Learn to Meditate - Free Classes

Learn to Meditate is running free weekly classes at King's Heath Quaker Meeting House on Thursday evenings, starting 22 October. It's a Sahaja Yoga meditation course run by volunteers from Sahaja Yoga Meditation UK & Ireland, and this particular set is hosted by Peter, Sveta, Yogesh, Preeti and Ashwini.

The sessions introduce Sahaja Yoga meditation, a technique founded by Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi. They describe it as a simple, time-honoured method for reducing stress and increasing holistic wellness, and the whole thing is run by volunteers of a charity that charges nothing. It's open to everyone, so you don't need any prior experience or special attire to join in. You sit on chairs rather than on mats and there are no asanas, so it's a low-barrier way to get started if you've never tried meditation before.

Each session mixes introductory talks, videos, practical workshops and a Q&A, and the organisers frame the goal as 'Achieve Yoga' — reaching a state of thoughtless awareness by tapping into the inner kundalini energy, which they describe as natural, sustainable and infinitely renewable. The practice is taught in person across London and throughout the UK, as well as online, and is presented as a way to find inner peace, connect with your innate chakras and balance the subtle body.

The classes run every Thursday from 19:30 to 21:00 at the Quaker Meeting House, 17 Colmore Road, King's Heath, B14 7PE. They're free, and because they run weekly, you can drop in when it suits you.