Hi! - I'm Koreen Clements
and I’m the author of You Can Meditate.Before I tell you more about myself, I want to dispel any illusions. I am not a master of meditation. I do not have a guru, nor have I attended any courses, although I have read many books on the subject. If I had to describe myself, then I would say that I am a student of meditative experiences. Many times in my life I've struggled – I’ve been angry, sad, frustrated, lonely, negative and generally unhappy. And each time I’ve found that my meditative experiences have been a lifeline. I feel more connected, more tranquil, and more alive when I meditate. And I hope that through this website I can help you reconnect and find true peace and joy within yourself. For as long as I can remember, I always wanted to learn how to meditate. But thought it would be too hard, after all, you have to sit in an uncomfortable position for a long period of time, trying to get your mind to be still when it wants to behaves like an unruly toddler, right? So it took me by surprise when I started researching meditation and I realized that I had already incorporated many of the principles of meditation into my life. And it dawned on me that I’ve had many meditative experiences throughout my life even though I hadn't labeled them as such before. Perhaps if you look back over your life then you will find the same. Words, objects, movements, music and activities that you found soothing and naturally gravitated towards. For example, I grew up in Canada and took skating lessons as many young Canadians do. My favorite part was called patch and during the first 15 minutes of practice we would trace a figure eight into the ice. It was tranquil - the cool air, heat from within and only the sounds being that of skates biting into the ice. I loved how serene I felt and how my mind became still. Then during my teens, I was quite involved in the church. Prayer, morning devotions, and bible study were a large component of my life and when I felt anxious I’d recite favorite scripture passages to myself. The next phase of my life was rather frantic, I went to university, got married and had 2 daughters - all at the same time. This is when I learned how to appreciate stillness and enjoy the present – those few silent minutes when my daughters were asleep in my arms after feeding. I would gaze at their perfect faces, trace their delicate features, feel their smooth skin beneath my finger and knew that at that moment, life was perfect. Graduate school was a particularly stressful time for me and I used physical exercise as a coping mechanism. I swam, biked and ran to train for various marathons and triathlons - the rhythm of repetitive movement allowed my body to relax and my mind to find stillness. After graduating with a PhD in Neuroscience, I moved to New Zealand to take up a post-doc position. Here I took pleasure in the simple things in life. Appreciating the stunning scenery on the drive into the city -the road curving over the mountain and past the tidal bay. Listening to the calls and flutters of birds in my backyard. Watching the twinkling of stars overhead (yes, stars do twinkle). Feeling the sun, wind and sand while walking along the seashore. New Zealand is a beautiful country and a perfect place for finding yourself. It was there that I got divorced, renounced my childhood belief in the Christian faith and fell in love with hot yoga. Now my daughters and I have moved to England so that I could marry an amazing man. I’ve currently taken a break from academia and am teaching hot yoga in Sheffield .
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