Melissa's Healing Space: Yoga & Mindfulness Meditation

26/11/2025

Insightful read from my meditation teacher Ian Gawler

Seems we all become overloaded from time to time. What helps? What do you do? Having been in this situation myself recently, the latest blog post offers suggestions. When I spoke with Ruth after the post, she immediately added 2 more- prioritise and delegate. So any other bright ideas to add to the list?
Check it out: https://www.gawlerblog.com/2025/11/on-being-overloaded-and-some-options.html

18/11/2025

🌾Mark Twain once said, “I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.”
A simple truth , and yet such a powerful reflection on how easily the mind can run ahead of us.

🌾So much of our suffering comes not from what is, but from what we fear might be.
Mindfulness brings us back to the present moment, grounding us in clarity rather than projection.

✨️This is the essence of the Mindfulness-Based Stillness Meditation I share at my retreats:
learning to train the mind so it supports your wellbeing instead of leading you into unnecessary worry.

🌾If you’re feeling called to deepen your practice, reconnect with yourself, and enter the new year with awareness, purpose and steadiness, there are still places available in my March Residential Retreat here at Melissa’s Healing Space.

🌾A gentle invitation to commit to yourself —
to presence, self-study, and the kind of discipline that feels like nourishment.

Send me a message or email if you’d like details or to reserve your place.

https://www.melissashealingspace.com/mindfulness-based-stillness-meditation-4-day-weekend-course/
🙏

15/11/2025

🌸ITS HERE!🌸 - A Woman's Pelvis, Pelvic Floor Awareness Programme

🌸As women, we move through so many transitions - puberty, motherhood, peri-menopause, menopause - yet we are rarely taught how to stay connected to one of the most foundational parts of our being: the pelvic floor.

🌸This programme was born from my own lived experience.
As my yoga practice softened and deepened over the years, I began to truly listen to my body. I discovered how awareness, breath and gentle movement could nourish, strengthen and support me through each stage of womanhood.

🌸My wish is to offer you the practices and understanding I wish I’d had in my younger years - teachings that create a sense of intimacy, steadiness and ease within your own body.

🌸Inside this self-paced pelvic floor awareness programme, you’ll learn simple anatomy, breath practices and accessible yoga sequences that you can carry with you far beyond the mat. These are resources to support you for the long term, whatever age or stage you find yourself in.

It is never too late to begin.
🌸 Link https://www.melissashealingspace.com/pelvic-floor-awareness/

Namaste,
Melissa

09/11/2025

Noble Conversations amidst Noble Company. The latest meditation teacher training, with the emphasis on Imagery, concluded last Wednesday. Despite Ruth's absence, and with Melissa Borich doing a wonderful job sharing the presenting with me, we had a marvellous 5 days. The material is so important - how the mind works, how it can create a heaven or hell; and what we can do to understand its machinations, take charge and use it to best effect.
One of the best things about these trainings is the company. Coming together with like-minded people committed to helping others through the medium of meditation-based wisdom and techniques makes for an inspiring and energising few days. Also, it is wonderful we now have the online Meditation teacher's Community with which to continue the momentum.
Dates for next year's two meditation teacher trainings - Meditation and Contemplation - are set and on the website
And another reminder - not too late to book for next weekend's 3 day meditation retreat in the Yarra Valley: https://iangawler.com/meditation-retreats/

06/11/2025

Just completed facilitating a Guided Imagery teacher training in the delightful Yarra Valley, at the Yarra Valley Living Centre. Such a privilege to facilitate alongside my meditation teacher Ian Gawler. His large body of insightful theoretical and experiential work has been an inspiration to me since 2005. I feel I am forever student always learning and growing, full of gratitude to be able to pass on his teachings to such an enthusiastic,curious, and experienced group of teachers. Much richer for the experience, 🙏

28/10/2025

Meditation Myth: it should always feel good ✨

Many people think meditation is meant to feel peaceful every time - but that’s not always true.
Sometimes it’s uncomfortable, restless, or emotional… and that’s okay.

Meditation isn’t about feeling good all the time , it’s about learning to sit with whatever arises.
Those moments of resistance or unease are often where the real shifts happen. Over time, you’ll notice more ease, more clarity, and a deeper sense of connection. 🌿

If you’d love to explore meditation in a supportive, grounded way, join me for my 4-day residential Meditation Course, held March 6th – 9th 2026 at Melissa’s Healing Space in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.

