Soul Sounds with Luke Wright
Aware of the pressures of looming deadlines and the year that has been, Deb Caruso welcomes the chance for the team to participate in a guided group meditation session with Luke Wright.
It’s a beautiful day by the Noosa River when we gather for a guided meditation session with Luke Wright.
We all arrive from a busy morning managing photo shoots, client meetings and wrangling kids however Luke’s mild manner calms us as we take our places under the trees with a cool river breeze.
Luke begins by sharing his thoughts on meditation and refreshingly, it’s mainly that we don’t have to try too hard – in fact, we shouldn’t try at all.
That’s music to my exhausted ears.
“Meditation shouldn’t come with an agenda in terms of trying to achieve something,” he says, “If you do that, you’ve already subverted the process. In a natural meditative state, your personal will is diminished and you move more into the field of the universal – so there’s less separation between you and everything else. Let everything else fall away to create space for a more intuitive response; something deeper yet subtle.”
Luke calls our awareness to our own body, using our breath as an anchor encouraging us to let it flow naturally not adjust or manipulate it. He gently guides us into a relaxed state and for the next 20 minutes, the world melts away.
He invites us to acknowledges the external distractions including crows and music blaring from a boat. Fittingly, the song is True by Spandau Ballet: “this is the sound of my soul”.
“Don’t worry about what’s going on around you or if the rest of your day starts running around your mind; get comfortable and let your thoughts become background radio,” he says.
With his guidance, I surrender and become more attuned with my deeper self as a sense of peace washes over me.
Before I know it, Luke brings our awareness back to the breath, the sensations in our body and back into our self. I’m surprised at how refreshed and focused I feel and the buzz, clarity and calmness I used to get when meditating was still there – my meditation muscle memory, as Luke calls it.
“Meditating each day can make a big difference to your physical and mental health,” he says. “The best thing is that change can and will happen with minimal effort, you just have to be consistent. The commitment to sit and close your eyes is already re-wiring your system.”
Luke recommends to start with five minute meditations and gradually increase the duration.
There is a lot of evidence proving that mindfulness meditation can change our brain and biology in positive ways, enhancing mental and physical health; and that meditating for even a few minutes each day can help you become more productive while also enhancing emotional intelligence and achieving a state of calm concentration. It can help you cope with stress, anxiety, depression, pain, and other challenges that affect your well-being; improve focus, productivity, creativity, and decision-making skills – essential for leaders.
Like anything, harnessing the power of meditation is easier with the right guidance.
With 25+ years of dedicated experience in the realm of mindfulness and meditation as well as an Honours thesis delving into the perceived parallels between physics and mysticism; Luke has shared his guidance at various events, festivals and as a consultant to educational institutions and businesses.
He believes that what we give our time and attention to is our greatest currency and provides one-on-one consultations, allowing individuals to benefit from his extensive expertise to delve deeper into their own consciousness and unlock the potential for personal growth, transformation, harmony and balance.
“Conscious dialogue and assisted self-inquiry can be a catalyst for people to source their true identity and tap into their own power to distil down to what they really value,” Luke says. “Don’t wait until you hit rock bottom. Given the current state of the world and how much we’re on our phones and how much our brains have been wired to short, sharp messages, our attention span is all over the shop. Learning to be single minded about things is becoming increasingly difficult, particularly for younger people but with just a few minutes a day and the right guidance, you can manage your own chemistry.”
Luke’s commitment to seeding the practice of meditation has touched the lives of many, leaving a lasting impact on those seeking a path to inner peace and self-discovery.
I’m grateful for making the time for our group meditation and for being able to share that with my team.
I’m now back on the path to enlightenment – well, not yet, but I am building up my meditation muscle and certainly feeling calmer, more focused and more aware of what I am giving my time and attention to.
As Luke says, that’s our greatest currency.
