Meditation and Contemplation: Ruth and Ian Gawler’s programs for 2025

The one online program for the year, Meditation and Contemplation is starting quite soon. Eight weeks from Thursday 13th February, 7.30 – 9.00pm AEDT. Do join us… Book here.

Actually, I find it hard to imagine navigating the challenges of life without combining the peace, clarity and spaciousness that comes from meditation practice along with the clear thinking and profound insights of contemplation. 

That is why Ruth and I are so keen to continue to offer meditation and contemplation programs in 2025. First comes the one online program for the year, and then the Retreats and Meditation Teacher Training programs. Residential Program bookings, Click here

At the risk of repeating this so often it starts to sound like a cliché, meditation – and contemplation - really are the best gifts you can give to your self or to another. So in this post, more details on why I value meditation and contemplation so much, but first (with apologies for older times when “men” sounded as if they did not include “women”; Thomas Merton was a monk with some wonderful insights)…

         Thought for the day

Not all men are called to be hermits, 

But all men need enough silence and solitude 

In their lives 

To enable the deep inner voice 

Of their own true self 

To be heard at least occasionally. 

When that inner voice is not heard, 

When man cannot attain to the spiritual peace 

That comes from being perfectly at one with his true self, 

His life is always miserable and exhausting. 

For he cannot go on happily for long 

Unless he is in contact with the springs of spiritual life 

Which are hidden in the depths of his own soul. 

If man is constantly exiled from his own home, 

Locked out of his own spiritual solitude, 

He ceases to be a true person. 

He no longer lives as a man.


                              Thomas Merton

Why meditation? When we learn to meditate, we find a way to maintain a sense of inner calm and stability, despite whatever else maybe going on around us. With meditation, we come to experience mental clarity and a quiet inner confidence, yet perhaps even more importantly, we begin to connect – deeply connect – with our self; our true self; with who we really are. 

While meditation has so many immediate and practical benefits – like good health in body and mind, enhanced creativity, better decision making, more mindfulness, compassion, awareness and so on – for me, the real benefit, the ultimate benefit, is this capacity meditation has to help us connect with our own inner truth – the truth of who we really are.

So we may well begin a practice of meditation for any one of the multiplicity of immediate and practical benefits – that makes perfect sense to me and I support that completely; but then, once we start to feel those benefits building in our lives, the possibility of something more, something deeper.

This is where retreats come in. 

By making the time, by making the effort to go on retreat, we remove ourselves from daily life with all its potential busyness and distractions. 

Then a space is created. 

An external space in a peaceful and beautiful place where you are supported by good food and good company. 

But more, the inner space is created where so much can settle or simply be let go of; and then it becomes possible for us to connect to that deeper, simpler, more profound aspect of self.

And as for contemplation, this series of exquisite practices enable us to think things through, to delve into the really important questions in our lives – both the practical ones and the profound – and come to our own inner clarity. 

And as a consequence, make good decisions; creative decisions we can feel confident about and commit to.

So in 2025, I am presenting an 8 week online Meditation and contemplation program. 

This will make access easy for all, and we will develop the sense of connection through the use of breakout rooms and QandA, along with many guided meditation and contemplation practices. 

This online program starts soon – Thursday 13th February and runs every Thursday for 8 weeks from 7.30 to 9.00pm AEDT.  Book here.

Then Ruth and I will present 2 meditation retreats, one for 7 days; the other for 3 days - along with 2 Meditation Teacher Training programs – one on meditation itself, the other where the focus will be on imagery. 

Bookings are coming in quite quickly now, and our residential programs were fully booked in 2024, so a gentle reminder - particularly if you have a particular accommodation preference - it will be advisable to register soon. 

So, hope we can be with you again in 2025, and it is an easier year for us all, marked by peace, good health, contentment and fulfilment... 

          COMING EVENTS    Bookings are now open 

1. Online Program with Ian: MEDITATION and CONTEMPLATION

Ian will present an 8 Week Online Program, Meditation and Contemplation program from 13 February to 3 April 2025 each Thursday, 7.30 – 9.00pm AEDT. 

