Vipassana is a meditation practice which originated in India. The word 'Vipassana' can be translated from Sanskrit as insight. Shanti Gowans has been sharing Vipassana for decades in her work as a yoga and meditation teacher. In this conversation with Sarah Malik, Shanti shares her knowledge of Vipassana, how you can get started with meditation, and how a meditation practice has changed her life.

Bonus interview: Shanti Gowans

Vipassana requires mindful awareness - observing your body, breath, feelings, thoughts and emotions. In this Vipassana meditation, teacher Shanti Gowans has you focus on calming the mind. Let your mind accept whatever catches your attention without becoming emotionally involved with it, and tune into the greater whole.

Vipassana meditation 3: Calming the mind

Vipassana is a mindfulness meditation practice that works through self-observation, one of India's oldest meditation practices. In this episode of Great Minds, teacher Shanti Gowans takes you through a meditation on your breath.

Vipassana meditation 2: Breath like the wind

Join in a Vipassana meditation in this episode of Great Minds. Vipassana can be translated as 'insight'. It's a mindfulness meditation practice that works through self-observation. Your guide is teacher Shanti Gowans from Shanti Yoga. Take a seat for a relaxing and energising body scan focused on posture.

Vipassana meditation 1: Body like a mountain

Sarah Malik chats with Wallace Lee who has been your guide for the three Tonglen meditations in this season of Great Minds. Wallace is an instructor with Rigpa Australia, a network of Tibetan Buddhist Meditation centres around Australia. He speaks about what the practice of Tonglen involves, and how a challenging time in his life led Wallace to meditation.

Bonus interview: Wallace Lee

This Tonglen meditation is a visualisation focused on expressing compassion towards another person. When practicing Tonglen towards others, you are encouraged to take on others' sufferings, and give out happiness and wellbeing - reversing our habitual way of responding to discomfort. This sending and receiving is aligned with the breath.

Tonglen meditation 3: Sending compassion to others

This episode is a guided practice of self-compassion. Instructor Wallace Lee shares teachings from the Tibetan meditation practice of Tonglen, which is based in the concept of giving and receiving, or sending and taking. Breathing in negative feelings and discomfort, and breathing out health, happiness, and wellbeing.

Tonglen meditation 2: Self-compassion

In this guided meditation, Wallace Lee introduces you to a Tibetan meditation practice called Tonglen, which is based in the concept of giving and receiving compassion. This episode explores the theme of reconnecting to the love within us, unsealing the spring of love and compassion that is inherent and limitless in all of us.

Tonglen meditation 1: "Unsealing the spring"

If you've listened to any of our three sound bath meditations, get to know your guide Natalie Grace in this conversation with Sarah Malik. Learn about Natalie's work, and the benefits of music therapy and sound meditation.

Bonus interview: Natalie Grace

In this episode of Great Minds, sound therapist and energy healer Natalie Grace leads you through a body scan and meditative sound bath using chimes, crystal singing bowls, gentle drumming, rain sticks and gong. The theme of this sound journey is harmonising and developing self compassion.

Sound bath meditation 3: Harmonising

In this episode of Great Minds, sound therapist and energy healer Natalie Grace leads you through a sound bath meditation using gongs, drums and Tibetan singing bowls. The theme of this sound journey is release. Great ready to let go.

Sound bath meditation 2: Release

In this episode of Great Minds season two, sound therapist Natalie Grace settles you into a deeply relaxing sound bath meditation using Tibetan singing bowls and rain sticks. The theme of this sound journey is reflection.

Sound bath meditation 1: Reflection

If you've listened to any of the three Mettā or Loving Kindness meditations in this season of Great Minds, get to know teacher Kynan Tan in this conversation with host Sarah Malik. Learn what Mettā is, how Kynan found his way to meditation, and how it might help you in your everyday life.

Bonus interview: Kynan Tan

In this Mettā or Loving Kindness meditation, you will be offering kindness and goodwill towards all of your experiences, to find a sense of calm and peace through acceptance.

Mettā meditation 3: Accepting and welcoming your experiences

Mettā or Loving Kindness meditation comes from the Buddhist tradition. In this meditation, our guide Kynan Tan has you offering kindness to someone you feel goodwill towards. Feel the pleasantness and warmth that comes from sharing kindness with others.

