created these “things” that they give words to.
Yoga advises that we do not get lost or side tracked by using concepts… and instead to learn practices to
quieten this conceptual mind that uses language and concepts and mis-conceptions of the actual Universe.
And through these practices to quieten the babble of the mind, our awareness begins to transcend the
conceptual thought, and instead to get in touch with a more feeling of “Being”, and actually experience of
“Being” rather than “thinking about concepts that are inherently non-existent”.
Trying to describe the state of genuine meditation using words is like trying to bottle the wind.
It’s impossible because the experience transcends concepts and language.
That’s why, when asked what meditation is, the Buddha replied, “Neti, neti, neti“—it is not this, it is not this.
Instead of chasing a definition using words, the true journey is to follow the practices that quiet the mind’s constant babble and brings you into a state of pure, non-conceptual Being.
In the Western world, we are conditioned to grasp everything with our intellect.
We constantly ask “What? Why? How?” This has driven incredible progress over mans history, but it keeps our awareness fixed outwards.
Meditation is the essential counter-practice: it teaches us to guide our awareness gently inwards.
The first step is to simply become aware of the thoughts rather than being carried away by them.
To do this, we give the mind an anchor—a stable focus to observe thoughts without engagement.
The most common and effective anchor is your breath. Specifically, we learn to watch the subtle sensation of the air flowing gently in and out through the nostrils. This small, focused area minimizes the mind’s tendency to wander.
As you observe, thoughts will appear, like clouds drifting past a window. You simply notice them, but you don’t jump aboard the “thought train.”
With kindness and patience, you bring your awareness back to the breath, gently, every time.
This practice is simple, but consistency is key. Like teaching a child to brush their teeth, establishing a daily meditation habit requires discipline, especially in the first month.
At our meditation retreats Ireland, our experienced teachers provide the guidance and supportive environment you need to build this life-changing practice and turn it into a positive, lasting habit.
The breath awareness technique is the meditation practice that leads to the resulting state of Meditation.
According to yoga philosophy, there are four states of awareness: waking, dreaming, deep sleep, and the fourth state, Turya, which is the blissful state achieved through deep meditation.
When you practice consistently, you gradually become aware of the space between the thoughts.
Initially, these glimpses of inner quiet may be fleeting—less than a second.
But these moments are significant; they are the sign that your awareness is starting to transcend the conceptual mind.
With continued practice, the spaces lengthen, and your awareness can begin to rest in this silence, unchained from the endless chatter.
This is when you begin to experience glimpses of a profound sense of Being without thought—a state that is beyond words.
Within the yogic and Buddhist traditions, the flow of energy in the channels is key.
The two main energy channels, Ida (feminine, receptive) and Pingala (masculine, forceful), are often unbalanced during our active daily lives.
Meditation practice works to bring these two energies into harmony.
When this balance is achieved, energy naturally begins to rise through the central channel, the Sushumna.
When the energy is flowing through Sushumna, this is described as the State of Meditation. This subtle process is one of the many reasons why sustained practice is so vital.
The single most important element in starting a successful meditation practice is finding a comfortable sitting posture with an erect spine.
If you are constantly feeling discomfort, fidgeting or in pain, your attention will remain fixated on the body, not the breath.
This is where yoga becomes your essential preparation. The practices of Hatha yoga open the hips, strengthen the back muscles, and remove stiffness, allowing you to eventually sit crossed-legged with ease and stability.
It is almost impossible to find the perfect posture on your own.
An experienced teacher is crucial to observe how you sit and guide you with the correct use of props—blocks under your cushion, supports under your knees, or gentle physical adjustments to align your back.
This guidance ensures you feel what a naturally straight spine is like, setting you up for success.
We teach posture and foundational breathwork (pranayama) on all our retreats Ireland to help you establish this vital foundation.
Consistency is the bedrock of lasting transformation.
To deepen your practice, we advise sitting at the same time and in the same place each day.
Find a quiet space where you won’t be disturbed.
For the best energetic balance, avoid eating or drinking stimulants like tea or coffee immediately before you sit.
A morning shower can be a beneficial preparation, helping you to feel wide-awake and refreshed, ensuring you are relaxed but not drowsy.
The final, most crucial piece of advice is to be patient and without expectation.
Do not hope for specific experiences, and do not judge whatever arises—whether it’s discomfort, restlessness, or a moment of stillness.
Simply accept it. Enjoy the quiet. Savour the simple act of watching your breath.
This non-grasping, non-judgemental approach allows the benefits of the practice to unfold naturally.
Would you like to build this foundational practice under expert guidance?
Dave Brocklebank, the founder of the Burren Yoga Retreat, has distilled 45 years of experience into a simple, effective home practice.
It’s helpful to know that various schools of thought—such as Zen, Vipassana, Mindfulness, and Transcendental Meditation—use different language and techniques.
These different schools have their own philosophy and their own terms, and one needs to be careful as the word Meditation in one school can mean something different to a different school.
Whole books have been written on Meditation within each of these schools, and it is beyond the scope of this article to go into the comparison of the different schools.
At the Burren Yoga Retreat, we bring together the best of yoga and meditation techniques taught by authentic experienced caring teachers who have been practicing themselves for many years.
In this nurturing environment, this allows you to focus completely on your inner journey while being supported in this very positive environment..
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