Like most people, I struggled with meditation - finding the time, clearing my head, staying focused, etc. I had tried guided meditations, downloaded a ton of apps, and followed all the advice I could find, but nothing really worked. In fact, I now believe guided meditations were holding me back - tricking me into thinking I was meditating, when in fact I was enjoying what I'd hesitantly call a light hypnosis, which I could never transfer to my own unguided meditations. The breakthrough came when I began practising meditation on the fly... • If I was waiting for a train, I would meditate on the bench • Whilst riding the bus, I would meditate in my seat • A friend is late to arrive, time to meditate • Waiting for the adverts to end, meditation time You get the idea... Of course, there were often lots of distractions - far more than I would have had back home on my meditation cushion. However, the constant small practices in less than ideal conditions really helped to condition me for the dedicated, longer, and quieter meditation sessions. As seems to be so often the case with learning something new, it was doing it little and often which garnered the greatest results. Now, whenever anyone asks me for advice on meditation advice, this is the best I can think to give. It worked for me and won't necessarily work for everyone, but give it a try and let me know if it works for you!

While we build this online spiritual community here at Spiritual England, I often find myself wondering if an online-only community can offer everything we want and need from a community... Prior to the covid restrictions forcing us to do many things online, I passionately disliked video calls and online team meetings. I found it difficult to connect with people when viewing them through a screen and found the conversation often awkward and disjointed. As time has progressed and we've all become more adept at using these technologies, I find these barriers around meaningful connection slowly disintegrating. Ultimately, the intention is to settle in a physical location and enjoy an offline community too, one where everyone can visit and enjoy everything this community has to offer. In the meantime, however, I can rest assured that we can indeed build a meaningful and impactful spiritual community online. Furthermore, our online presence allows us to connect with people from the far reaches of the planet, allowing access to a wide array of perspectives and experiences which we'd miss on a local level. I have joked about social media being antithetical to genuine social interaction, but I now appreciate the social possibilities granted to us by technology, and I enjoy the prospect of building a truly wide-reaching and beneficial Spiritual Community Hub here for everyone, regardless of where they might be.