The program has been designed to be suitable for those new to meditation and contemplation, as well as those more experienced who are looking to reconnect and dive deeper into these transformative domains.

You can register for the online program via Eventbrite, using this LINK

What the Online Program Offers:

·      Personal instruction and guided practices with Ian Gawler, live, online for 1.5 hours each Thursday for 8 weeks.

·       Email reminders each week with the Zoom link, plus key points from the previous session.

·      The opportunity to discuss and learn with other participants through regular interactive sessions.

·      Question and answer sessions with Ian Gawler each week.

·      Access to revisit the recording of each session for 3 months.

2. Residential Programs with Ian and Ruth Gawler, along with Melissa Borich

You register for any of the residential programs through our website:
 iangawler.com 

THE VENUE for all the following residential programs will be The Yarra Valley Living Centre, 55 Rayner Crt, Yarra Junction, Victoria, Australia:

Meditation Teacher Training – MTT-1: Meditation   12 – 16 May 2025

The core training for those new to teaching meditation, or for those seeking to deepen their skills. Five days, fully residential with an extensive manual to guide delivery of an 8 week Mindfulness-based Stillness Meditation program, or adapt to your own needs

Meditation in the Forest   Seven day meditation retreat open to all   2 – 8 June 2025

This year the focus will be on meditation – for inner peace and clarity; along with contemplation – for clear thinking, problem solving, creativity, insight, intuition and exploring the big questions in life. A great retreat; one of my very favourites!

Meditation Teacher Training – MTT-3: Imagery   1 – 5 November 2025

Training in how to teach both meditation and imagery. This training explores in depth how the mind works and how we can use it more effectively. Fascinating, personally relevant and highly empowering for your communities. Also five days, fully residential with an extensive manual.

Deep Natural Peace     Long weekend mini retreat    14 – 16 November

Towards the end of the year, an ideal opportunity for some time out, some gentle introspection and reflection, letting go of the busyness and finishing the year on a meditative high.

You register for any of the residential programs through our website:
 iangawler.com

How to avoid a mess...

Ever found your self, your life, in somewhat of a mess – and wondered how you got there? Many people seem to blame other people or external events for the mess. However, if you are reading this blog, my guess is you are at least starting to question “how much did I have to do with it?” – and what might I do to avoid future messes???

And yes, I am also guessing you know what I mean by a mess. We could be more politically correct and call it a “challenge” or an “opportunity”. We could be somewhat more blunt and call it a “problem”; but “mess” seems to have a lighter feel to it, and give the sense the situation is retrievable.

Having just attended a great retreat as a participant, there has been the opportunity to contemplate all this – and to realise the answers may be a whole lot simpler than we often first think. Simple, yet profound possibilities are open to us…

So this week, along with some detail of the rapidly approaching 8 week online Meditation and Contemplation program (starts 13th February), and details of this year’s meditation retreats and Meditation Teacher Training programs, some insights; but first

     Thought for the day

   You can search the whole world 

   For someone more worthy of your love 

   Than yourself, 

   And you will not find anyone.

   Whoever loves themselves 

   Will never harm another.

                      The Buddha

So maybe it is as simple as this… 

When something difficult comes into your life – in the form of a personal interaction, or some difficult circumstances – how do you react?

My sense is we can simplify this. Do you respond emotionally? Intellectually? Or with wisdom?

My guess is for many of us, the choice is even easier. 

We react habitually, and the “choice” we have is to react either emotionally or with wisdom - OR - intellectually or with wisdom. 

With the underlying suggestion in either case it is likely to be the former, rather than the latter. 

The reaction, the response is driven either by emotion or intellect, and wisdom is an after thought…

So consider this… When we react with emotion to difficulties, and anger is a very common response; with anger or other tricky emotions we have little chance to think clearly; we have every chance of creating a mess.

When we react with intellect, we may be thinking of what to do, how best to respond, but again, without heart of wisdom, there is still a good chance of creating a mess.

So what to do? Nothing would be a good start! With anger, we tend to jump right in, do what first occurs, and so very often create a mess. So if instead we stand back for a few moments, give the difficulties some space, allow the heat to go out of the situation; then maybe we think a little more clearly, maybe we can access our wisdom a little more directly…

That old maxim of count to ten – slowly – is not heard so much these days. My sense is it could help many people…

And what of wisdom? What we are really speaking of here is all those positive emotions and qualities. 

