Highlighting Our Graduates – Ashley Foskett
It’s our favourite time of the month again when we get to showcase another one of our amazing graduates! Meet Ashley Foskett. Her journey into becoming a meditation teacher has opened up the opportunity to work within a beautiful meditation studio in Sydney. Ashley chats to us about the impact meditation and mindfulness has made on her life and her plans for a future business that is geared towards creating tools to help people overcome the effects of trauma.
It’s so nice to have the opportunity to learn more about you Ashley. Tell us a little more about yourself…
I love to be in nature as much as I can, so living in a quiet suburb within Sydney surrounded by the most beautiful natural landscapes is very fulfilling. For me, nature is a sacred abyss, filled with endless teachings. Always returning me to the source of stillness. To keep it simple, I’m very passionate about learning and connection.
I value the things in my life that move to expand, discover, and love. Personally, I find this through meditating, reading, writing, bouldering, dancing and yoga. I can say with confidence that I’m very much like a 6-year-old and an 86 year old, at the same time. This way of living brings an immense amount of joy, peace and presence into my being.
I dance with wonder whilst finding the answers of life through stillness and movement, science and spirituality. Some might perceive this as dichotomous— but I believe they coexist. This perspective allows me to deeply understand the outer and inner worlds and their union within the mind.
I indulge in reading books that optimise my mind, brain, body, heart and soul as I yearn to understand the nature of my being. It is through understanding myself that I am able to truly understand others. This is where my deeply-rooted passion lies, in helping others and the health of this planet. Through educating and liberating. Through choosing to connect mindfully to the madness of life.
What attracted you to become a meditation teacher and study with ACMM?
Becoming a meditation teacher gave me the opportunity to blend all of the work I aim to do in my lifetime into One. The world around us, culture, and the wilderness make indelible impressions on our minds. Healing this earth starts with us. As we begin to look after ourselves and our own well-being we can then take better care of the well-being of that which surrounds us, our planet and the people that live in it.
I wanted to study with ACMM because of the immense amount of detail that is delivered through the course teachings. Everything that’s sourced respects the traditions from which meditation originated, which is very important to me. I was also extremely enticed by the electives on offer!
Because of the electives, I can now offer meditation to a specified group of people which feels more authentic and aimed towards their personal life experience.
How has meditation impacted you on a personal level – what are the benefits you have seen?
The benefits I’ve seen since starting my practice around 7 years ago has improved my mental clarity, memory recall, emotional intelligence and open awareness. Before having a meditation practice I was in a place of being comfortably numb, and after meditation, I became comfortably present. The deep love I’ve created for myself through meditation and mindfulness is truly indescribable.
Meditation gave me clarity on ‘time’… I feel timeless in a way. Time doesn’t affect me as much as it used to as I’m presently experiencing the fullness of every moment. I say if you ever want to stop time, be in the present. Timeless.
Most importantly, through meditation, I’ve gained a deep appreciation for silence. The power of silence should not be underestimated. Nor should the power of words.
What does your personal meditation practice look like? What styles or types of meditation do you enjoy?
My personal meditation practice varies depending on my present experience. I feel different types of meditation can support me through different stages of my life.
Vipassana practice, also known as insight meditation is the practice I find myself routinely grounded in. But I love inviting metta meditation (loving-kindness) and japa mala meditation (chanting) into my practice throughout the week as this is what I’ve found to benefit me most. A beautiful equilibrium of discipline and letting go.
My ideal meditation practice is twice a day for 30 minutes, morning and night. Obviously, this changes and sometimes I only practice once a day.
Are you currently working in the field of meditation and mindfulness?
I am incredibly lucky to be working at a beautiful meditation studio in Sydney, Barangaroo called MYND Studios! Thankfully this allows me to practice the skills of being a meditation teacher/guide. I am incredibly grateful to be doing what I love as career, it’s a pretty surreal feeling.
Do you have plans to start your own business that incorporates meditation and mindfulness?
I have created my own business called Meditation Union, and currently in the process of creating the website. This is where people can book 1 on 1 private sessions with me, group meditation, workshop & events.
There’s a blog section on the website where I’ll be writing/teaching about meditation, mindfulness, the science of meditation, neuroscience, Buddhism, Taoism, Zen, spirituality and anything else that creatively comes through in my writing.
I intend this to be a space where I can offer people the tools to create a feeling of contentment, connection and peace within themselves.
Can you describe your client base?
My client base is extremely varied, I’m currently attracting women in their 20’s, men in their 30’s-40’s, and couples, all of which have been beginners to meditation. I would love to work with people who have similar intentions and beliefs as I do.
I hope to inspire people about living fully and loving fully. It’s my belief that meditation can help create connection and nurture the struggles that one can experience as a result of trauma.
That’s one reason why I want to lead my meditation career towards helping children who are experiencing adversity, adults with addictions and those who are struggling to find peace within their mind & body.
Do you have any events, workshops or classes coming up in the next few months?
I’m currently facilitating meditation classes at MYND Studios offering mindfulness, visualisation and loving-kindness meditation. I do have plans this year to create workshops and hold events based on what I feel is inspiring me at the time! I’ll release all future information on my website (coming soon), and share details on my meditation Instagram page @meditation_union
What would you say to someone who is thinking about becoming a meditation teacher?
I would tell anyone wanting to become a meditation teacher that this is a practice, take your time and do what feels good for you. Lean into curiosity & playfulness and release any expectations you may have.
Resist from attaching yourself to the magical moments that will occur and be with every moment equally.
What have you enjoyed about studying with ACMM?
What I enjoyed most about studying with ACMM is the deep trust I have in the teachers, teachings and timing. I trust the thorough information that has been provided, as I know it’s been deeply sourced from the root of where meditation & mindfulness stems from.
The teachers are absolutely extraordinary, they truly radiate presence and glow with joy. And the divine timing of each session/or elective that I was currently studying somehow always came at such a perfect time in my life. Studying at ACMM helped me handle a lot of life issues I was going through in the most loving and peaceful way. Thank you for the life you’ve given me.
We truly love sharing our graduate stories. There are so many paths that our students take upon completing their qualification here at ACMM. Check out some other stories of how students are using their qualifications; Meet Mithun; Meet Donna; Meet Jacqui;
Interested in becoming a certified teacher? You might like to check out The Definitive Guide to Becoming a Meditation and Mindfulness Teacher
