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“These are wonderful CDs, presenting guided meditations to help manage chronic pain. Both facilitators are Buddhists but this is not explicitly apparent and there are no religious overtones, though the CDs might be described as spiritual in a loose sense of the word. Anyone familiar with the book Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn, will feel completely at home here.
Each CD has two long meditations, one led by Vidyamala and the other by Sona. Each meditation is prefaced by an introduction to help the listener settle into a comfortable posture and calm state of mind and is spoken beautifully and calmly, with plenty of space around the different phrases. In fact there is a wonderful spaciousness about all the CDs and I haven’t yet heard either of them complete in one sitting because I need to lie down to do so and end up falling asleep! So instead I listen to them one meditation at a time, depending whether I feel in the mood for Vidyamala’s female voice or for Sona’s male one. There’s not much to choose because both are marvellous facilitators and Vidyamala also has long personal experience of chronic pain which she writes movingly about on the Breathworks website.
The specialness of these CDs is enhanced also by the words themselves, with lovely phrases that stay in the mind afterwards: “Body like a mountain … heart like the ocean … mind like the sky.” However, they are very practical in their encouragement to be aware of one’s thoughts and of the ability of the body and the mind to reduce pain and do its own healing. More than anything, they encourage a sense of acceptance in the listener, a non-judgemental and inclusive attitude to whatever feelings are present. This can certainly be difficult when the pain is strong but when acceptance of the present moment is possible, it is a liberating experience because all sense of struggle and fighting the pain ceases.
Even for someone like me who used to feel resistant to meditation, this is a beautiful effort that brings rewards. I’m looking forward to future CDs from Breathworks and can recommend these three very highly.”
From Pain Matters, Issue 36, June 2006 - Michael Bentley
“I found Vidyamala’s voice, in particular, full of compassion, gentleness and understanding, helping to enter a deep state of wellbeing and relaxation. The speed she moves throughout the meditations is just right, not too fast, not too slow. The recordings show what a great and deep understanding the speakers have of chronic pain, stress, other ill-health and the body and the mind. I am sure their recordings will help many others, from complete beginners to those with more experience, to make profound differences to their lives. I strongly recommend them.
From Jan Sadler, of Pain Support, www.painsupport.co.uk
“These CDs were an integral part of the Breathworks course and when it had finished they became my constant companions; a daily reminder of the peace, love, and centeredness which I had met through the course leaders and in turn in myself and others. Although Vidyamala and Sona claim in all humility to be flawed and not always mindful, in the timeless moment when they are leading the meditations they become guides to a deeper peace where all manner of things become possible, all manner of things will be well! I cannot foresee a time in my life when these CDs will lose their power to restore, release and encourage!”
Kev Swift
“I gave these three CDs to a friend who is bed-bound with severe back pain for several years. When I met her later she told me that these CDs were “the best stuff of that sort she could find”.
Marlene Eltschig, Germany
“I would like to recommend Vidyamala’s Body Scan Meditation CD to anyone. I received it soon after being diagnosed with breast cancer and used it every day, usually after lunch, to help me relax. Often I fell asleep and felt really rested after it! It definitely helped me feel in touch with and at peace with my body, and let go of some tension and feel more positive about my body. I’m sure all of this benefited my immune system and helped in my recovery.
I also found the Kindly Awareness CD very helpful, as it was hard at times to feel love and compassion to myself. I lent the Body Scan CD to my daughter who was pregnant at the time, and she also found it very helpful in letting go of tensions and relaxing as she was going through a very stressful house move. I enjoyed the quality of Vidyamala’s voice on the CD: gentle, balanced and authoritative.”
Jo Poklington, Breast cancer patient
Body scan meditation
“The Body Scan CD is a friend that is there whenever I need it. It is easy to practice, quick to access and very relaxing. It has helped me a great deal since my back surgery.”
Lynn Green
“The Body Scan meditation leads you slowly and gently around your body, as you become aware of each part in turn it allows the pain and tension to be released. “
From Jan Sadler, of Pain Support, http://www.painsupport.co.uk
“After surgery on my back I found it difficult to sleep as I was in so much pain. I found the Body Scan meditation would take my awareness away from the pain and I would sleep longer and deeper afterwards. Doing the meditation gave me hope that eventually I could learn to have a different relationship with the pain. “
Aileen Ross
“I find the Body Scan utterly relaxing and pain relieving as you focus on the different areas of the body. It has made a great difference to my pain levels.”
Sandy Rose
“Using the body scan meditation enables you to feel refreshed and focused. It helps me be a more effective teacher.”
Clair Lewoski, school teacher (using the body scan in the lunch break)
“The Body Scan has become part of my daily (and nightly) routine now. As someone who lives with chronic pain everyday and particularly in the mornings, I find that it grounds me and ‘recharges’ me.
My frazzled and frustrated state is gradually eased into a more focused, empowered and balanced one. It is not something I can achieve on my own and the meditative aspect for me of the CD has actually now become a guide to slowing down and being in the present, so to speak.
The key for me is that when I do not regularly incorporate listening to it into my routine, my energy levels start to drop and I hear a warning sound from my body that says, Slow down, you need to get back in tune.”
Collette Walsh, a writer and journalist who has lived with rheumatoid arthritis for sixteen years
From a note to Vidyamala:
“I was driving back from Portsmouth last night (approaching 1,200 miles since Monday - so much for pacing!) when I just had to stop and rest just south of Warwick, otherwise I would have fallen asleep at the wheel. I was going to do just that (once I’d parked!) but decided to listen to your CD instead - the rain was lashing down at this stage and bouncing off the car roof. Half an hour of complete relaxation/meditation later I felt like a new man and drove the rest of the way almost serenely (that’s pretty good going for me!) I’ve said this before but I think it bears repeating; I view your CDs as a really precious gift. Thank you.”
Alan Knowles. Senior salesman, BASF
Mindfulness of breathing
“The Mindfulness of Breathing recording uses focusing on the breath to bring peace and stillness to the body, releasing pain and tension. It helps us to come into the present moment, thus releasing the past and the future.”
From Jan Sadler, of Pain Support, www.painsupport.co.uk
“The Mindfulness of Breathing is a gentle meditation that allows me to reconnect with myself, centres me, and enables me to tap into serene energy inside of myself that in the hurly burly of life I lose connection with. I feel as if I float and am capable of anything afterwards!”
Aileen Ross
“The Mindfulness of Breathing is an uplifting spiritual experience. It can be profoundly moving and rebalancing all of your physical, mental and emotional experience at any one time and so puts your whole day in better balance.
Sandy Rose
“The Mindfulness of Breathing is is my point of sanity! It gives me the power to carry on in my life, despite the severe pain I live with in my back following surgery.
Lynn Green
Kindly awareness
“The Kindly Awareness recording nurtures an accepting and kindly attitude, firstly towards yourself and then outwards to others.”
From Jan Sadler, of Pain Support, www.painsupport.co.uk
“I do the Kindly Awareness meditation when I feel at odds with the world and want to get back to myself and stimulate some inner peace. I end up feeling much more positive towards other people and myself!”
Aileen Ross
“The kindly Awareness is great for connecting you with the whole of humanity with kindness, especially if you are feeling isolated and disconnected from the world. And the breath becomes felt as the core of everyone’s being.”
Sandy Rose
“The CD on Loving Kindness has helped me through years of chronic pain. When l was on crutches, with decaying bones, l could hardly face getting up in the morning. So l listened to my friend’s voice guiding me through Loving Kindness meditation, and my thoughts changed from negative to positive. l was able to face the day and even feel cheerful.”
Olga Kenyon