What better way to seek refuge from Hong Kong's soaring stress levels than to journey into the mind. Meditation is a time-tested way of gaining serenity. It turns the mind inward, connecting it to deeper states of consciousness that bring inner peace and harmony.
We looked around Hong Kong for a meditation class and found more choices than one would expect. This ancient practice is thriving in stressed out Hong Kong, with a wide range of systems to choose from. Some concentrate on silence, some on breathing, and others on laughter and song.
The good thing about having such a variety is that it increases the possibility of finding a method that is just right for you.
Vipassana meditation: Going into the silence
Want to flee the madding rush? The Hong Kong Vipassana Meditation Centre in Hang Tau, Sheung Shui, regularly runs free 10-day residential courses in Vipassana meditation. The three-step courses start off by promoting self-restraint through avoidance of habits such as telling white lies and drinking alcohol. You then learn to harness the wandering 'monkey' mind by focusing on the flow of breath. By the fourth day, participants enter the third level - Vipassana practice - which is all about cultivating mindfulness by sitting quietly and simply witnessing whatever goes through the mind and body and understanding the nature of the sensations without reacting to them. The course ends with a day of meditation on loving kindness.
Art of Living: Entering the breath
Meditative breathing techniques are very much the sphere of the Art of Living (AoL) courses offered in Hong Kong, a system based on the teaching of the organisation's spiritual head, Bangalore-based Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Central to this system is a series of deep breathing exercises that effectively open up lungs clogged from hours spent hunched in front of computers.