Give me a view from one of the tallest, most iconic buildings in London and I’ll give you a smile. But this morning, attendees of the World Meditation Day event were instructed not to focus on the outside. They were invited to place their focus within.
The throng of a hundred meditation aficionados were conducted by Will Williams, founder of Beeja Meditation.
He teaches his techniques to the world’s biggest brands, including Google, Microsoft and the BBC. And, for one morning only, he was imparting his wisdom for free, in an event simultaneously taking place in London and Toronto.
Organisers hope the event will be a success online, driving people to seek to learn more about meditation.
And in a hustling bustling city like London, it’s easy to see why looking for ways to improve your mindfulness would be tempting.
Mr Williams says meditation in London is essential.
“Because everybody’s in the rat race, you get swept up in the energy of it and can’t help being in a hyper-adrenalised state.”
“If we don’t use tools like meditation to get us back into a level of neurological balance, we’re going to end up feeling that life isn’t that cool.”
I spoke with a meditation pro, Natalie, who told me “I find it the most useful tool in my day-to-day life. I try and meditate twice a day, which is challenging being a busy professional with young children.
“But I do notice a huge difference on those days when I’m dedicated. It makes me more efficient and the day just glides by.”
Another meditator, Natalie, was brand new. She said “I found it really helpful. I was actually sceptical before but since I tried it I feel it will really help me. I’ll definitely try it again.”
This world of mindfulness, though, has already been made much more accessible by the preponderance of mobile apps offering meditation.
These apps promise experiences that can help with mental health, but don’t necessarily need the time commitment and cost of regular Yoga classes.
Will Williams agrees, and he’s about to release his own app.
Will Williams led the meditation session this morning. Credit: City News
“An app is brilliant because you can scale it up and keep the costs super low. You can help teach someone meditation for less than a night out!”
From way up high at the top of the Gherkin, the people below looked like ants. And in the bubble of serenity, even if just for a moment, all life’s problems became minuscule as well.
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Headline100 people meditate atop the Gherkin to mark World Meditation Day
Short HeadlineOne hundred Yoga fans learn to meditate atop the Gherkin
StandfirstBilled as 'the biggest gathering of people meditating in the UK', this event hopes to highlight the power of mindfulness.
Give me a view from one of the tallest, most iconic buildings in London and I’ll give you a smile. But this morning, attendees of the World Meditation Day event were instructed not to focus on the outside. They were invited to place their focus within.
The throng of a hundred meditation aficionados were conducted by Will Williams, founder of Beeja Meditation.
He teaches his techniques to the world’s biggest brands, including Google, Microsoft and the BBC. And, for one morning only, he was imparting his wisdom for free, in an event simultaneously taking place in London and Toronto.
Organisers hope the event will be a success online, driving people to seek to learn more about meditation.
And in a hustling bustling city like London, it’s easy to see why looking for ways to improve your mindfulness would be tempting.
Mr Williams says meditation in London is essential.
“Because everybody’s in the rat race, you get swept up in the energy of it and can’t help being in a hyper-adrenalised state.”
“If we don’t use tools like meditation to get us back into a level of neurological balance, we’re going to end up feeling that life isn’t that cool.”
I spoke with a meditation pro, Natalie, who told me “I find it the most useful tool in my day-to-day life. I try and meditate twice a day, which is challenging being a busy professional with young children.
“But I do notice a huge difference on those days when I’m dedicated. It makes me more efficient and the day just glides by.”
Another meditator, Natalie, was brand new. She said “I found it really helpful. I was actually sceptical before but since I tried it I feel it will really help me. I’ll definitely try it again.”
This world of mindfulness, though, has already been made much more accessible by the preponderance of mobile apps offering meditation.
These apps promise experiences that can help with mental health, but don’t necessarily need the time commitment and cost of regular Yoga classes.
Will Williams agrees, and he’s about to release his own app.
Will Williams led the meditation session this morning. Credit: City News
“An app is brilliant because you can scale it up and keep the costs super low. You can help teach someone meditation for less than a night out!”
From way up high at the top of the Gherkin, the people below looked like ants. And in the bubble of serenity, even if just for a moment, all life’s problems became minuscule as well.
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