How to meditate

She’s been labelled the David Bowie of Meditation, described as ‘Rock n Roll’  and featured in The New York Times, Forbes, and TIME, but none of these accomplishments phase Biet Simkin. The US-born spiritual leader, who visited Sydney last year for Wanderlust 108, is all about focusing on inner peace and bringing meditation to the masses.

To say Biet has had an interesting past would be understating her life experiences, just like writing about them in one sentence seems disingenuous. But the amazing thing about Biet is that she sees the ‘tragedies’ in her life as ‘beautiful and perfect’, which is incredibly inspiring when you consider that she lost most of her family as a young child, experienced a near-death experience, lost her four-month old daughter Ula to S.I.D.S,  lived in a burned down house doing heroin, said good bye to her best friend who hung himself and then her ‘awakened teacher’ father died.  

However, after five years living with heroin and cocaine, Biet overcame addiction and founded a meditation experience that she guides and scores the music for herself. We were lucky enough to be given time with Biet to chat about her love for meditation and inner peace, and always seeing life with a silver lining.

How to meditate

Can you describe what meditation means to you?
“Meditation is a tool by which one transforms the way they see and interact with reality! It alchemises what we see touch and feel into something completely different.”

You’ve led an exciting and dynamic, and at times tragic life, how has meditation helped you deal with that?
“There is nothing to ‘deal’ with. My tragedies are as beautiful and as perfect as my wins, luck, beauty and talent. In fact I have a hard time today separating those two polarities. The tragedy and the talent together make me who I am. I guess meditation shows me that union every day.”

What has your life so far taught you about the importance of inner peace?
“The world is a crazy making place and we are the centre of all our problems. ‘Inner peace’ means we get to radically shift the way we deal with the ‘crazy’. Once you get a taste you become addicted to creating more and more peace!”

How essential is inner peace to mediation?
“I think what’s essential to meditation is the contrast and chaos of this planet! Meditation thrives when it pushes up against this friction and then like a dagger coming at you turns to a rose and falls to the ground. Inner peace is the only thing going on really, but our mind tells us that’s not true. Meditation shows us the only real.”

Do you think everyone can meditate? Or are some people better than others?
“Yes, everyone can meditate. Look at children they are all meditative.”

What would you say to someone who feels their brain is ’too busy’ to meditate?
“I would say, if I can meditate you can meditate.”

What is your advice to someone who keeps trying to meditate but they don’t feel they ever ‘get there’?
“I’d say you haven’t found your right path or right teacher. Keep searching! Be relentless! Never give up!”

For someone that meditates regularly, how can they push themselves to go further, or get to the next level?
“Take someone else. When we help others we rise up the ladder of splendour and consciousness.”

 

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