Meditation

Rediscovering meditation

By Gabriel Rocheleau | September 8, 2019

When the news came out that Culadasa, my meditation teacher, was being removed from his teaching position due to misconduct, I felt distressed and disheartened. Yet in an odd way, I think these unfortunate circumstances will turn out to have a positive impact on my practice, and perhaps on the community at large. The Culadasa…

Culadasa misconduct

A god is dead

By Gabriel Rocheleau | September 2, 2019

Okay, god is a bit much. But still, one of the people I most admired has turned out not be the Saint I took him to be. So, what’s going on? As some of you already know, it has recently come to light that Culadasa, my meditation teacher, has engaged in misconduct. He has therefore…

Pa Auk Forest Monastery

The Value of a Community (Sangha)

By Gabriel Rocheleau | July 3, 2019

I’ve been in Culadasa’s Teacher Training for a year and a half now, and the benefits of the training are invaluable. To name a few, the Teacher Training has provided me with: Relevant and practical resources, like selected suttas, books, videos and guided meditations. The motivation to commit to a more serious daily practice. The…

The Four Noble Truths

By Gabriel Rocheleau | January 10, 2019

The Four Noble Truths are the fundamental teachings of Buddhism. All other Buddhist teachings are branches that sprout from these basic four truths. For some reason though, I never really paid attention to the Four Noble Truths. I found them vague and impractical. In fact, I never really got the difference between them. As I…

Meditation mental health

Can Meditation Cure Mental Health Issues?

By Gabriel Rocheleau | May 17, 2018

In an environment where meditation is being promoted for a whole range of mental health problems, a line should be drawn between the problems meditation can help with, and those it can’t. There’s a tendency in spiritual communities to infer spiritual causes to well-known and documented medical conditions. If you look for it, you’ll find…

Culadasa

Training as a meditation teacher with Culadasa

By Gabriel Rocheleau | February 28, 2018

As many of you know, I’ve always been more than happy to answer your meditation-related questions by email or directly here, in the comment section. Teaching meditation is something I find enjoyable and beneficial for others and myself. A few months ago, i read about an opportunity to apply for a teacher training course with…

Meditation position

Meditation Positions – How to Sit for Meditation

By Gabriel Rocheleau | April 4, 2016

Readers have been asking me what meditation position they should adopt. However, the best way to learn how to sit for meditation is not by reading about it, so I recorded a video in which I demonstrate 4 basic meditation positions. Let me know what you think about this format. If you prefer, you can also read the content below.

A Simple Visual Breathing Exercise

By Gabriel Rocheleau | January 26, 2016

Take a few minutes to relax the mind and body with this simple meditation exercise.

How to meditate effectively

How to Meditate Effectively: 5 Signs You’re Doing it Wrong

By Gabriel Rocheleau | June 17, 2015

Practicing meditation can enrich your life. But to get benefits, you have to do it right. You need to know how to meditate effectively.

You might have heard that there’s no such thing as “bad meditation”. I disagree. If you just sit down and ruminate negative thoughts for 20 minutes, you might as well not meditate at all.

Here are 5 sure signs that you’re not approaching meditation properly. Keep an eye out for them!

Sleep Paralysis attack

What Is Sleep Paralysis and How to Deal With It

By Gabriel Rocheleau | May 27, 2013

What if you woke up paralyzed? A dark and spine-chilling entity approaches your bed, looking straight in your eyes and smiling threateningly ; it knows you can’t move. It slowly climbs your bed, staring at you malevolently. It moves over your chest and you feel its extreme weight preventing you from breathing. You desperately try shouting for help, but no sound comes out of your mouth. Sounds like a nightmare? No. This is a documented medical condition known as sleep paralysis … and it’ll happen at least once to most people!