Q. WHAT IS THE BROAD PLACE?
The Broad Place is essentially a school, with a thoughtful, modern approach to conscious living created by Jacqui Lewis and Arran Russell. We provide teachings, tools and techniques as well as experiences and retreats, and books for better living.
Q. WHO TEACHES THE EDUCATION FROM THE BROAD PLACE?
Jacqui Lewis is our head teacher of Integrated Meditation and Mindfit Meditation, as well as hosting our Workplace Programs and Retreats, and is the author of 4 books that we have published. Jacqui has been meditating for 23 years and teaching for 9 years now. We also have a wonderful teacher Jo Simpson who teaches Integrated Meditation with us as well as hosts Meditation Meetings and does Mentoring with our Integrated Meditation students.
DO I HAVE TO BECOME VERY SPIRITUAL TO MEDITATE OR LEARN WITH THE BROAD PLACE?
Absolutely not! We teach many people from all walks of life, with many or no spiritual or religious backgrounds – and they all utilise our teachings as toosl for better living. We are proud to provide dogma free teachings, and instead focus on embracing all philosophies as valid, helping students find their own unique path instead of prescribing one.
Q. I CAN’T SIT CROSS LEGGED AND I DON’T HAVE A SPECIAL ROOM, LET ALONE A QUIET SPACE, CAN I STILL MEDITATE WITH WHAT YOU TEACH?
If you can sit in a chair with your back supported, you can meditate with our techniques. No need for sitting cross legged or in any unusual positions! No chanting and no new names required. Noise doesn’t stop you from meditating, and you can meditate in a bus, taxi, or in a meeting room, in your lounge room or even whilst Peppa Pig is playing! When we say noise is no barrier, we mean it. If you can think ‘that noise is driving me crazy’ you can think your mantra. If you can think your mantra, you can meditate. Unless you are sitting on a jackhammer, you will be fine.
meditation practice has provided more creativity and clarity
Q. WHAT IS INTEGRATED MEDITATION EXACTLY?
Integrated Meditation is an ancient practice that involves sitting easily with the eyes closed, repeating a mantra in the mind for 15-20 minutes. This technique comes from the same lineage as Transcendental and Vedic Meditation, and we share it in a vibrant and modern way, free of dogma and patriarchy.
We don’t chant our mantras out loud or sit in any strange positions to meditate and we don’t need a decade of experience to meditate with success. In fact students see benefit almost immediately. A mantra is a sound without meaning, but one that has a particular resonance to the mind. When given a personalised mantra to you by a qualified teacher, with the training on how to work with it, the mantra moves the mind past thought into a thoughtless state. Beyond thought is an inner contentment within each of us, and the mind bathes in this. Simultaneously the body through this practice releases and dissolves stress, tension and fatigue. No straining and trying to not think thoughts, no taming the monkey mind, no deep breathing is required. It’s incredibly easy and students after learning in 3 sessions are meditating with success. The results include increased clarity and creative thinking, a calmer and more grounded composition, less stress, fatigue and tension and much increased happiness and joy. We become more adaptable, more dynamic and far more productive when practising Vedic meditation.
Q. WHY IS INTEGRATED MEDITATION SO LOVED, AND SO SPECIAL?
This is what our students have to say!
100% OF OUR STUDENTS SAID THEY WOULD RECOMMENDED THIS TECHNIQUE TO PEOPLE THEY KNOW
100% SAID IT IS EASY AND SIMPLE TO LEARN INTEGRATED MEDITATION
98% REPORTED THE LEARNING IS OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY
98% LOVED THE ONGOING SUPPORT AND SAID IT’S INCREDIBLE VALUE FOR MONEY
96% SAID THIS MEDITATION IMPROVED THEIR WELLBEING, GENERAL HEALTH AND INCREASED RELAXATION
90% INCREASE IN CREATIVITY AND CLARITY
Q, HOW ARE YOUR INTEGRATED MEDITATION COURSES RUN?
