The art of Vedic Meditation

4 mins to read

Gary Gorrow teaches everyone from celebrities to grandparents the art of Vedic Mediation. So what is this technique that people are flocking in droves to learn? We chat with him to find out.

Stress relief & sleep support

Gary Gorrow is regarded as the next generation of self-growth experts, a favourite among Zen seekers and A-listers.

He teaches everyone from celebrities to health practitioners, entrepreneurs to film directors, fashion designers to grandparents, and even children the art of Vedic Mediation.

So what is this technique that people are flocking in droves to learn? We chat with him to find out.

1. What is meditation?

Meditation is the simple process of turning the awareness within and bringing the mind and body into a settled state of being.

2. You teach and practice Vedic Meditation, how does it differ from other techniques?

There are several key distinctions between Vedic Meditation and other forms of meditation.

The main difference is that Vedic Meditation is a completely effortless technique practiced while sitting comfortably with the eyes closed. There is absolutely no effort, concentration or mind control involved.

Each meditator learns a specific sound or 'mantra' that acts as a vehicle to take the mind naturally and effortlessly into a deep meditative state. It's a very automatic process.

The other distinctions are that this technique is more than 5,000 years old and the neurophysiological state you experience when practicing this meditation technique is one of global coherence in the brain which very few techniques can create.

3. What led you to Vedic Mediation?

I was leading a very busy and dynamic working life and the pressure of it all began getting the better of me. I felt myself becoming increasingly stressed and reactionary to simple situations. I could feel my general sense of happiness going into decline and it was at that moment that I realised I needed to do something to turn things around. Fortunately I learned to meditate and it's worked wonders.

4. There’s a perception that meditation is hard, is it?

With the correct technique and the correct instruction meditation is effortless. Shown the right path the mind will effortlessly fall into the meditative state, but if the method used is ineffective the process will become frustrating and the benefit will be minimal at best.

That's why it's important to understand all techniques of meditation are different, just like modes of transport are different; we have bicycles, ferries, planes that all take you places but at completely different speeds. People are astounded at how easy it is to get into a deep meditative state with VM.

I've managed to teach 5 year olds and 95 years to master this practice. It's got nothing to do with me, but the technique has been masterfully developed through an ancient lineage.

5. Why should people learn to meditate?

Anyone with an interest in becoming healthier and happier should learn to meditate. Meditation has become a global phenomenon which people of all walks of life realising that it is ultimately their state of mind that defines how they experience life.

A change in consciousness means a change in everything, health, performance, outlook, intelligence, memory, digestion. As Deepak Chopra once said “If you don't believe in meditation then you don't believe in your brain because 50 years of neuroscience has shown it to be the most effective means to transform the brain, mind and consciousness.”

When you think about it, it really is astounding how little we do in our culture to rest and rejuvenate ourselves, instead we're always on the go working long working hours, interacting with technologies endlessly, expending our energies performing all manner of tasks and very seldom do we stop to reset and simply be.

6. How is mediation good for mental and physical health?

Believe it or not most physical ailments have their genesis in the mind. Doctors reveal that as much as 90% of human diseases are caused or aggravated by stress. It is crucial to understand the mind-body connection here especially as we seek to become healthier and happier.

The principle is simple; the blueprint for the human body is perfect health, while the nature of a balanced mind is to be joyfulness (balanced being the operative word here.) The problem is we live very busy and demanding lives which puts our mind-body systems out of rhythm and so begins the degradation of our wellbeing.

By meditating you're ultimately creating the ideal conditions for the mind and body to heal and return to a state of balance.

7. What are the benefits of mediation for stress in particular?

Thousands of scientific studies have shown how meditation strengthens the nervous system, enhances immunity, alters the functioning of the brain, elevates mood, unfolds the potential of the mind, but perhaps the most impressive effect is the dissolution of stress.

Stress is the result of the 'fight or flight' response and this reaction causes stress and tension to accumulate in the body. The primary way in which we release this stress is through night time sleep, but there is more stress in our systems then sleep can remove and so stress builds in our systems and if unreleased becomes problematic.

When you meditate you access a level of rest that is several times deeper than sleep and this profound level of rest allows the body to throw of deep seated stresses and return to an optimal state of health. With continued meditation practice all the stresses in the body can be released and you can arrive at a point where you've become immune to stress.

8. What are your 7 tips for living a less stressed life?

Do what you love. If you want to thrive in life then you must do what you love. Healthy questions to ask yourself- 'What do I really want'? 'If money wasn't an object what would I be doing’? If the answer is something other than what you're doing then you need to start designing your life accordingly. To not do this would mean a level of discontent will always be felt within you.
Meditate. Take time out each day to meditate and rejuvenate yourself. Think of meditation as preparation for dynamic activity. As I often say to people "First be; then do." Action coming from chaos creates chaos. Action from centred being creates fulfilment.
Live mindfully. What we think we become, so using your awareness wisely is one of the most important things you can do to stay centred, present and balanced. Stress essentially indicates a departure from centred awareness.
Remove interference. An important thing to do is examine your life and identify the thing or things that are generating interference to you becoming what you aspire to be. It may be unhealthy habits, diet and lifestyle or thought patterns. Whatever it is let go of it and cultivate the good things.
Rewrite your programming. Much of what we feel is determined not by the world around us, but by how we interpret the world around us. A vital inclusion in the manual for successful living is to learn to adjust your perceptions and beliefs. Become an optimist and cultivate the positive in every situation and circumstance.
Cultivate balance. It's important to create an enriching lifestyle rather than a depleting one. Too often people overextend themselves in their work and this approach never ends well. It's all about what you value. There is time in life for everything we simply need to prioritise ourselves properly.
Exercise and healthy eating is an obvious thing we all need to do to remain healthy. As the expression goes we are what we eat and we become what we do daily, so treat your body with the utmost reverence and give it the finest fuel you can find.

9. Tell us some fascinating facts about meditation that most people wouldn’t know?

Vedic Meditation creates a state of EEG coherence within the brain. Meditation has been shown to slow the aging process- adding not only years to your life, but life to your years.

10. What’s the most interesting question we should be asking that we haven’t thought of yet?

Perhaps a good question is 'What is the ultimate purpose to meditation? While meditation is celebrated today as a universal tool for the elimination of stress, the ancient sages utilised it as a tool for the awakening of consciousness. This for me surpasses all other considerations and benefits. Consciousness is everything.

Gary Gorrow is an independent teacher of the Vedic Meditation Technique, an Ayurvedic Health Consultant and is also co-founder of The Conscious Club, which is part of the rapidly growing mainstream consciousness movement spreading across the country and globe. He is also the co-founder of 1 Giant Mind a non-profit organisation that is undertaking a global initiative to unite science and spirit in the world’s largest experiment and assembly of eyes closed silence in human history. For more information visit www.garygorrow.com