Learn to meditate
Take a Break to Meditate
Trying to cope and keep up with the pressures of our busy work and personal lives can make you susceptible to stress's adverse effects. Over time this can harm our health and quality of life.
Meditation can help manage stress and enable you to stay on top of your life and work and improve your well-being. Its purpose is to give you the means to achieve relaxation despite pressures and restore tranquillity, happiness and vitality.
The secret of meditation is that it is easy. Take a brief break from your daily activities to slip into a quiet space inside – you can even do it while on the move! You don't need to worry about any special equipment or cross-legged posture; you only need a minute to focus your mind.
Free Classes in College
Each session consists of simple mindfulness movements, guided breathing meditation, and various meditations to explore mindfulness in daily life. Suitable for beginners and those looking for a regular meditation practice group.
Led by Hogetsu Baerndal, Chaplain and Mindfulness teacher and Andrew Willson, College Chaplain. In Mindfulness meditation, we draw on the practice and research of Prof John Kabat-Zinn and Prof Mark Williams and some Zen traditions. Mindfulness meditation practice is not religious.
Tuesdays 13:05 - 13:50 at the Chaplaincy Multi-Faith Centre, 15 Princes Gardens, South Kensington Campus, SW7 1NA.
The sessions are currently taking place via Zoom.
Led by Hogetsu Baerndal, Chaplain and Mindfulness teacher and Andrew Willson, College Chaplain. You can subscribe to our weekly mailing list or contact us at chaplaincy@imperial.ac.uk for more information.
There is Monday Lunchtime Meditation in Hammersmith from 13:00-14:00. The address is Incubator, 80 Wood Ln, Shepherd's Bush, W12 0BZ. Please contact Gareth Lovell at g.lovell@imperial.ac.uk for more details.
The Inner Space meditation centre runs a variety of live and online guided meditations. It is suitable for both beginners and those more experienced in meditation.
Many meditation apps also have free access, including Find Your Calm and Headspace Meditation
Buddhist meditation is about the cultivation of the mind through calmness and insight.
Calmness comes from focusing attention on the breath, and insight comes from observing the body, feelings, and thoughts.
Led by Karuna Priya, Chaplain and Buddhist Faith Advisor. Suitable for beginners and those seeking a regular group.
Personalised guidance and literature are provided on request.
Fridays 13:05 - 13:50 (during term time) in Chaplaincy Multi-Faith Centre, 10 Prince's Gardens. The sessions are currently taking place via Zoom. Subscribe to our mailing list to get updates, news and upcoming events in the weekly newsletter
For more information, please contact Karuna Priya.
Christianity has a long and rich history of meditation and contemplative prayer, returning to the desert hermits and Jesus' times of solitude and teaching on prayer. Christians now share many practices from Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox Churches. There are also resonances with contemporary Mindfulness.
The session usually involves silence and stillness and one of the following:
- Slow reading of scripture
- Meditation review of the day or a project
- Using imagination to encounter the gospels
- Using experience and emotions in prayer
- Discernment when making changes in life
Mondays 13:05 - 13:40 during term time, in Chaplaincy Multi-Faith Centre, 10 Prince's Gardens. The sessions are currently taking place via Zoom.
You can subscribe to our weekly mailing list or contact: chaplaincy@imperial.ac.uk for more information.
Resources
Online resources
31 Day Meditation Challenge
Want to create a daily meditation practice? Why not take the 31-day meditation challenge! It’s free.
Subscribe to receive a daily email with a:
- meditation tip and
- 10 minute guided audio and written meditation
It’s suitable for experienced meditators and those new to meditation.