In September, we celebrate our fantastic register member Christine Rivers, from feelcomplete.uk. Christine is based on Blackwater, Yateley on the borders of Surrey and Hampshire.
We asked Christine to share some information about her business, her teachings and her own meditation experience, so that you can get to know her better.
Here is what Christine told us about her own meditation experience…
“My relationship with meditation has been estranged when I was younger. I liked the idea of it but was not sure how to do it. I experienced meditative stages at times when doing sports or climbing but it was not until 2018 that I connected with my inner self as part of an online acting course. I enjoyed the centering exercises a lot of and read more into meditative practices and started practicing myself. I combined this with Yoga and suddenly I found myself doing yoga and meditation every day. It helped me to manage the time of Covid and work and family stress. I would say an active regular practice started for me five years ago. I enjoy different types of meditation and I am always open to learn ways of meditating. My favourite one is to just simply focus on the breath and observe, to feel into the body and let arise what arises. Vipassana meditation is probably the one I use the most. However, I also like mantras and movement meditation”.
Christine trained with BSoM to become an externally accredited meditation teacher because…
“I was looking for a school that has accreditations, is online (at the time) and affordable. Because my background is in higher education, quality assurance played a key role in my choice of school. At the same time I wanted to learn about different approaches and techniques, which BSoM offered. I loved the small group environment and ways of learning. It gave me a good basis for what I didn’t know at the time would develop and grow inside and outside me.
Meditation changed my life and my wellbeing and health at work and at home. It felt like coming home by establishing this connection to my Self. As part of my role in higher education I noticed that students experienced high levels of stress and anxiety and I thought that meditation was maybe a way to help them manage their emotional turmoil. Therefore, my motivation initially to train as a meditation teacher was to work with my students. The university agreed to pay for the course and the rest is history”.
What she loved about the training was…
“Life learning and collective practice”.
About Christine’s business ‘Feel Complete UK’
“When I first started to work in this area it was part of my academic role. My intention was not to create a business, however after also completing my yoga teacher training, I realised that I enjoyed offering meditation and yoga to a wider audience outside academia. The word that came to me and how it made me feel was feeling complete. So I called my business feelcomplete.uk. For me feel complete is about five elements: connection, curiosity, creativity, contentment and cultivation. I like the fact the uk sounds like you are ok, which is fundamental to working with my clients.
Since officially starting my business in January 2022 I have worked with many different types of clients. On the one hand I work with young adults 14 plus and students in higher and further education but I also work with adults in care home, disability services and retirement homes.
I offer three types of services: classes, workshops/ retreats and coaching. Classes are pay as you go and are either yoga/ chair yoga or meditation and breathwork circles. I have my own classes and also run classes in nearby health clubs. I have a variety of clients from schools and universities to corporate and care providers. Workshops and retreats are either one day events or a series of workshops usually 3-5 weeks long, depending on the client’s needs unless I offer them privately. Coaching is focused on health and lifestyle coaching and I use meditation, breathwork and yoga as tools to support the coaching process and experience of my clients.
I believe meditation can be combined with many practices and coaching clients enjoy guided meditation to relax and quiet their mind but also learn to feel into the body and align body and mind”.
Christine’s favourite aspect of teaching is…
“When I teach meditation either as part of a yoga class or coaching session or on its own, I really enjoy the whole process, the preparation and the experience. However, even more so I enjoy feeling the energy in the room when meditative states take place at a deeper level and the conversation about such experiences afterwards. Everyone has a different experience even though we in the same room, listening to the same words. It is particularly nice in face-to-face environments where the collective consciousness is particularly strong to experience”
How you can work with, or find out more about Sophie and her meditation sessions:
Breathe with Life Day retreat, 29th of September 2024
On the 29th of September I am running an in-person day retreat Breathe with Life, consisting of meditation, breathwork, movement meditation, journaling and coaching. It is ideal for those wanting to connect with the breath and learn how to use the breath in their own meditation practice or classes they facilitate. This day retreat deepens the relationship with the breath therefore at a different level and those who attended similar sessions say that it completely changed the way they breathe and think about the function of the breath.
Monthly meditation & breathwork circle
If you live in the Camberley, Yateley, Sandhurst area and would like to join the monthly meditation and breathwork cycle please sign up via the website or contact me for more details, info@feelcomplete.uk
Social media and website links:
website: https://www.feelcomplete.uk/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/feelcomplete.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/feelcomplete.uk
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@feelcomplete_everyday