07 Dec Exploring the Marvels of Meditation with Tom Foulstone

Tom is a meditation enthusiast with a lot of fervor in heart for compassion and kindness. He is also our ‘Mindfulness Hero’ of the month and inspires our community with his personal insight to meditation and why he started it.

A great part of Tom’s story is how meditation has enabled him to become a positive and clear minded human being and that is truly a trait that everybody strives for.

Read on for more tips and knowledge from the mindful words of a happy and peaceful follower of Aware meditation!

1. What made you take up meditation?

I took up meditation when I was going through a very stressful period in my life: needed some grounding amidst alot of needless chatter in my mind.

2. What are some tips or advice you would want to share with beginners?

My top tip for a beginner would simply be this: don’t expect anything. The moment you pin expectations, you will invariably be disappointed. Each session, even if it’s one that you’ve done before, will be different! Take each moment for exactly what it is, and every evening thank Buddha for his guidance: this is a distinct difference to praying, but will emphasise your development of gratitude. Be kind, always.

3. What has been the change in your life due to meditation?

The most profound change is my ability to notice when I go into ‘doing’ mode. I rarely get caught up in the stories in my mind, and now just notice them and come back to my breath. I feel like I’m actually living again, rather than catastrophising in a virtual-world in my head! I’m much less concerned what people think of me now: in a way, I don’t care as much (but in a really positive way!)

4. How has Aware Meditation App helped you in your journey?

For me, I have been on a journey for a couple of years now, but the Aware App has been a wonderful refresher, and almost a revisit of the basics. I’m looking forward to further course on the app, and would really encourage people to try it.