Episodes
Published 11/02/23
Vipassana is a meditation practice which originated in India. The word 'Vipassana' can be translated from Sanskrit as insight. Shanti Gowans has been sharing Vipassana for decades in her work as a yoga and meditation teacher. In this conversation with Sarah Malik, Shanti shares her knowledge of Vipassana, how you can get started with meditation, and how a meditation practice has changed her life.
Published 11/02/23
Vipassana requires mindful awareness - observing your body, breath, feelings, thoughts and emotions. In this Vipassana meditation, teacher Shanti Gowans has you focus on calming the mind. Let your mind accept whatever catches your attention without becoming emotionally involved with it, and tune into the greater whole.
Published 10/30/23
Vipassana is a mindfulness meditation practice that works through self-observation, one of India's oldest meditation practices. In this episode of Great Minds, teacher Shanti Gowans takes you through a meditation on your breath.
Published 10/30/23
Join in a Vipassana meditation in this episode of Great Minds. Vipassana can be translated as 'insight'. It's a mindfulness meditation practice that works through self-observation. Your guide is teacher Shanti Gowans from Shanti Yoga. Take a seat for a relaxing and energising body scan focused on posture.
Published 10/30/23
Sarah Malik chats with Wallace Lee who has been your guide for the three Tonglen meditations in this season of Great Minds. Wallace is an instructor with Rigpa Australia, a network of Tibetan Buddhist Meditation centres around Australia. He speaks about what the practice of Tonglen involves, and how a challenging time in his life led Wallace to meditation.
Published 10/26/23
This Tonglen meditation is a visualisation focused on expressing compassion towards another person. When practicing Tonglen towards others, you are encouraged to take on others' sufferings, and give out happiness and wellbeing - reversing our habitual way of responding to discomfort. This sending and receiving is aligned with the breath.
Published 10/23/23
This episode is a guided practice of self-compassion. Instructor Wallace Lee shares teachings from the Tibetan meditation practice of Tonglen, which is based in the concept of giving and receiving, or sending and taking. Breathing in negative feelings and discomfort, and breathing out health, happiness, and wellbeing.
Published 10/23/23
In this guided meditation, Wallace Lee introduces you to a Tibetan meditation practice called Tonglen, which is based in the concept of giving and receiving compassion. This episode explores the theme of reconnecting to the love within us, unsealing the spring of love and compassion that is inherent and limitless in all of us.
Published 10/23/23
If you've listened to any of our three sound bath meditations, get to know your guide Natalie Grace in this conversation with Sarah Malik. Learn about Natalie's work, and the benefits of music therapy and sound meditation.
Published 10/19/23
In this episode of Great Minds, sound therapist and energy healer Natalie Grace leads you through a body scan and meditative sound bath using chimes, crystal singing bowls, gentle drumming, rain sticks and gong. The theme of this sound journey is harmonising and developing self compassion.
Published 10/16/23
In this episode of Great Minds, sound therapist and energy healer Natalie Grace leads you through a sound bath meditation using gongs, drums and Tibetan singing bowls. The theme of this sound journey is release. Great ready to let go.
Published 10/16/23
In this episode of Great Minds season two, sound therapist Natalie Grace settles you into a deeply relaxing sound bath meditation using Tibetan singing bowls and rain sticks. The theme of this sound journey is reflection.
Published 10/16/23
If you've listened to any of the three Mettā or Loving Kindness meditations in this season of Great Minds, get to know teacher Kynan Tan in this conversation with host Sarah Malik. Learn what Mettā is, how Kynan found his way to meditation, and how it might help you in your everyday life.
Published 10/12/23
In this Mettā or Loving Kindness meditation, you will be offering kindness and goodwill towards all of your experiences, to find a sense of calm and peace through acceptance.
Published 10/09/23
Mettā or Loving Kindness meditation comes from the Buddhist tradition. In this meditation, our guide Kynan Tan has you offering kindness to someone you feel goodwill towards. Feel the pleasantness and warmth that comes from sharing kindness with others.
Published 10/09/23
In this gentle episode of Great Minds, Kynan Tan will lead you through a Mettā meditation that is focused on offering kindness to yourself. Mettā meditation or Loving Kindness meditation is a type of Buddhist meditation. As Kynan says, "You need to live in your head, Mettā practice can make your mind a nicer place to be".
Published 10/09/23
If you've listened to the Ngarayamūrah meditations that lead season two of Great Minds, get to know Warrimay Birrbay artist Nicole Smede in this conversation with Sarah Malik. Ngarayamūrah is a Gammēya-Dharrawal word explaining a listening to and connecting with Country. Nicole explains deep listening, and her practice as a multidisciplinary artist.
Published 10/05/23
In this third Ngarayamūrah meditation, Warrimay Birrbay artist Nicole Smede will lead you through a meditation about listening to sky Country, Yurra Barray. Imagine you are laying under a vast, open sky that stretches out in all directions, adorned with mirriiyn (stars).
Published 10/02/23
In this second Ngarayamūrah meditation, Warrimay Birrbay artist Nicole Smede will lead you through a meditation about listening to ocean Country, garuwa barray. Imagine you are walking on the sand of great beach towards shimmering waves, warm golden sand stretching out either side of you.
Published 10/02/23
In this first episode of Great Minds season two, Warrimay Birrbay artist Nicole Smede will lead you through a beautiful Ngarayamūrah meditation, about listening to Country. Ngarayamūrah is a Gammēya-Dharrawal word explaining a listening to and connecting with Country. This meditation was created along the banks of Bungali (the Shoalhaven River) on Gammēya-Dharrawal lands. Imagine you are walking under a canopy of eucalyptus trees, their branches and leaves stretch out high above you,...
Published 10/02/23
Need a little break from your day? Season two of Great Minds guided meditations is coming soon, introducing a new range of meditation styles and teachers. Experience sound bath meditation, Mettā, Vipassana, Tibetan Tonglen, and meditations based in First Nations knowledge.
Published 09/26/23
Great Minds is an SBS meditation podcast that introduces various meditation styles from across the world. The series is now available in five languages - Arabic, Cantonese, Hindi, Mandarin and Punjabi. Try short mindfulness exercises created for you by teachers of Yoga Nidra, Qigong, Japanese Shinrin-yoku or forest bathing, Filipino Hilot, Hawaiian Ho'oponopono and Wayapa Wuurrk.
Published 10/10/22
Ho’oponopono is an ancient practice from Hawaii. Roughly translated, it means ‘to make things right’. Kumu Pa'a Kawika Foster will introduce you to it in this episode of Great Minds. The traditional practice has been passed down to him through 51 generations. Sit or lie down comfortably as you hit play. Take a deep breath in. Breathe out.  
Published 02/16/22
Guiding us this episode is Kumu Pa'a Kawika Foster, a practitioner of Hawaiian ho’oponopono. Kawika will share a story about the light we carry from birth - it goes to the essence of Ho’oponopono. You can sit or lie down as you listen, whatever makes you comfortable.
Published 02/16/22