A Group Course in Integrated Meditation is hosted over 3 sessions over 3 days. We host our courses over 3 days so our students experience an optimal learning experience with time in which to do their homework and meditate at home or at work in between. This results in students graduating with great experience and confidence. The first session is 45 minutes minutes long and is a one on one session with your teacher, and the following sessions are in small groups each 2.5 hours each – one session each day for the next two days. After sitting the course you have everything you need to meditate with success on your own, as well as ongoing support from us.
Q. IS THERE ANY FLEXIBILITY FOR ME WITHIN THESE COURSE TIMES?
There is flexibility for your one on one session, but the Group Sessions remain as they are scheduled.! Contact us if you would like some more information on this as this can be on special request moved to a private session. Ultimately we will help guide you on an optimal study experience should circumstances prevent you from sitting 3 consecutive days. Additionally, you might wish to consider a Private Course in Integrated Meditation, whereby the sessions and the content are tailored to your personal needs. Please send us an email at info@thebroadplace.com.au
Q. I FEEL LIKE THE COURSE FEE IS EXPENSIVE, WHY IS DOES IT COST MORE THAN AT MY LOCAL YOGA SCHOOL?
Integrated Meditation is different than from what you learn in a drop in class format. We teach a mantra based practice, an independent practice and life long tool, that once learnt you can practice anywhere you like (you don’t need us to do it) and that you receive lifelong support for. We offer the most effective meditation technique, taught with the highest grade delivery. Our students experience the very best on every level with the purity of ancient knowledge delivered in an engaging and modern way.
Integrated Meditation is also a larger investment as it’s a deeper training with ongoing personal support. We suggest you also look into Mindfit Meditation which is a beginners based mantra meditation practice that we offer for the time and price sensitive.
Q I HAVE PRACTICED OTHER TYPES BEFORE, LIKE GUIDED AND MINDFULNESS AND I FOUND THEM HARD. WHY IS INTEGRATED MEDITATION EASIER?
If we were to use the analogy of meditation being like exercise, most meditation practices are like taking a walk around the block. They can be an excellent place to start, but you won’t get fit long term. Integrated Meditation is the exercise equivalent of getting extremely fit, and quickly. Learning with The Broad Place is like having a personal fitness instructor guiding you through the process and correcting you with minor adjustments for the greatest results. Your success as a meditator is our success. We guarantee you can practice successfully with Integrated Meditation. Most students come to our school saying ‘oh you know I’ve never been able to meditate before and I’m just sure I’m the one who can’t do it’ and they leave with huge grins and absolute confidence in their practice after sitting our course.
Q. WHAT DOES ANCIENT AND VEDIC MEAN? IS THIS A NEW MEDITATION TOOL LIKE MINDFULNESS IS?
The body of knowledge that is the Veda (where all yoga and meditation originally came from) originated in India more than 5,000 years ago and the integrity of the tradition has been preserved by an unbroken lineage of teachers from that time. The Vedas are the ancient Indian body of knowledge that is the source of Ayurvedic medicine, yoga, and Indian philosophy. The technique is universal in its nature, practised by and benefiting people all over the world, regardless of their society, profession, age, religion, or belief system.
Although originating in India this is not exclusively “Indian” knowledge. Vedic meditation is an ancient technique that was developed for “householders”— people who are completely engaged in life and we still use this today for modern day living..It’s the perfect meditation technique for people with hyperactive minds who lead busy, active lives with jobs, relationships, families and more. The word Vedic comes from the ancient Sanskrit word Veda, or knowledge.
Q. WHAT ARE THE OUTCOMES OF INTEGRATED MEDITATION?
Our students report and the scientific studies behind this technique prove they include;
- increased happiness and joy
- increased productivity
- reduction of, if not elimination of stress, tension and fatigue
- assistance with physical health and well-being
- access to greater clarity and creativity
- increased vitality and better sleep
- expansion of ones conscious state
Q. WHAT EXACTLY DOES THE COURSE FEE INCLUDE?
The course fee includes the in-person tuition in meditation, the ability to re-sit the group course at anytime. Additionally, it includes all our Enhanced Education Modules, you will learn Rounding through video tuition, and have access to our IaM Vault with recordings, lectures and more! As an Integrated Meditation student, you will also be able to join our Weekly Online Recharge Sessions and will have free access to our monthly Gatherings, an interview series on creativity, clarity and consciousness, Group Meditation and social gathering.
