Real Life Meditation
About Karen
Karen is a long-time meditator, qualified Meditation Teacher and member of Meditation Australia.
In 2020 Karen was diagnosed with breast cancer and, while undergoing treatment, trained to become a meditation teacher, to share with others the wonderful benefits of a regular meditation practice.
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This experience also inspired Karen to develop a program for other women experiencing breast cancer, to help manage side effects, boost mood and improve overall health and wellbeing. Karen also provides weekly meditation sessions at local Toowoomba Cancer Wellness Centre, Hope Horizons.
Based in Toowoomba Queensland, Karen provides in person and online meditation training for groups, and individuals, as well as meditation retreats.
Training encompasses a wide variety of techniques from across the four main styles of meditation, so you can find the right technique for you!
What's on offer?
Group Training
Learn a range of meditation techniques from the four main styles of meditation in a supportive group environment with the
"Meditation Deep Dive" 6 week course - online or in person.
or the "Meditation 101" weekend intensive
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Both courses aim to provide you with the skills to start your own independent meditation practice.
Personalised 1:1 Meditation Coaching
Prefer to learn 1:1?
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With the personalised meditation coaching package, Karen works with you to develop a meditation practice tailored specifically to your needs, and considering your own specific mind type. Sessions consist of a mix of face to face and/or online.
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Coaching packages start at $300 and include an initial online planning session to identify your needs, a face to face or online training session, and a follow up online review session.
Retreats
Coming soon...
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Learning and deep rest in beautiful places with like-minded people
Our philosophy
Real Life Meditation is just that, meditation training designed to help you get the most out of real life.
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Real life Meditation is about creating the space for busy people to build their own unique meditation practice. It is non-secular and (mostly) woo-woo free with no lotus position required.
FAQ
What are the four styles of meditation?
The four main styles of meditation are present moment awareness (concentration techniques), calm focus (contemplation techniques), energised body and mind (breath and body techniques) and transcendental/self awareness (restful alertness techniques using mantras). Each has its own range of techniques and benefits and we teach a range of techniques from all four styles.
I've tried to meditate before but can't stop thinking, can you teach me?
This is a really common myth about meditation. The aim of meditation isn't to rid the mind of thoughts, thoughts and awareness of sensations are involuntary and normal, and trying to stop thinking is like trying to stop the heart from beating. In many meditations, thoughts popping up is a sign of stress leaving the body. What we do in meditation is train our awareness to not get carried away by the thoughts into the past or the future and instead bring our attention back to what is happening, right here, right now. It's a process, not a destination.
I have physical limitations, can I still meditate?
Yes! Most meditations don't actually require you to sit on the floor or cross legged. Personally, I mostly meditate supported in a chair. No lotus positions required!
How long are the sessions in the 6 week course and when do they run?
Each session lasts between 1-2 hours and run weekly at a time convenient to the group. Generally, this is in the evening or on a weekend but is negotiated with the group. For online classes, these are recorded and can be watched at any time.
How long does the weekend intensive class take?
"Meditation 101" is an abbreviated version of the 6 week course. It runs over a Saturday/Sunday with 2 hours each day of instruction. If you want to test out meditation, this is a good starting point and you can get a discount off the 6 week course if you decide to enroll after completing the intensive.