Mettā meditation 2: Feeling loving kindness towards another

In this gentle episode of Great Minds, Kynan Tan will lead you through a Mettā meditation that is focused on offering kindness to yourself. Mettā meditation or Loving Kindness meditation is a type of Buddhist meditation. As Kynan says, "You need to live in your head, Mettā practice can make your mind a nicer place to be".

Mettā meditation 1: Practice loving kindness towards yourself

If you've listened to the Ngarayamūrah meditations that lead season two of Great Minds, get to know Warrimay Birrbay artist Nicole Smede in this conversation with Sarah Malik. Ngarayamūrah is a Gammēya-Dharrawal word explaining a listening to and connecting with Country. Nicole explains deep listening, and her practice as a multidisciplinary artist.

Bonus interview: Nicole Smede

In this third Ngarayamūrah meditation, Warrimay Birrbay artist Nicole Smede will lead you through a meditation about listening to sky Country, Yurra Barray. Imagine you are laying under a vast, open sky that stretches out in all directions, adorned with mirriiyn (stars).

Ngarayamūrah meditation 3: Ngaranga Yurra Barray, listening to sky Country

In this second Ngarayamūrah meditation, Warrimay Birrbay artist Nicole Smede will lead you through a meditation about listening to ocean Country, garuwa barray. Imagine you are walking on the sand of great beach towards shimmering waves, warm golden sand stretching out either side of you.

Ngarayamūrah meditation 2: Ngaranga Garuwa Barray, listening to sea Country

In this first episode of Great Minds season two, Warrimay Birrbay artist Nicole Smede will lead you through a beautiful Ngarayamūrah meditation, about listening to Country. Ngarayamūrah is a Gammēya-Dharrawal word explaining a listening to and connecting with Country. This meditation was created along the banks of Bungali (the Shoalhaven River) on Gammēya-Dharrawal lands. Imagine you are walking under a canopy of eucalyptus trees, their branches and leaves stretch out high above you, enfolding you and offering protection.

Ngarayamūrah meditation 1: Ngaranga Barray, Listening to Country

Need a little break from your day? Season two of Great Minds guided meditations is coming soon, introducing a new range of meditation styles and teachers. Experience sound bath meditation, Mettā, Vipassana, Tibetan Tonglen, and meditations based in First Nations knowledge.

A new season of Great Minds is coming soon

Great Minds is an SBS meditation podcast that introduces various meditation styles from across the world. The series is now available in five languages - Arabic, Cantonese, Hindi, Mandarin and Punjabi. Try short mindfulness exercises created for you by teachers of Yoga Nidra, Qigong, Japanese Shinrin-yoku or forest bathing, Filipino Hilot, Hawaiian Ho'oponopono and Wayapa Wuurrk.

SBS' Great Minds meditation podcast is now available in five languages

Ho'oponopono is a traditional Hawaiian practice centred on reconciliation. Roughly translated, ho'oponopono means ‘to make things right’. It teaches the importance of love and forgiveness to address the ‘pohaku’ or burdens that weigh us down. In this short mindfulness exercise, Kumu Pa'a Kawika Foster leads you on a journey of healing surrounded by your family. Sit or lie down comfortably as you begin.

Ho’oponopono meditation 1: Aloha, limitless love

Guiding us this episode is Kumu Pa'a Kawika Foster, a practitioner of Hawaiian ho’oponopono. Kawika will share a story about the light we carry from birth - it goes to the essence of Ho’oponopono. You can sit or lie down as you listen, whatever makes you comfortable.

Ho’oponopono meditation 2: Your light

In this last episode of Great Minds Season 1, we will finish with a final episode of Ho’oponopono. At its core, the practice is a process of making things right by forgiving, forgetting, and remembering, which is what Kawika will focus on. Sit, or lie down for this episode.

Ho’oponopono meditation 3: Forgiving, forgetting, remembering

Qigong is an ancient form of Chinese meditation. The Chinese characters for Qigong mean ‘breath’ or ‘to work the breath’. This episode is a basic mindfulness meditation that is great for beginners. Sit comfortably on a chair or cushion to start. Try to keep your back straight and relax your shoulders.

Qigong meditation 1: Basic mindfulness

There are five elements in traditional Chinese medicine and philosophy; wood, fire, earth, metal, and water.This episode focuses on grounding yourself with the earth's energy. There will be a little bit of light movement in this episode so keep these three things in mind as Grandmaster Gary Khor guides you through.First, sit up straight but do not tense up – try to be relaxed at the same time. Second, try to empty your mind of unnecessary thoughts and focus on the mantra Gary will share with you. Finally, there will be a focus on your breathing, to help fill up your body with oxygen.