Like empathy, kindness, compassion, love, patience, tolerance and so on. 

And practices like understanding, forgiveness, gratitude, delight in the success of others, and so on.

These are not difficult things of themselves, just very hard to express when we are caught up in anger, guilt, shame, blame, grief and so on.

So how to move towards a more wisdom-based response? 

This of course is where meditation and contemplation come in. 

One of the first things we learn with meditation is to slow down, to be more observant of what is really going on – as opposed to what we think or project is going on – and to take time to contemplate and then act more considerately.

Meditation on its own can bring clarity and inner peace; and a perspective that does enable us to be kinder, more considerate and more capable. However, meditation goes hand in glove with contemplation. With contemplation we learn to analyse the nature of our lives, the circumstances we find ourselves to be in, and the relationships we have with other people and our environment.

When we take the time to meditate and contemplate as a regular routine, and when we remember to slow down, pause, maybe even formally meditate and contemplate before making big choices, big decisions; then there is ever chance we will avoid creating a mess, and instead create something quite beautiful.

Happy days…

 

COMING EVENTS

Bookings are now open

VENUE for all programs will be the Yarra Valley Living Centre, 55 Rayner Crt, Yarra Junction, Victoria, Australia

Meditation Teacher Training – MTT-1: Meditation   12 – 16 May 2025

The core training for those new to teaching meditation, or for those seeking to deepen their skills. Five days, fully residential with an extensive manual to guide delivery of an 8 week Mindfulness-based Stillness Meditation program, or adapt to your own needs

Meditation in the Forest   Seven day meditation retreat open to all   2 – 8 June 2025

This year the focus will be on meditation – for inner peace and clarity; along with contemplation – for clear thinking, problem solving, creativity, insight, intuition and exploring the big questions in life. A great retreat; one of my very favourites!

Meditation Teacher Training – MTT-3: Imagery   1 – 5 November 2025

Training in how to teach both meditation and imagery. This training explores in depth how the mind works and how we can use it more effectively. Fascinating, personally relevant and highly empowering for your communities. Also five days, fully residential with an extensive manual.

Deep Natural Peace     Long weekend mini retreat    14 – 16 November

Towards the end of the year, an ideal opportunity for some time out, some gentle introspection and reflection, letting go of the busyness and finishing the year on a meditative high.

Online Program with Ian: MEDITATION and CONTEMPLATION

Ian will present an 8 Week Online Program, Meditation and Contemplation program from 13 February to 3 April 2025 each Thursday, 7.30 – 9.00pm AEDT. 

The program has been designed to be suitable for those new to meditation and contemplation, as well as those more experienced who are looking to reconnect and dive deeper into these transformative domains.

What the Program Offers

·      Personal instruction and guided practices with Ian Gawler, live, online for 1.5 hours each Thursday for 8 weeks.

·      Email reminders each week with the Zoom link, plus key points from the previous session.

·      The opportunity to discuss and learn with other participants through regular interactive sessions.

·      Question and answer sessions with Ian Gawler each week.

·      Access to revisit the recording of each session for 3 months.

You can register via Eventbrite, using this LINK

 

 

Ruth and Ian Gawler’s Residential Programs for 2024

Speaking with friends and family, seems most of us are pretty happy 2024 is over and there is the possibility of an easier year in 2025. While there was some real adversity for me and my family, there was also the delight in 2024 of presenting meditation retreats with Ruth and Melissa Borich, and Meditation Teacher Trainings with Ruth and Murray Paterson.  The responses to this work has been so inspiring, Ruth and I are full of optimism and a renewed sense of energy after all the difficulties of 2024.

So now we are keen to present 2 meditation retreats this year, one for 7 days; the other for 3 days - along with 2 Meditation Teacher Training programs – one on meditation itself, the other where the focus will be on imagery. 

Also, Ian is presenting an 8 week online program Meditation and Contemplation starting in February – details below, along with detail of the residential programs, but first

           Thought for the day

     If you are moved by something, 

     It does not need explaining.

