Find your calm
Keep it for life

Ian has studied meditation with Dr Ainslie Meares, Sogyal Rinpoche and many other masters, particularly in the Tibetan Dzogchen tradition.

A Founding Patron of Meditation Australia, he helped establish Centres for Contemplative Studies at Melbourne and Monash Universities. Ian has been teaching meditation since 1981, and teachers of meditation since 1988.

He is the author of several international best-selling meditation books, including Blue Sky Mind.

Daniel began meditating in 2009 through the Vipassana tradition as taught by S.N. Goenka. Since then he has explored mindfulness, Shamatha, Transcendental Meditation, Mindful Self-Compassion and Compassion Cultivation Training.

He completed the three modules of Teacher Training with Ian and Ruth Gawler in 2024–25, and co-founded The Meditation Community with Ian in 2025. Daniel is also a volunteer teacher with New Acropolis Australia, a school of philosophy.

Peta’s work background is in leadership in adult education.

Having meditated for over 30 years, Peta started teaching MbSM to staff in her workplace 9 years ago after training with Ian and Ruth Gawler. These days she continues to teach meditation in the workplace as well as more broadly.

Peta is registered with Meditation Australia and is a Meditation Australia Council Member.

Marie brings to meditation practice and teaching valuable experience in life and many years of working in care and welfare that supports the development and growth meditation brings into our lives.

Marie was introduced to meditation 20 years ago through Tibetan Buddhism, then programs at the Gawler Foundation.

She understands the challenge of balancing busy lives with ensuring time for self-care through meditation practice.

Melissa Borich is a Registered Yoga Therapist and Senior Teacher with Yoga Australia, and a Senior Teacher with Meditation Australia.

With over 25 years of meditation practice, she teaches classes, courses and retreats, offers one-to-one sessions, and supports the training and mentoring of meditation teachers.

She is passionate about sharing meditation and supporting others to experience its depth, stillness and ease.

Lisa was introduced to Mindfulness-based Stillness Meditation in 1994 through Dr Ian Gawler after a cancer diagnosis. In 2024 she completed formal meditation teacher training with Dr Gawler.

Lisa’s nursing experience includes medical, midwifery and mental health. This work, and personal experience, confirms to her the connectedness between physical and mental health and the benefits of meditation.

Lisa is passionate about making meditation accessible to all.

Melissa became interested in meditation in the eighties. She worked at The Gawler Foundation for 10 years, deepening her passion further.

She completed meditation teacher training in 2017 and again recently, and also works in Mental Health and Wellness Coaching.

Mel is passionate about supporting others to enhance their inner resources and find more contentment and joy in life.

Saurabh is an entrepreneur whose ventures span health, education and community impact, including Vyatra, which connects classrooms to iconic global places live.

He has long served as a palliative care volunteer and is a trained Hindustani classical vocalist. He is a committed meditator and practitioner of Kriya Yoga, with a keen awareness of himself as an infinitesimal expression of the divine, blissful cosmic consciousness.

“Lell” has a background of 35+ years in theatre and has been practicing meditation for six years. She has studied with Drs Ian & Ruth Gawler, Melissa Borich, Murray Paterson and Pauline McKinnon.

Lell practices Kriya Yoga and Nadi Prana daily and is studying to become an EMPR practitioner. She has also practiced Qi Gong, Tai Chi and Mindfulness for many years.

Since her early 20s Brigitte has studied and practiced meditation, predominantly via Tibetan Buddhism and Thich Nhat Hanh.

A diagnosis of cancer at 30 propelled her deeper into practice for healing. She engaged closely with Ian and Ruth Gawler and specifically ‘lifestyle medicine’, and now enjoys a complete recovery.

Brigitte was then naturally drawn to train as a teacher of MbSM, and now works as a psychotherapist.