Krista Sanderson is a Vedic meditation teacher passionate about supporting others through the gift of this technique after it profoundly impacted her own life. Vedic Meditation is an ancient Indian meditation technique dating back thousands of years. Practised for twenty minutes twice daily, this technique utilises mantra – the origins of the word ‘mantra’ coming from two Sanskrit words; “man” (mind) and “tra” (vehicle) – to remove stress from the nervous system and calm the mind. In this conversation with Krista: – Krista’s two decades in hydrogeology and her experience with the burnout lifestyle associated with the mining industry, and how life events led her to explore meditation – How Vedic meditation has so effortlessly enabled Krista to live the life she loves, and why it led to her completing her teacher training in India (during the pandemic, no less!) – Krista’s definition of Vedic Meditation, and the differences between concentration, contemplation and transcendental types of meditation – The benefits of Vedic Meditation: the inner and outward strokes – How the modern-day, 21st century “gotta” life plays a role in the accumulation and overload of stress in the body and mind, and how it’s ultimately unsustainable – The importance of a healthy stress response, the science of stress vs. bliss chemistry, and how ‘premature cognitive commitments’ impact us – How meditation can help us to free up cognitive ‘space’ and deal with life’s demands, and why Krista is so passionate about enabling this through her teaching – Bija mantras and how they work, and how a bija mantra is prescribed as part of Krista’s 4-day Vedic Meditation training – How Vedic Meditation removes and releases stress from the body – Krista’s thoughts on the currency of “busyness” – Advanced Vedic Meditation techniques, including rounding, and the importance of practising in a retreat setting – Vedic Meditation as a non-outcome-based practise, and the initial discomfort for the ego, but the beautiful potency of this – Tarra’s transformative experience on Krista’s latest meditation retreat – The relevancy of Vedic Meditation for all types of people, and how far-reaching its benefits can be – Krista’s advice for people who feel resistant, anxious or fearful about meditating, and how to get started with meditation – The restrictive, “boxing” nature of the ego and intellect, and how confronting ego death can be – Vedic Meditation as an enabler for experiencing life to the fullest, and feeling the bliss in the present moment Work With Krista:www.instagram.com/soulshakhawww.soulshakha.com.aukrista@soulshakha.com.au Join the Witches Being Witches Coven:Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wbwcommunity