Learn, practice, and experience meditation as it truly is - real, human, and deeply restorative.
👉 melissashealingspace.com

22/10/2025

Looking forward to teaching this Guided Imagery Teacher Training programme 1st - 5th of November 2026 with Ian Gawler still a few places available if you are feeling the calling.
https://iangawler.com/meditation-teacher-training/?fbclid=IwY2xjawNljKJleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFBMFV3ZmNJaTk2T0xzNHFlAR49KKK-fhPXhikQOZidK6z3F8iZ_dNMcXDaEcYoytDuDwd1NbEw4mIzUOJySw_aem_op92KqS95z6P7W_MhYNSsA

Mindfulness and meditation are both very much in vogue. But what about positive thinking and the power of the mind? In my view, how we use our thinking mind has just as much importance. With our mind we decide what we eat and drink - and how much of it, whether we do practice mindfulness or meditation, who we hang out with, what work we do... and on and on. So understanding how our minds do function and how we can use them skilfully is paramount. This is why I love the Imagery module of the Meditation Teacher Trainings I present. It is all about this active mind. Only present this training every 2 years and it starts in 2 weeks. Amazingly, we regularly have people join at the last minute; and happily, we do have a couple of places still available. Interested? Details here: https://iangawler.com/meditation-teacher-training/

12/10/2025

Another Monday means another Meditation Myth:

Today we are talking about astral travel or escaping your body ✨

So many people think meditation is meant to take you somewhere else - into another realm or out of your body completely.
But real meditation is the opposite. It’s about arriving, not leaving.

It’s the practice of coming home to your body, your breath, and this present moment.
The stillness we seek isn’t “out there”, it’s actually here within us.

If you’d love to deepen your practice and truly understand what meditation is all about, join me for my 4-day residential Meditation Course, held March 6th – 9th 2026 at The Healing Space

Spaces are limited : find out more or book your place via my website 🌿
👉 melissashealingspace.com

08/10/2025

✨ Meditation Myths with Melissa ✨

I get told this so many times - that people feel they have too many thoughts to meditate. And I always say, me too! The mind is designed to think. 🧠

Meditation isn’t about stopping your thoughts, it’s about noticing them. Let them come and go like clouds passing through the sky. Over time, you become more familiar with both states of mind, the active and the still, and learn to rest peacefully in between. 🌿

If you’d love to explore meditation more deeply, join me for my 4 day residential Meditation Course from March 6th to 9th 2026. Head to my website for all the details.

03/10/2025

✨ Meditation Mythbusting ✨

So often people tell me they “can’t meditate” because they can’t sit cross legged. The truth is you don’t have to. I have lead many meditations with peole sitting in chairs or lying on the ground/floor.

It’s about finding comfort so you can bring your attention inward.
(however a little discomfort can sometimes be a good anchor to the present moment)🌿

If you’d like to go deeper into meditation, I’d love to welcome you to my 4 day residential Meditation Course from March 6th to 9th 2026. Together we will journey through the 5 layers of meditation.

👉 Head to my website to learn more and book your place.
melissashealingspace.com

29/09/2025

A delightful Nurturing Women’s Retreat at the Healing Space over the weekend. Inspiring and engaging in every way. The bees were out and happily buzzing as Spring unfolded over the weekend. Delicious food, meaningful and insightful conversations were shared, informative and engaging evening presentation by .naturopathy (our resident retreat Naturopath) were well received. Coupled with gentle therapeutic yoga, early morning meditation, and afternoon Restorative Yoga such a treat to facilitate, so many sweet and enriching moments to reflect on, and the massage in between sessions helped the women to relax all the more deeply🐝🙏🦋

20/09/2025

Looking forward to assisting on this Guided Imagery Teacher Training with Ian Gawler. There are places still available if you are keen.
https://iangawler.com/meditation-teacher-training/

Imagery is all about understanding what the mind is, how it works, and how we can use it most effectively. It is right at the heart of mind training as it covers: positive thinking - setting goals and accomplishing them peak performance - getting the very best out of whatever we do changing habits - clarifying what works best for us and doing it manifestation - what this really is and how it works invocation - the very essence of spiritual practice
and much more. I love teaching on this - it is fun, practical and profound. It is also the focus of the next Meditation Teacher Training: 1 - 5 November in the glorious Yarra Valley. Still some places available: https://iangawler.com/meditation-teacher-training/