     
If you are not, 

    No explanation will move you.


                       Federico Fellini

The residential programs for 2025

We have changed the booking procedure for all residential programs for 2025 to make it easier for all. So if you go to our website www.iangawler.com you will find the details of the programs – summarised below. To register you first need to download an Application Form, fill it in and email it to Mel at mel@insighthealth.com.au . 

We need your details from the form, and having attended a program before, your application will be approved by our new program Manager Mel Crow. However, before paying a deposit and completing your registration, Mel will call to make personal contact and to answer any questions you may have. Of course, if you are unsure about the suitability for you of any of the programs, or have particular needs, Mel will help sort that out as well.

As you probably know, the last meditation retreat and meditation teacher training programs in 2024 were fully booked, and if you have a particular accommodation preference it will be advisable to register quite soon. 

Mel will process enquiries in order of the time the Application Forms are received, and then allocate rooms in order of when deposits are paid. 

We imagine this will be fair to all…

So, hope we can be with you again in 2025, and it is an easier year, marked by peace, good health, contentment and fulfilment...

With love

Ian and Ruth

COMING EVENTS            Bookings are now open

VENUE for all programs will be the Yarra Valley Living Centre, 55 Rayner Crt, Yarra Junction, Victoria, Australia

Meditation Teacher Training – MTT-1: Meditation   12 – 16 May 2025

The core training for those new to teaching meditation, or for those seeking to deepen their skills. Five days, fully residential with an extensive manual to guide delivery of an 8 week Mindfulness-based Stillness Meditation program, or adapt to your own needs.

Meditation in the Forest   Seven day meditation retreat open to all   2 – 8 June 2025

This year the focus will be on meditation – for inner peace and clarity; along with contemplation – for clear thinking, problem solving, creativity, insight, intuition and exploring the big questions in life. A great retreat; one of my very favourites!

Meditation Teacher Training – MTT-3: Imagery   1 – 5 November 2025

Training in how to teach both meditation and imagery. This training explores in depth how the mind works and how we can use it more effectively. Fascinating, personally relevant and highly empowering for your communities. Also five days, fully residential with an extensive manual.

Deep Natural Peace     Long weekend mini retreat    14 – 16 November

Towards the end of the year, an ideal opportunity for some time out, some gentle introspection and reflection, letting go of the busyness and finishing the year on a meditative high.

 

Online Program with Ian: MEDITATION and CONTEMPLATION

Ian will present an 8 Week Online Program, Meditation and Contemplation program from 13 February to 3 April 2025 each Thursday, 7.30 – 9.00pm AEDT. 

The program has been designed to be suitable for those new to meditation and contemplation, as well as those more experienced who are looking to reconnect and dive deeper into these transformative domains.

What the Program Offers

·      Personal instruction and guided practices with Ian Gawler, live, online for 1.5 hours each Thursday for 8 weeks.

·      Email reminders each week with the Zoom link, plus key points from the previous session.

·      The opportunity to discuss and learn with other participants through regular interactive sessions.

·      Question and answer sessions with Ian Gawler each week.

·      Access to revisit the recording of each session for 3 months.

You can register via Eventbrite, using this LINK

 

Fifty years out on a limb – the 7 most important lessons from being on one leg for 50 years

For many years, January the 8th for me has been a day of personal fasting. It has been one way of acknowledging that early on Wednesday, the 8th of January 1975, I was wheeled into surgery to have my right leg amputated through the hip.

Needless to say, life changed dramatically on that day. Remarkably, the anniversary this year also falls on a Wednesday. Even more remarkably, this Wednesday will be 50 years after the first. 

Curiously most of the previous anniversary's came and went relatively quietly, yet this one seems weighty and more prescient. Maybe after 50 years, maybe after all else that has happened – good, bad and indifferent - maybe this year it is possible to allow the grief to come closer to the surface. 

Of course, the day could be celebrated as the day my life was turned around for the better; the day I began to live a life with much more purpose and meaning. It is a sad fact for us human beings, that for most of us, it takes a major crisis to wake us up to what is really important in our lives, and to start to live life with that awareness. 

