In January 2011 I travelled to and lived in India, during which time I spent 108 days in Rishikesh and the mountains of the Himalayas, where I trained to become a teacher of Vedic meditation. The Veda is the ancient record of spiritual experience and is the source of Ayurvedic medicine, yoga, meditation and Indian philosophy.

Vedic meditation originates from ancient India, over 5,000 years ago and has been passed on in its purity through teachers since that time. It was designed for householders - people engaged in daily life rather than those living a reclusive or monastic lifestyle - who were feeling the effects of stress in every day life.

The tradition was brought to the western world by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The technique is simple, natural and effortless. It is practised for 20 minutes twice a day morning and evening, sitting comfortably with eyes closed.

After years of "attempting" to meditate and doing short meditation courses to no avail, I came across this lineage of meditation. I was taught Vedic meditation by my respected Sydney-based teacher, Gary Gorrow and immediately and effortlessly became a meditator with a daily practice.

A few months after learning this tradition I attended Gary's meditation retreat in Bali. On my return home, I experienced profound changes in every area of my life, particularly my health which had been compromised for many years.

Learning to meditate has been the kindest gift I have given to myself, one that continues and will continue every day throughout my life.

Wanting to share this gift was the result of training in India with the highly revered Thom Knoles who lived, studied and travelled with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi for over two decades, and his son Charlie.

Training began with Thom in an ashram in Rishikesh, nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas along the banks of the sacred river Ganges.

With Thom's son Charlie we moved into the majestic Himalayan mountains where we continued to meditate for over 500 hours in those 108 days and learn knowledge of this tradition by Charlie.

We returned to the 40 degree heat of Rishikesh to complete our training and graduate with our teacher Thom.

At the end of my time in Rishikesh I was privileged to teach meditation to Brajesh, a young Indian man I had met soon after arriving there. My introductory talk was done sipping chai overlooking the Ganges. It's a memory I'll treasure with my heart, passing on a tradition that is sacred and pure, a tradition that brings stillness and happiness to the deepest part of one's Being, which in turn and in time vibrates to the outer and into the energy field of the Cosmos.

"The important thing is this: to be able, at any moment, to sacrifice what we are for what we could become"
                                                                                                        - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi