You are invited to join Crescentia.  Beginners welcome – even if you’ve never meditated before feel free to come along. ​

Hi, I am Crescentia Cook and I live in Bristol, England.  My first memory of someone mentioning meditation to me was my mother who used to talk about the Bhuddist monks in Burma, where I was born.  I have been practising TM meditation for nearly 20 years.  Since then I have explored different types of meditations including guided and contemplative meditations.   My experience with meditating is that it helps me to focus and take a broader less personal view of things and makes me more empathetic and calm.  This helps me in my relationships with family, friends and colleagues.    I also find that I achieve more and have more energy.  My friends often say I am very calm, laid back and run on Duracell batteries !!

A lot pf physical illness and disease are being caused by the stressful society that we live in and mental health problems are on the increase.  I believe that to look after our wellness we need to take care of our nutrition, exercise and MIND and that is why I have decided to become a SkillfulMinds meditation leader.  The first time I was introduced to meditation was in a yoga class where at the end of the class the yoga teacher took up the lotus position and started chanting OHM with no explanation of what was going on and I didn’t know what I was doing. I still believe many people are still introduced to the concept like that, and like me at the time, run away from it.  I think there is much too much confusion about meditation/mindfulness and although there are numerous apps on the market I feel that personal tuition and support through a group helps people take there meditation a step further than the guided meditations available and ensures that they sustain a regular meditation practice.

I am also excited by the advance in neuro-plasticity where the physical changes in our brains through meditation can be traced and monitored.