Andrew “Marshy” Marsh has brought Vedic (transcendental) meditation to the northern suburbs. Photo: Region.
He has a wide smile and a light, breezy way about him, but Andrew “Marshy” Marsh – the Illawarra’s new meditation teacher – doesn’t mince words.
“Meditation is easy as shit,” he smiles. “But it’s the knowledge that has to be puttied in to keep it airtight.”
This knowledge he will pass on through a range of services at Andrew Marsh Meditation, a moody, muted oasis tucked away on Raymond Road in the middle of vibrant Thirroul Village.
Marshy, a former Hunter Valley winemaker, has been teaching meditation the world over for years. In Sydney, high-flying executives and elite sports people dominate his clientele, but in the Illawarra he hopes to pass on the tenets of meditation to everyone.
“People come in and whatever their demand is – stress, tension and fatigue from the rigours of daily life; divorce; addiction – you name it, people are wigging out. But it’s not really due to those things; it’s because we have no access to relieve the pressure we’re under,” he says.
“We start distracting ourselves with things – booze, sport, work – we’re always rushing around thinking that the outside world is going to complete us. And through whatever methodology – a holiday, sex, those first few drinks, a runner’s high – we get this tiny glimpse of something that feels like it does that. But if we have this subconscious idea that the objective world is going to fulfil us, we’re barking up the wrong tree.
“This is where meditation comes in.”
Marshy says that while his clients’ coping mechanisms may differ, the underlying issue we seek to resolve through meditation is more or less the same.
“From the people in our lives – our partners, children, friends – places, events, circumstances and things, we’re looking to extract a feeling of wholeness or completeness. It’s not bad; it’s sadly become normal, and we feel unfulfilled. We get to a point where we think, ‘I have tried everything. I have enough money, a beautiful partner, kids are healthy, we’re living in this paradise, but there’s this itch – I haven’t ‘arrived’.
“We treat the present moment as a means to an end, as an obstacle, as if something in the future is going to complete us, and then we will be able to just ‘be’ … And as human beings we have this guilt about everything we do. We keep thinking we need to be doing the ‘right’ thing or being the ‘best version’ of ourselves instead of allowing the version that we are.
“When we finish running that experiment, that’s when we end up here, waiving the white flag. Meditation presents to us a frictionless, effortless practice which fulfils us instantaneously, rather than extracting fulfilment and happiness from people, places, events and circumstances.”
Andrew Marsh Meditation will also host sessions in yoga, breath work, mentoring and “rounding” (a combination of yoga, breath work and meditation), but its specialisation is Vedic (also known as transcendental) meditation. The signature offering is a two-day or four-night course, one-to-one or in small groups. He will also be holding group guided-meditation sessions throughout each week.
Clients are encouraged to book a one-hour ‘Introductory’ session in which they’ll learn what meditation is, the benefits, dispel any myths and have their questions answered.
According to Marshy, the effects of Vedic meditation are immediate.
“There’s not a single person it hasn’t worked for, and with meditation, it doesn’t take time to work,” he says.
“The first meditation you’ll ever do will have immediate and profound effects. Then it snowballs, and that’s when it gets really interesting because you notice it showing up in your life. You feel full. It brings you to this beautiful state where, instead of extracting from the world, you have no choice but to start holding 12 plates of love, and you need an outlet for them. You become what you were looking for in the first place.”
Andrew Marsh Meditation is located at 1A Raymond Road, Thirroul. To book your introductory session email [email protected] or call 0449 160 706.
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