Q. I CAN’T SIT CROSS LEGGED AND I DON’T HAVE A SPECIAL ROOM, LET ALONE A QUIET SPACE, CAN I STILL DO INTEGRATED MEDITATION?
If you can sit in a chair with your back supported, you can meditate with our techniques. No need for sitting cross legged or in any unusual positions! No chanting and no new names required. Noise doesn’t stop you from meditating, and you can meditate in a bus, taxi, or in a meeting room, in your lounge room or even whilst Peppa Pig is playing! When we say noise is no barrier, we mean it. If you can think ‘that noise is driving me crazy’ you can think your mantra. If you can think your mantra, you can meditate. Unless you are sitting on a jackhammer, you will be fine.
Q. I LOVE TO ENJOY A FEW DRINKS AND I EAT RED MEAT, CAN I STILL LEARN AND PRACTICE?
We love this question as we get it all the time. It’s a meditation technique, not a religion, you can do whatever you please with your life!
Q. I AM NOT KEEN ON GROUP EXPERIENCES! IS THIS FOR ME?
That’s ok, and we offer Private Courses in a one on one setting also, you can email us info@thebroadplace.com.au and we can chat with you about organising this.
We would like to mention though that you’re not sharing the inner workings of your soul in our meditation course! You’re listening, putting it in to practice and asking questions as you need to ensure you have all that you need. We take care of everything, and there’s no need to contribute anything within the course if you don’t wish.
We also recommend exploring Mindfit Meditation, our other offering, as this can be learnt as self study without a group setting.
Q. I AM RESULTS DRIVEN, HOW LONG UNTIL I SEE RESULTS?
Good, so are we! From the very first session, you will begin to see results and shifts and changes. Everyone tracks differently, but everyone notices within the course changes and these continue with your daily practice.
Q. HOW IS MINDFIT DIFFERENT TO INTEGRATED MEDITATION?
Mindfit Meditation is a beginners based meditation course that you can sit on your own as self study. Integrated Meditation is also for beginners but is a deeper more intensive study program, where you receive a personal mantra and the daily practice is 20 minutes twice daily. Mindfit is a once daily practice for 15 minutes. The ongoing support with Integrated Meditation is more intense and personal, however Mindfit does give you a lot within the course so that you can study with ease and learn as much as you need to independently practice. Our team are always happy to help and answer any detailed questions so don’t hesitate to each out and speak with us info@thebroadplace.com.au
Q. I HAVE PRACTICED OTHER TYPES BEFORE, LIKE GUIDED AND MINDFULNESS AND I FOUND THEM HARD. WHY IS MINDFIT MEDITATION EASIER?
If we were to use the analogy of meditation being like exercise, most meditation practices are like taking a walk around the block. They can be an excellent place to start, but you won’t get fit long term. Mindfit Meditation is the exercise equivalent of getting extremely fit, and quickly. Your brain needs rest and recover time – and this is what Mindfit Meditation gives you unlike other meditation techniques. Your success as a meditator is our success. WMost students come to our school saying ‘oh you know I’ve never been able to meditate before and I’m just sure I’m the one who can’t do it’ and they leave with huge grins and absolute confidence in their practice after sitting our courses.
Q. I CAN’T SIT CROSS LEGGED AND I DON’T HAVE A SPECIAL ROOM, LET ALONE A QUIET SPACE, CAN I STILL DO MINDFIT MEDITATION?
If you can sit in a chair with your back supported, you can meditate with our techniques. No need for sitting cross legged or in any unusual positions! No chanting and no new names required. Noise doesn’t stop you from meditating, and you can meditate in a bus, taxi, or in a meeting room, in your lounge room or even whilst Peppa Pig is playing! When we say noise is no barrier, we mean it. If you can think ‘that noise is driving me crazy’ you can think your mantra. If you can think your mantra, you can meditate. Unless you are sitting on a jackhammer, you will be fine.