Testimonials

I began meditating around four years ago. I found myself in an unsustainable working routine. There was no amount of sleep that could refresh me. I went in search of a more powerful relaxation technique and Vedic meditation was what I found. I went to an introductory talk with Jillian. She told wonderful stories about the infinite benefits of meditation, including how its benefits have been scientifically verified. The basic message seemed to be that if I sat down and closed my eyes for twenty minutes twice a day, I would become a relaxed, enhanced version of myself and would all at once be at peace with the world around me. I was very sceptical. I had done some meditation before, learning from a book. However, I had not been able to sustain it for the seven minutes suggested, only for two or three at the most. I explained this to Jillian, asking her how I might sustain it for a full twenty minutes! Her answer seemed to come from some deep-seated reservoir of wisdom – ‘Meditation in its essence is very simple. If you are trying to do it, you are not meditating correctly.’ I began the basic course. When I returned to work the following week, my mother, my cousin, my oldest friend and my closest co-workers all remarked that I seemed quite different. And I was. Sleeping well. Relaxed. Less flappable. Happier. Open to new horizons and open to other people too.

I have been meditating for nearly three years, following the 4-day course in central London. I was a bit sceptical at first as to the methods and benefits of meditation, but was pleasantly surprised at how easy and satisfactory it is and I now meditate twice a day for 20 minutes each time. The course teachers, Jillian and Michael, are amazing and full of useful information on dealing with life experiences through meditation. Their explanations and analogies answer all questions and dispel any doubts. They are gentle and respectful people with a great deal of insight and empathy with their students. Initially, I found I enjoyed the time dedicated to meditating twice a day and my family supported me in this. I attend as many of the Monday evening group sessions as I can. These are helpful as they re-connect me (and many others) with the pleasures of meditation. As in all groups, you can find support and reassurance from fellow participants and the teachers and share ideas and experiences. I will continue to meditate as it is calming and relaxing and therefore has a beneficial effect for me and the people around me.

I liked the course for a few reasons. I feel I got to know Jillian quite well during my course. I found her warm and approachable and her teaching to be very interesting and knowledgeable. I did have doubts—however Jillian was able to answer all of my questions and the doubts I had were eliminated. My early benefits from meditation were better quality of sleep and an overall feeling of calmness. Further into my meditation experience I feel more confident and generally much less tired.

Initially with the introductory evening explaining VM and its benefits I was cautious. However, when Jillian and Michael began explaining the course, it just made sense to me that this was something I needed to incorporate in my life. I loved how the explanation was informative and not forceful.  If I had found myself searching for some new meaning in my life, I was in the right place. Michael and Jillian are warm, kind and genuine teachers. For me it starts with compassion and love. It then needs to be supported with guidance and knowledge that I can trust. These two deliver and lead wonderfully (something that is hard to come by). I always have doubts about things but I like to think I also have an open mind. This course and these teachings then came to me and I embraced them. I have never looked back. From very early on, my life completely changed. I was more energized, clearer in my thinking and more able to get in with my life without too much difficulty. Meditation is a release of stress and tension but more specifically a tool to help you move on with life rather than dwell and suppress. As I continued with VM my life became more manageable. I was able to balance things more and be more productive. I could get through more day-to-day tasks efficiently and with ease.  Habits changed and so did my priorities. Things seemed overall much better. I had the opportunity to travel with Michael and three others to the week-long retreat in India; it was magical. I recommend it, as it was a time to love and live more. The  course was just so healing. Not to mention all the treatments, food and ceremonies that took place. The whole experience was like no other and I hope one day to do it again.

Five years ago a kind and thoughtful friend phoned me and said, "You know how manic and busy you are and find it difficult to wind down. Well, I've just learnt a technique that will help with this; Do you want to learn?". Coupled with trust and a desire for some profound rest, I signed up. No questions, except that I knew it was meditation and I needed something to ground me. Five years later I still meditate twice a day. I find the time easily, as what it has brought to me – under the expert tuition and guidance of Jillian and Michael – is balance, a place where I can go and refresh and return to be better in the world with more energy, become rested and be able to have a more active social life after long working days. There are many areas in ones life it quickly improves: sleep, energy, patience and a general ability to be more effective. I cannot recommend it highly enough and once learnt you are equipped to experience a fuller life. Michael, Set Decorator

I stumbled into a meditation course by Jillian and Michael in 2010. During the retreat itself I noticed some immediate changes: a certain joyful, bubbly cheerfulness came up. I noticed that I could focus better – I would read the news and actually remember what I had read. Back in day-to-day life, I found that regular meditation helped me deal with the stresses of my job, and generally made me happier. I would walk into the dreadful 7am morning meetings wearing a smile. I would also meditate ahead of social occasions, as I found this would make me more talkative and outgoing after having meditated. In 2013, as I started gaining some spiritual awareness, I redoubled my efforts both in meditation and other spiritual practices. As I did this, my perception of the world started to shift. I increasingly saw and experienced the world as a more beautiful, peaceful and friendly place. I attended a rounding retreat in late 2013 by London Meditation Centre. In retrospect, that retreat gave my spiritual awareness a further boost. The experiences from meditation were life changing. I would recommend it to anyone. I look forward to attending further courses by Jillian and Michael, and am very grateful to them for their ongoing support of former students via the regular group meditation sessions.

The course was delivered with clarity and grace —with neither dogma nor the religiosity often found in the self help world. The teachers are lovely, offering the science and neurophysiology, as well as the wonder of it—and some history. I took the course as a possible solution for fragile sleep, but found something that both makes sleep less important and provides a healthy and natural technique for mind settling and therefore mind expanding. I had doubts that it would provide answers–having felt sleep deprived for most of my life–but as a de-stresser it’s a kind of mental detox. I found the quality of my sleep improved, but having learned that rest is the important thing, it felt less important. Meditation has become part of my life now, with the morning and afternoon meditations like pit stops of rest and recharge. It’s intelligent, common sense, and has worked for people for literally ages. And it feels natural.

The course was well designed and executed along a steady path but with flexibility to work with the issues and energy of the group. Jillian and Michael are genuine people who believe in what they do and live as they teach. In the early days of practicing, I noticed an ability to ’re-boot’ my body for a new phase of the day, which I could approach with more energy and concentration. And over time I see an ability to physically and psychologically withstand more than people around me.

I was looking for local meditation courses and I came across the London Meditation Centre. I was instantly drawn in and decided to take part. The course had just the right amount of participants for it to be a personal experience. The atmosphere was very spiritual and all of my questions and doubts were fulfilled. Jillian and Michael are two very inspirational individuals, who illustrated all the benefits of meditation with passion and simplicity. They were more than willing to address each and every individual difficulty or query. I have now been meditating consistently for the past two years and the benefits seem to never end. My thoughts are clearer and my mind is more lucid. I have a far greater understanding of my inner self and the people around me. I also value group meditations highly, they are powerful and I'm always left with an even stronger conviction of the unending benefits of meditation. I am extremely grateful for everything I have learnt from Jillian and Michael's truly outstanding course.

Learning with Michael was an intense, but painless and enriching way to feel myself comfortably from head-to-toe from within and without through meditation. It is like self-healing, allowing oneself to feel self-secure. Monday group meditation is a beautiful communal activity of reassurance of the benefits of meditations.