Certainly 50 years ago too much was lost with the amputation to allow myself to feel it. The immediate need was to find some way through what had happened; to transmute, to transcend the losses, and to attempt to reinvent this new phase of life.

But now, 50 years later, amongst other things, it is certainly possible to say valuable lessons have been learned. So for this post, the seven most important lessons learned from 50 years on one leg, but first 

       Thought for the day 

   All my life I had been looking for something, 

   And everywhere I turned 

   Someone tried to tell me what it was. 

   I accepted their answers, too, 

   Though they were often in contradiction 

   And even self-contradictory....

   I was looking for myself, 

   And asking everyone except myself 

   Questions which I, and only I, could answer.

              Ralph Ellison - The Invisible Man

1. Our state of mind is a choice - choose wisely

Ten days after the amputation came a day of profound catharsis. Amidst the pain and the grief, a vision of my future life stretched out in front of me. There were two options. One, focus on what has been lost, and be consigned to a life of misery. Two focus on what is possible, and at least have the possibility of a good life.

Maybe I was fortunate to have the clarity and strength of mind to choose to focus on the possible, but I have witnessed many others do this same thing, and in doing so, transform their own adversity and go on to have a good life… choose wisely.

2. Disability is relative - make the most of what you have 

Not many people can lay claim to being the very best at what they do. I have had the good fortune to work with and support two Olympic gold medallists. They were the very best in their chosen fields for a while, but in other fields they ranked only so-so.

In the days of being a biped, I was a passionate decathlon athlete. 

Reasonably good at ten athletic events, 

not particularly good at any one in particular. 

Relative to the Olympians, in their field, quite disabled.

With two legs I was faster than many, slower than some.

Now with one leg, I am faster than some, slower than many. 

What is there to learn?

Disability is relative - accept what you have, and what you can do. 

Disability is relative - make the most of what you have, and what you can do.

3. People will look - check your ego 

Do you sometimes get the feeling people are looking at you? Judging you? Forming opinions? Commentating? 

People quite naturally will look at the space where my leg is not. However, they usually try to do so when they think I will not notice. Children up to the age of around 5 often ask questions, adult hardly ever; although around Namchi Bazaar in high altitude Nepal while trekking, Tibetan traders would leave their yaks, come up to me and put their hand on my stump to feel what was there. That was next level! The solution? Smile and laugh…

Point is - how do you feel about yourself? And within yourself? 

Too tall, too short? Too thin, too wide? Nice body, ears too big? What is it you feel people may be staring at? If you are overly concerned with what you think other people might think about you, you are in for real problems. 

So if you do feel a need to transmute this, here is a radical, but highly effective trick. 

Get in front of a full-length mirror. Strip off… and have a look. 

If you like what you see, can smile and laugh, no problem. 

If there is some recoil, hang in there until a level of comfort is reached.

People will look - check your ego.

4. Pain is a sensation - it does not have to hurt 

There have been a lot of sensations over the years, but happily not much hurt.

So much gratitude for this is due to my first meditation teacher and mentor Dr Ainslie Meares. 

He taught me pain is made up of two things - a physical sensation, and a psychological reaction. 

The physical aspect can come to be felt as just another sensation. 

Just like we can feel hot or cold, wet or dry; pain is primarily a sensation that can be hot, sharp, dull, tight, liquid and so on. 

Just a sensation.

But then it is the psychological reaction that brings the hurt. 

The distress of thinking - what does this pain mean? 

Will it ever go away? What if it gets worse? 

Learning to differentiate the psychological reaction from the physical sensation transforms our perception of pain - pain does not have to hurt.

5. Life is precious, and fragile - make the most of it

This one comes with the risk of sounding like a cliché, yet it is true. The crisis I went through 50 years ago forced me into really appreciating how wonderful it is to be alive, and yet how fragile life is. In my decades of work with others affected by cancer, and similar life-threatening conditions, I have seen over and over how the same realisation has led to dramatic transformations in other people’s lives. 

