Interview with Sandy Newbigging

When I first met Sandy a few years ago he had given a talk on health and happiness.  Talking to him afterwards I asked him how it was possible to apply the techniques he spoke about, in a situation such as mine when I am in constant physical pain.  He told me the pain wasn’t my main problem but the fact that I was resisting it.  At the time I thought, to be blunt, it was a stupid thing to say, how could pain not be my main problem?  However after getting to know Sandy, undertaking his workshops, his teacher training programmes and fully understanding his philosophy I am a full advocate of his methods which have greatly helped me on a personal level.  It was a pleasure, therefore, to interview him regarding the meditation he teaches, through which, Yoga Magazine given the accolade of branding him “one of the best meditation teachers around”. Sandy currently has a new book available "Mind Calm" published by Hay House and I am proud to be a qualified Mind Calm coach, as well as a Mind Detox Practitioner.

Sandy, you help people eradicated their unhealthy beliefs through your Mind Detox Method to enable them to feel at peace, why do you recommend meditating too?

Therapy works on changing the mind, meditation works on changing the relationship with the mind.  It is very powerful to combine a good form of therapy with a good form of meditation that can help you to reconnect with the permanent, on-going experience of life.

In your opinion, is therapy not enough on its own?

It can be but there is a very high chance that when the client goes home they are going to find a new problem because that's what the mind does.  Often that person then thinks it’s because that therapy didn’t work but the therapy did work, but the real ultimate problem is thinking so much.

So if you don’t think so much you don’t keep coming up with new problems?

Exactly.  When you stop thinking so much you get present and start to experience the perfection of life and more peace, happiness, more love and contentment.

So we can use meditation as a tool to keep us in the present moment?

Yes.

Why do we find this so difficult to do naturally?

The mind by its very nature is very judgemental and wants to put everything in a box, whether good, bad, right, wrong, better or worse and as long as we are in that cycle and constantly thinking then we can not only feel that something is lacking in our life but we can be missing the present moment because thoughts are always taking us to the past or the future.

Ah, I can totally relate to that because I was forever thinking about the past wishing I was healthy again. You always seem so relaxed.  How would you sum up living in the present?

You can’t help but rediscover the permanent aspect of you, the underlying nature of you and all reality which we suggest is still, silent space or consciousness and if someone is exploring consciousness then they are exploring peace and love and contentment.

You make it sound very beautiful and you clearly love teaching?

I want to share the experience of peace with others, it is not an intellectual, conceptual belief, meditation is freeing and liberating and helps you reconnect with your inner experience of peace.

And I can vouch for the fact it really does work. Thanks Sandy, as always, it has been a pleasure.

You can check out Sandy's website here.

Ahoy there Comfort Zone

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone”. Neale Donald Walsch

Earlier this year I decided to train as meditation teacher with Sandy Newbigging who Yoga Magazine hails as “one of the best meditation teachers around’. 

I am passionate about meditation, and having trained with Sandy a couple of years previously in the Mind Detox Method I knew that Mind Calm Meditation would fit beautifully into my practice. Both use astonishingly simple but life changing techniques that I have benefited from on a personal level and was eager to be able to share these. 

I have spent the early part of the year completing the coursework, case studies and exam and then came the attendance week. (Pause for dramatic effect). Dum, dum, dummm.

Knowing that this course is aimed at people wanting to teach groups I knew that it would entail vast amounts of public speaking. I had previously believed that I would rather gauge my eyeballs out than stand up and talk to a group, and, with a week of doing just this in the pipeline I had deliberated long and hard about whether to attend.

My desire to spread the love and have others join me on the peace path outweighed my sheer terror and with trepidation I packed up, hugged my children like I might never see them again and headed off with a heavy heart.

When I got to the course venue I realised I was so far out of my comfort zone I couldn’t even see it. But you know what? Contrary to the voices in my head informing me of a million possible outcomes I didn’t faint, vomit or indeed die. 

In terms of personal growth this course was invaluable. In stepping out of my comfort zone I have expanded into a place of quiet confidence. Have I conquered my biggest fear? Who knows? I have three public talks booked in the next few weeks and I will use the techniques I have learnt through this course to enable me to detach completely from the voices in my head telling me I can’t. Umm I think I have just proved that I can thank you.

I am optimistic that I will rise to each challenge as it presents itself and slowly the unknown and frightening will transmute into exciting and exhilarating before settling into the familiar.

For me, as always, it’s the knowing. The reassuring knowing that I have a choice. I could have chosen not to do this and that would have been ok. But I did do it and that was ok too. I am now happy to remain on the periphery of my comfort zone while I wait for the next challenge to show itself, to which I will say “Bring it on” and jump in feet first.

To find out more about Mind Detox, Mind Calm or to book a coaching session with me (also available via Skype), contact me.