Balance September 2019 - 17

MEDITATION

M E D I TAT I O N

BEEJA

MANUAL
ALT THERAPY

Meditation isn't a challenge, so how come so many people still
can't commit to it? The good news? Beej is the word...
WORDS JAMES GILL

I

've been into wellness and personal development since
I bought Paul McKenna's seminal Change Your Life in Seven
Days in 2004. It would prove the perfect gateway drug. Across
the many books I've since read, experts I've interviewed and
pieces I've penned, there has been one constant: the myriad
benefits of mediation. But has it been enough to see me commit to
a daily practice? Has it f*ck. Which is, quite frankly, inexcusable.
Meditation is one of the few things that unites those who prefer
fact-based practices (it has been scientifically proven to reduce
stress) with those who are "a bit woo-woo". If you're like me, you
happily straddle both camps: I like to feel the burn and I love
Rhonda Byrne.
So I headed to a beautiful Hoxton flat, home of Will Williams
(one of the leading luminaries in the world of meditation) in the
hope he could
wave his magic
meditational
wand. Could
he get me to
commit to a
daily session?
As we sit
and chat over
a tea, it seems
that we are
kindred spirits,

I CLOSE MY
EYES, AS
WILL SOFTLY
REPEATS 'BEEJA'
OVER AND OVER

GIVE IT A GO
There's a chance
you want to try and
meditate but don't.
So why not now?

having got into the world of wellness in a bid to
escape years of excess. Will worked in the music
industry, where hell-raising was a way of life. I'm
not as cool: think more drunk dialling and selfrecrimination on a Sunday morning.
The Beeja practice, which is around 10,000
years old (and is said to reduce stress and
anxiety, promote clarity and calm, increase focus,
enhance relationships, forge better sleep and
energise you), is easy. We sit on adjacent seats,
whereupon Will does a full body scan and I close
my eyes. He then softly repeats: "Beeja". That's
it. Now, this is where I always come undone,
with an internal monologue that goes: "Got to
concentrate. Mustn't let the mind wander. Is it
wandering now? A bit, I guess. Probably should
focus on him saying 'Beeja'. It does sound a bit like
'BJ'. Probably shouldn't even be thinking that..."
Eventually, the mind settles and I reach that
sweet spot of focus, without being too focused.
And then Will is bringing me back into the room.
How long did it last? Could be anywhere between
20 and 40 minutes. I'm clueless. Which, as far as
Will is concerned, is job done. I feel serene, there
is a softness in the shoulders (which is rare) and
the mind is settled.
So, was I meditating the next morning? No
siree. However (and, no, I'm not being paid to
say this) there is now a new Beeja app, which has
proved a Godsend. I might not commit to finding
a quiet place in the house each morning (no such
thing with two young kids), but I can commit to
popping on the headphones when I can.
And, at the time of writing, Beeja is proving a
whole new perfect gateway drug.

BAD ROMANCE?

HIGH POINT
The immediate
feeling of serenity
LOW POINT
Unquestionably
leaving Will's flat
COST £294
for a seven-hour
course, spread
over three days
BOOKING INFO
For information
about meditation
classes, visit beeja
meditation.com

If there's one thing
Grease, Shirley
Valentine or Mamma
Mia have taught us,
it's the hotter the
season, the more
risqué the romance.
But what was once
a rite of passage has
lost its sizzle.
In a recent report,
70 per cent of 18-35
year-olds revealed
they'd never had a
summer love, with half

admitting they have
no interest. Instead,
younger generations
are choosing to spend
quality time with
friends, family or
existing partners,
swapping steamy
liaisons for selfies.
In the age of dating
apps, perhaps the
thought of exotic
strangers taking to
social media to track
you down isn't quite
the romantic image
we were once sold?
Laura Hill,
Senior Editor,
welltodoglobal.com

17
http://www.meditation.com http://www.welltodoglobal.com
Balance September 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Balance September 2019