Almost unbelievably, many people have told me how developing cancer was the best thing that ever happened to them. The best! How so? Because it helped them to realise how much they did value their life, how uncertain their future was (it always was uncertain but they ignored that; the diagnosis made this truth unavoidably clear) and how these two facts led them to do what was in their hearts… to live as if life was truly precious, and really fragile - as it is. Make the most of every moment.

6. Deep relaxation provides longevity - learn and practise it regularly 

For 50 years I have been off balance anatomically. My weight constantly rotates my lower back, and on top of this one of my lower vertebra was close to destroyed by my illness. Yet my back has been, and remains sound. I often reflect how marvellous this is - with both awe and gratitude. True, I do a lot to support my back, but the main benefits by far come from daily deep relaxation practises.

In the early days I learned to use the Progressive Muscle Relaxation exercise, then learnt to do it more quickly and more deeply. 

I cannot recommend this practice enough. 

Deep relaxation is at the heart of profound healing - of body and mind - and is a vital precursor to all meditation and contemplative practices. 

Deep Relaxation is the basis for longevity - just do it. 

7. Meditation is the greatest gift you can give yourself 

Without meditation I am not sure if I still would be here. Meditation helped me to adjust to the amputation, to endure, to transform. Then it helped me to heal again following the diagnosis of secondary cancer.

Ongoing, meditation has helped me to maintain some stability and clarity; some sense of direction and optimism through an incredibly broad and deep range of life experiences. 

These days there remains a joy in the practise of meditation. 

I enjoy the actual practise itself. 

I am profoundly grateful for the many benefits it brings into my life. 

I wonder at the privilege of having been able to write about and teach meditation for so many years. 

Amazing! 

Meditation? Again, just do it! 

And so what might the future hold? 

Who knows? Life is precious and impermanent.

Way back in February of 1976, my surgeon, whilst reviewing the way secondary cancer was devastating me, expressed the view that I would live only another two weeks. Who knows? Here I am. It has been a remarkable 2 weeks!
 

For now, it is a delight to be planning with Ruth to run more meditation retreats and Meditation Teacher Training programmes in 2025 - and beyond. Who knows? 

Life is precious and fragile - make the most of it!

The top seven would not be complete without numbers 8 and 9 

8. Maintain an attitude of gratitude

We all know how important is love, compassion, joy, equanimity and forgiveness.

Yet gratitude instantly transforms our state of mind for the better. So much to be grateful for. It is easy. From the small things, to the big ones; Maintain an attitude of gratitude.

9. Do not sweat the small stuff. It is all small stuff!

COMING EVENTS

The residential programs Ruth and I will present in 2025 are detailed below... 

BOOKINGS for these programs are now open via our website: CLICK HERE

ALSO, I am presenting an online 8 week program, Meditation and Contemplation program starting the 13th February from 7.30pm AEDT. BOOKINGS also open: CLICK HERE

We will be joined by the delightful - and highly accomplished - Melissa Borich for Meditation in the Forest and the two meditation teacher trainings...

VENUE for all residential programs will be the Yarra Valley Living Centre, 55 Rayner Crt, Yarra Junction, Victoria, Australia

Meditation Teacher Training – MTT-1: Meditation   12 – 16 May 2025

The core training for those new to teaching meditation, or for those seeking to deepen their skills. Five days, fully residential with an extensive manual to guide delivery of an 8 week Mindfulness-based Stillness Meditation program, or adapt to your own needs

Meditation in the Forest   Seven day meditation retreat open to all   2 – 8 June 2025

This year the focus will be on meditation – for inner peace and clarity; along with contemplation – for clear thinking, problem solving, creativity, insight, intuition and exploring the big questions in life. A great retreat; one of my very favourites!

Meditation Teacher Training – MTT-3: Imagery   1 – 5 November 2025

Training in how to teach both meditation and imagery. This training explores in depth how the mind works and how we can use it more effectively. Fascinating, personally relevant and highly empowering for your communities. Also five days, fully residential with an extensive manual.

Deep Natural Peace     Long weekend mini retreat    14 – 16 November

Towards the end of the year, an ideal opportunity for some time out, some gentle introspection and reflection, letting go of the busyness and finishing the year on a meditative high.