Come as you are. Be still. Be present.
For more than two decades, people have gathered each Thursday evening at the Carmelite Centre to share something increasingly rare in everyday life — time simply to be still.
Thursday Meditation is an established and welcoming meditation community, open to beginners and experienced meditators alike.
It’s the touchstone of my week. Being with the same people, same place, creates something quite special.”
— Mary S. (attending for 15 years)
There is no single prescribed technique and no expectation that you meditate in a particular way. Gentle guidance is available for newcomers, while each person is encouraged to discover a practice that works for them.
Together we make space to step away from the distractions of everyday life, become still and return our attention to the present moment.
It’s a come-as-you-are community, no pressure: just 20 minutes of quiet that I feel the benefit of for days.”
— Nick T. (attending for 3 years)
For some, meditation is prayer. For others, it is a way of cultivating greater awareness and presence in daily life.
Come as you are — all are welcome.
THURSDAYS | 7PM
IN PERSON | 45 MINUTES
ALL WELCOME
Peter Thomas | Meditation Facilitator
Peter Thomas has practised meditation for more than 30 years and has facilitated the Thursday Meditation community at the Carmelite Centre for more than 25 years. Over that time, he has also provided meditation workshops and training for community organisations, schools and spiritual centres.
Peter’s understanding of meditation has been shaped by extensive experience across a range of contemplative and spiritual traditions. His experiences have included time with the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, Thich Nhat Hanh and the Plum Village community in France, the Taizé ecumenical monastic community, and Christian monastic life in Australia and overseas.
His approach is practical, inclusive and grounded in experience. Rather than prescribing a single technique, Peter encourages people to discover a way of meditation that suits their own circumstances, while developing greater awareness of the present moment and carrying that attentiveness into everyday life.
At the Carmelite Centre, Peter has also developed meditation resources to support people beyond the weekly gathering, including a four-week introductory meditation program and the ten-part Meditation & Mindfulness podcast series. The series explores meditation and mindfulness, technique, interiority, silence, the present moment, spirituality and meditation as prayer.
Peter’s long association with Thursday Meditation reflects the Carmelite Centre’s commitment to stillness, silence, contemplation and hospitality. The weekly gathering welcomes both experienced meditators and those beginning for the first time, creating space to step away from the distractions of everyday life and simply be present.