Vedic Meditation in Paris: Free Intro Talk with Tanya Dyhin
An evening to learn about this simple yet profound practice
Up until a few years ago, I was a non-meditating yogi or rather, a yogi whose connection to meditation was tenuous at best — I understood a lot about meditation in theory, but theory does not replace in real life practice.
TLDR: The FREE Introduction to Vedic Meditation talk is on Monday September 4th. If you don’t have time to read my scintillating 😉 first-person account, scroll down for the details.
Meditation Loser
As a yoga student and teacher, I had participated in a lot of meditation-specific workshops and courses with highly regarded teachers, I had read many books on meditation (Meditate by Swami Muktananda is still my favorite), I had done longer sits post-savasana and yet… rien du tout. I could not quiet my chattering mind, I could neither focus on ‘love’ nor ‘kindness’ nor even less abstract notions like my actual fucking breath, nor did I feel I possessed the right toolkit, one that might actually help me feel my way around the corners of my consciousness. I wanted very much to develop a deeper relationship to the Real Me and felt like a total yoga loser for not knowing how to go about meditating regularly.
That all changed when a canal-side coffee date turned into a meditation initiation.
Once upon a time…
In 2015, Master of Vedic Meditation Thom Knoles announced a series of meditation talks and trainings in Paris. Eager to spread this news to our audience—Thom learned meditation directly from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, after all, so I felt it was significant news to share—I used the announcement’s Contact email address to get more details about the events.
Expecting an emailed press release that I would then translate into French and share with our audience (this is basically how a lot of these things go,) instead I received a proper reply from the organizer himself, Nicho Plowman. Having recently relocated from Australia to France Nicho suggested we get together to chat, and over coffee at Le Valmy we talked about Thom’s visit, Paris and many other subjects, none of them particularly esoteric or “out there.” It was like having a drink with a calm, friendly, funny dude who just happened to be really into meditation.
So into meditation, in fact, that Nicho was/is himself a Vedic Meditation teacher 😆
To thank me for publicizing and promoting Thom’s events (which were great, but you knew that), Nicho offered to initiate me into Vedic Meditation. Thom’s talk and Nicho’s enthusiasm for the technique’s mantra-based technique struck a chord with me so I jumped at the chance to learn. What did I have to lose, anyway? I wasn’t meditating as it was and here was an opportunity to learn a classic method one-on-one with a teacher/human that I liked over a 4-day period. Could this be the key?
Spoiler alert: yes.
The technique resonated and stuck, and has been a boon for all of the years since I first began: increased perspective and creativity, slower reactions when annoyed or irritated. I am so grateful for Vedic Meditation that I even celebrate a little anniversary every year on January 21st 🎂 to say thank you to Nicho, to Thom, to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, to the Vedas and all of the sages and teachers who came before.
So… what’s an initiation like?
A sacred ritual with beautiful chanting, flowers, fruit and incense (for the Taurus among us 🙋 this ticks ALL the boxes 😂)
A bija mantra chosen specifically for you, one with the unique ability to charm your premium brand of monkey mind
Four days of accompanied meditation (with and without the teacher’s presence), two 20 minute sessions—one in the morning, one in the evening
Explanations, advice, recommendations, encouragement, support!
Once the initiation is complete, you’re ready for your very own meditation practice. You’re also invited to join Vedic and Transcendental group meditations around the world if you enjoy meditating in community.
Speaking of community: These group meditations are open to anyone who has completed a Level 1 Training in either VM or TM (the techniques are branches of the same tree) and offer a reassuring sense of structure, belonging and accountability. The people are an interesting and diverse lot from all walks of life whose comments and energy add another level of enrichment to the experience. In fact this is how I met Tanya who is leading the Intro! 😊
In-Person Intro Meditation Talk (Paris)
An informal chat to introduce you, your friends, family or colleagues to the practice of Vedic Meditation. Tanya will explain the technique, its benefits, and the initiation process with more info on training dates (Tanya conducts these in French or in English). If you’re curious to learn more about the VM method, reserve your spot! What have you got to lose?
Monday Sept. 4th, 2023
Le Pain Quotidien Les Halles (97, rue Rambuteau)
18h45
FREE