MEDITATION

MUAR (pronounced "moo-ARE") is a Hebrew word with four meanings.

The first is "Illuminated," translated from the title of the book The Mind Illuminated by Culadasa (John Yates, Ph.D.), whose work inspires our meditation technique.

MUAR (מואר) also means "Enlightened," indicating the liberated state of mind to which we aspire through diligent training.

With a similar pronunciation yet slightly different Hebrew spelling (מוער), the third meaning of MUAR is "Awakened" by external means - through the interaction with the teachings, the teacher, and fellow meditators.

Lastly, MUAR (מוער) also means "Annotated," indicating the notes and explanations we provide to the workings of the mind.

MUAR - four relevant meanings in one magnificent word!

Yes - and so much more. "Mindfulness" allows us to achieve higher awareness of the mind's emotional and cognitive processes. We continuously develop this tool until it becomes as sharp, focused, and powerful as possible. It serves us for understanding the true nature of reality, purifying the mind of illusions and past traumas, and accumulating deep Insights, leading to the ultimate destination: A solid, continuous experience of deep contentment, true happiness, and profound inner peace, not subject to passing away by the turmoils of daily life.

The basis is Vipassana meditation, as taught by Gautama the Buddha, combined with śamatha meditation. At the heart of its practical side is systematic cultivation of attention to the sensations of the breath (Anapanna), and bodily sensations. The practice is reinforced by detailed explanations, illuminating the workings of the mind, helping to identify the factors challenging continuous stable attention, and offering efficient solutions (both conceptual and practical) for dealing with them.

Definitely YES. There's no need to adopt a monastic lifestyle, nor isolating yourself from the world. The practical, focused, precise, and efficient character of the instructions, allows you to make the most out of the time you dedicate for meditation, even while working, studying, or having a family.

Just as lifting weights makes the muscles stronger and stretching increases flexibility, so does meditation trains the mind, making it sharp and peaceful. It's a natural process based on direct experience, whose efficiency has been proven by science. It doesn't require religious belief, nor does it contradicts it. Should they practice diligently and well, both the fervent believer and the skeptic atheist could succeed and enjoy the many benefits of meditation.

Your meditative experience is a wonderful, valuable asset. The technique's precise instructions can advance your practice further, rapidly, and efficiently, clear hidden obstacles slowing you down, and allow you to reach high meditative states you've never experienced before. It's an opportunity to take a giant leap forward and discover the best of what meditation has to offer.

Meditation could complement psychological treatments but not replace them. If the challenges in your life are significant, the escort and assistance of professionals are of utmost importance. They'd be a supporting factor in processing the experiences, memories, and insights, which would arise during the purification taking place in meditative practice. It should be stressed that the meditation meetings aren't considered "treatment," nor is the teacher a therapist.