Qigong meditation 2: Environmental qi meditation

In this episode we will look at the concept of three energy meditation, with Grandmaster Gary Khor. Three energy meditation is used in Chinese qigong, health, medicine and in martial arts. sit comfortably in a chair or if you have space, stand up with your legs slightly apart.

Qigong meditation 3: Three energy meditation

Shinrin-yoku is a Japanese phrase for ‘forest bathing’. In this exercise you will be gently guided to a beautiful peaceful forest by practicing forest bathing with Mayumi Kataoka. To begin, get in a comfortable position in a quiet and safe environment.

Shinrin-yoku meditation 1: Discover Japanese forest bathing

Shinrin-yoku translates as ‘forest bathing’. The term was coined in Japan in the 80’s, and it’s encouraged as an antidote to hectic city life. Mayu Kataoka will lead you into a peaceful forestfor this meditation. Find a comfortable spot either sitting or lying down in a quiet place and close your eyes.

Shinrin-yoku meditation 2: Listening to nature

Be immersed in the forest in this Shinrin-yoku meditation with Mayu. Discover the birds in the trees, feel the leaves beneath your feet, and walk away with a sense of calm. You can either sit or lie down on your bed, couch, or floor.

Shinrin-yoku meditation 3: Forest immersion

Wayapa Wuurrk is a mindfulness practice that draws from Indigenous wisdom and uses meditation to help you connect with the environment. Wayapa Wuurrk literally means “connect to the earth” in the language of the Maara and Gunaikurnai Peoples. This meditation is led by Gunaikurnai man and Maara descendant Jamie Marloo Thomas. Together with his partner Sara Jones, Jamie co-created Wayapa Wuurrk in 2014 with Jamie’s Elders and community. In this meditation, you’ll visualise a special place in nature.

Wayapa Wuurrk meditation 1: Your special place

The aim of Wayapa Wuurrk is to change how we think about wellness, because no matter how many gym sessions we do or vegetables we eat, we can’t be well if the Earth is sick. Your guide for this episode is Gunai-Kurnai man and Maara descendant Jamie Marloo Thomas. He will take you on an earth mindfulness journey of connectivity. You can listen to this meditation wherever you are.

Wayapa Wuurrk meditation 2: Earth mindfulness

Wayapa Wuurrk aims to help people reconnect to Earth Spirit, and their true self. Jamie will guide you through a special meditation, taking you back into the ancient times on this land, as well as his own places of significance on country. You can listen to this meditation wherever you are.

Wayapa Wuurrk meditation 3: Significant places on country

Hilot is an ancient practice indigenous to the Philippines. This meditation by hilot facilitator Lorelie Luna Ladiges is a gentle breathing exercise, slowly focusing in on your heart. You can be lying down or seated.

Hilot meditation 1: Breath

Hilot has been practiced in the Philippines for centuries. Your guide for this episode Lorelie will help you try to quiet your mind and focus on a moment of joy in this meditation. You can sit or lie down on a mat, whatever makes you comfortable.

Hilot meditation 2: Mind

Lorelie Luna Ladiges will take you on a mental journey into nature, inspired by hilot, a traditional art of healing from the Philippines. You can do this meditation while walking through nature, seated, or lying down.

Hilot meditation 3: Spirit

In this episode of Great Minds, experience a deep sense of calm with an ancient meditation technique that originated in India, Yoga Nidra. The name comes from the Sanskrit word ‘nidra’, meaning sleep. Our guide Sagar recommends lying down on a yoga mat and closing your eyes as you listen.

Yoga meditation 1: Yoga Nidra Meditation

Sit up with your spine straight for this Chakra meditation – bringing awareness to the energy centres in your body. Sagar will take you through step by step using affirmations, or positive statements.

Yoga meditation 2: Chakra Meditation

Be guided by Sagar in this visualisation meditation, a Buddhist meditation technique. This Great Minds episode touches on some big themes. Love, forgiveness and compassion.

Yoga meditation 3: Meditation for love, forgiveness, and compassion

Mindfulness, meditation, living in the present... these are all buzz terms you’ve probably heard. Maybe even tried. But what actually is meditation? Does it always have to be done in skintight yoga clothes, next to the water, and posted on social media? Join host Leah Vandenberg to try various meditation styles from across the world in this podcast from SBS.

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Bonus interview: Shanti Gowans

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