Is it the mantra? Or the technique?
Yes, the mantra is an important part of Vedic Meditation.
But how you are taught to use the mantra is much more important.
So don’t believe people who tell you that you need a “personalized” mantra to transcend, or that there’s only one way you can learn. I’ve taught thousands of people to meditate and what I can honestly report is that people have the same success whether they get a personalized mantra on a traditional Vedic Meditation course, or whether they use the universal mantra they get on the FLOW Meditation course. And it doesn’t matter if you learn in-person or over Zoom. What matters is that you learn the proper technique of how to use the mantra to help make meditation easy, effortless and enjoyable. There’s a lot of information on this site, but if you have any questions at all don’t hesitate to reach out.
OK, so what is the Vedic technique?
To practice this type of meditation, you sit comfortably in a chair with your back supported and your eyes closed. You begin to think the mantra silently in the mind, as gently as possible. There is no chanting, focusing, concentrating or contemplating involved – and you don’t have to control the mind in any way. The experience feels natural, simple and effortless because you never have to ‘try’ to meditate. You never feel that you have to try to push thoughts away or concentrate on images. You won’t be reliant upon apps, or headphones, or any other technology in order to experience the deepest states of your awareness. You also won’t be asked to “think about this and now visualize that” to manufacture a good mood. The time will often fly by, and soon you’ll learn to meditate almost anywhere, no matter how noisy or busy or bright it is.
Do I have to learn in-person?
The short answer is “No, you don’t.” I love teaching in-person, and it can be a wonderful way to learn. But the truth is that the vast majority of people who’ve heard about how great Vedic Meditation is don’t live within several hundred miles of a teacher. I live in San Fransisco and have taught at least 100 live Vedic Meditation courses over Zoom for people all over the world. And even more people have learned this easy, effortless approach to meditation on their own schedule by taking the FLOW Meditation Online Course. As I said before, the most important thing is for you to find a course that fits your life, schedule and budget, and that’s why I take a flexible approach to teaching, because I care more about your success than I do about dogma.
What is the FLOW Meditation Course like?
This is the easiest and most affordable way for you to learn. FLOW Meditation is based on the traditional Vedic Meditation course, but restructured to make the practice more accessible for those learning on their own schedule. There are 12 high-quality video lessons, plus 35 short support videos in an Experience Library that will help answer questions and validate the experiences you’re having on the course. Plus you’ll enjoy a full support program including direct email and phone support from me, 3x weekly online group meditations, a private WhatsApp group, a 16-week follow-up course when you complete the lessons. (Note: clicking the button will take you to another site where the course is hosted.)
“I was dabbling with meditation apps on and off for about a year and I was a little hesitant to take an online course, but I’m so glad I did. The course is very easy to follow, you can do it at your own pace, and it’s very simple to apply. My anger and stress levels have greatly reduced, and meditation has become been a vital piece of my mental well-being. I can’t say enough good things. Thank you James!”
What is the Vedic Meditation course like?
The traditional Vedic Mediation course was always taught live and in-person. During COVID I started teaching over Zoom and the results were so good that I continue to offer Zoom sessions in addition to in-person instruction. The course is taught in a gradual, step-wise format over three or four 90-minute sessions taken over the course of 4-7 days. In addition to attending the daily sessions students are also assigned practice meditations at home. This ensures that everyone will gain enough understanding and experience with both the technique and the underlying principles to become self-sufficient by the end of the course.
Session 1: Witness the initiation ceremony to receive your mantra and the basic instruction for how to use it effectively in meditation.
Session 2:How the mind moves in meditation. The practice of effortlessly allowing the mind to settle.
Session 3: How the body responds to meditation. Relax, recharge and the release of stress.
Session 4: Integration & follow-up support. How to become a daily meditator and enjoy all the benefits.
I teach only private Vedic Meditation courses, which allows for the most intimate, personalized learning experience. You can watch this intro video to learn more about the practice, the course and the benefits you can expect from learning. When you’re ready to get started click the button.
Cost: The course is offered on a sliding scale based on your financial situation, number of participants and travel.
“The private course was the only way I could make learning work with my schedule. I initially imagined it would be challenging to embed the practice in my daily work routine and weekends (that are more unstructured in nature) and I actually look forward to my meditation breaks and have been able to enjoy them twice a day, almost every day since learning over almost 2 years ago. In general I feel less stressed and worried about things. And as I result I feel lighter and happier.”
Do both Vedic and FLOW offer support after the course?
Yes indeed. In fact the robust follow-up support program all students enjoy is a big reason why so many are so successful making meditation a daily habit. Here’s what kind of support can expect whether you take a Vedic Meditation or a FLOW Meditation course.
I promise to answer all your questions as thoroughly and quickly as possible, often within a day. Usually I answer via email, but if we need to jump on a call we will. People are often pleasantly surprised by how much personal attention they get AFTER the course.
You are invted to attend any and all of our free online group meditations, which are currently offered 3X a week at times that work for people all around the world. The sessions are also recorded and can be accessed through our private WhatsApp community. You’ll also get a lot of support an encouragement from the other meditators you’ll meet in our community.
After you complete the course you will receive a 16-week follow-up course via email. The weekly lessons reinforce and expand on what you learned with me, and also contain tips and tricks that you can use to make meditation part of your busy, noisy life.
My promise to you.
I take a flexible, non-traditional approach to teaching, but that doesn’t mean I don’t take it seriously. Learning this approach to meditation changed my life (and saved my marriage), and now my great honor is to be able to share it with you. So I promise to do whatever I can to make this simple, powerful practice accessible and doable and successful for you. If you’re ready to learn, I’m ready to teach. – With love, James
Corporate & Executive programs
Getting a bunch of people in the same organization to meditate has been demonstrated to produce remarkable results, including less distractions from in-fighting and other corrosive forces. So whether you’re interested in a program for top management, or for your entire staff, we can design a program that suits your needs. We offer single-session workshops and multi-session courses for groups from 10 - 500 people. To inquire please email us.
