Great Minds - podcast cover

Great Minds

Mindfulness, meditation, living in the present... these are all buzz terms you’ve probably heard. Maybe even tried. But if you haven’t yet found your fit, get a taste of various meditation styles from across the world. Learn about Vipassana, Metta or loving kindness meditation, Japanese forest bathing, sound meditation, Hawaiian ho'oponopono and more. Whether you’ve been meditating for years, or this is your first time, these short meditations led by experienced teachers will fit neatly into your day. Versions of the series are also available Arabic, Cantonese, Hindi, Mandarin and Punjabi.
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Episodes

Bonus interview: Shanti Gowans

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.

Nov 02, 202310 min

Vipassana meditation 3: Calming the mind

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.

Oct 30, 202315 min

Vipassana meditation 2: Breath like the wind

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.

Oct 30, 202317 min

Vipassana meditation 1: Body like a mountain

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.

Oct 30, 202318 min

Bonus interview: Wallace Lee

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.

Oct 26, 202311 min

Tonglen meditation 3: Sending compassion to others

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.

Oct 23, 202318 min

Tonglen meditation 2: Self-compassion

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.

Oct 23, 202315 min

Tonglen meditation 1: "Unsealing the spring"

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.

Oct 23, 202316 min

Bonus interview: Natalie Grace

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.

Oct 19, 202314 min

Sound bath meditation 3: Harmonising

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.

Oct 16, 202317 min

Sound bath meditation 2: Release

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.

Oct 16, 202315 min

Sound bath meditation 1: Reflection

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.

Oct 16, 202316 min

Bonus interview: Kynan Tan

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.

Oct 12, 202311 min

Mettā meditation 2: Feeling loving kindness towards another

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.

Oct 09, 202314 min

Mettā meditation 1: Practice loving kindness towards yourself

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".

Oct 09, 202315 min

Bonus interview: Nicole Smede

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.

Oct 05, 202313 min

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

Oct 02, 202312 min

Ngarayamūrah meditation 1: Ngaranga Barray, Listening to 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 y...

Oct 02, 202314 min

A new season of Great Minds is coming soon

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.

Sep 26, 20232 min

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

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.

Oct 10, 202231 sec

Ho’oponopono meditation 1: Aloha, limitless love

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.

Feb 16, 202213 min

Ho’oponopono meditation 2: Your light

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.

Feb 16, 202212 min

Ho’oponopono meditation 3: Forgiving, forgetting, remembering

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.

Feb 16, 202214 min

Qigong meditation 1: Basic mindfulness

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.

Feb 09, 202211 min

Qigong meditation 2: Environmental qi meditation

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...

Feb 09, 20229 min

Qigong meditation 3: Three energy 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.

Feb 09, 202212 min

Shinrin-yoku meditation 1: Discover Japanese forest bathing

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.

Feb 02, 202213 min

Shinrin-yoku meditation 2: Listening to nature

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.

Feb 02, 202212 min
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