Mindfulness Meditation — Individual Sessions & Group Classes
Mindfulness meditation is a practical skill — one you can learn, practise, and use in ordinary life. Sessions are grounded in foundational mindfulness practices drawn from established contemplative traditions, and taught in a way that's entirely secular and accessible to beginners.
Why learn with a teacher rather than an app?
Apps like Headspace and Waking Up are a reasonable introduction. But many people find, after a while, that they're going through the motions without really understanding why — and so the practice doesn't quite stick.
Learning in person is different. You can ask questions. You can describe what's actually happening in your mind and get a useful response. Nick has taught meditation to parents with no prior experience, teachers under sustained workplace stress, and people who arrived sceptical and left with something that's now part of their daily routine.
Nick is also a big fan of Sam Harris “Waking Up” and Henry Shukmans “The Way”, both offer scholarships for a discounted fee.
What you learn
Sessions are built on four foundational practices drawn from established contemplative traditions and adapted for secular, contemporary life:
Breath
The simplest and most portable anchor available to you. Learning to use the breath as a steady reference point — something always present, regardless of what else is happening.
Body
Learning to notice physical sensation, not as something to fix or escape, but as information. Particularly useful for people who spend most of their time living from the neck up.
Thoughts
Learning to observe thoughts without being swept away by them. Recognising the difference between a thought and reality — and changing your relationship to the voice in your head.
Compassion / Metta
Loving-kindness practice. Learning to extend kindness toward yourself and others. For many people it's the most challenging and the most transformative part of the practice.
What a session looks like
Arriving and settling. A short grounding exercise to help you land in the room and leave the day behind.
Check-in. A similar quality of curiosity to counselling — what's actually here for you right now?
Teaching. Every session includes instruction on the technique: what it is, why it's taught, how to do it.
Guided practice. A guided meditation using the technique from the teaching. Nick also uses Vipassanā Outloud — a form of guided inquiry where he asks quiet questions during the practice and you respond, observing what's actually arising in real time. It's one of the most direct ways to discover what's going on in your own mind, and something an app simply can't offer.
Check-out. A brief close, with time for questions and what to take home.
Group classes
Nick currently teaches a Tuesday evening class in Mornington — open to anyone in the community, free of charge. No experience needed, no commitment required.
A weekly open group session is in development. Get in touch to be notified →
Pause.Breathe.continue — group workshop program
A four-week foundational mindfulness program for groups — teachers, nurses, corporate teams, university students, or any group that wants to build a practical meditation practice together. The program moves through breath, body awareness, working with thoughts, and compassion practices, with guided sessions, take-home practices, and supporting materials.
Pricing varies by group and context — deliberately so. Organisations and corporate groups pay a full rate, which makes it possible to offer the same program to schools, community groups, and individuals at little or no cost.
Pricing — and a note on dāna
One-on-one meditation sessions are offered on a dāna basis.
Dāna (pronounced daa-nuh) is a Pali word meaning generosity — the practice of giving freely in support of teachings that have been passed down through lineages for thousands of years. It's how Spirit Rock Meditation Center in California — where Nick's teachers Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach teach — structures many of its offerings.
The idea is straightforward: those who have the means pay fully or generously, which makes it possible for those who don't to participate without financial barrier. Giving becomes part of the practice itself.
The suggested rate is $30-50 per session. If that's genuinely difficult, pay what you can. If you're in a position to give more, it's welcomed and passed forward. The aim is that cost is never the reason someone doesn't come.
Common questions
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No. Most people who come to Nick's sessions have never meditated before, or tried an app and found it didn't stick. Beginners are genuinely welcome.
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No. The practices draw from contemplative traditions (Theravada Buddhism) that Nick acknowledges and respects — he is currently completing the two-year MMTCP program with Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach (graduating January 2027). But the sessions are secular. There's nothing to believe, no tradition to join. The techniques work regardless of your background.
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An app gives you a guided session. A teacher gives you understanding — why the technique works, what you're actually doing, and the ability to ask questions when something isn't landing.
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Yes. Group sessions and individual sessions are independent. Come to either, or both.
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Many people notice a shift after a single session. A sustainable change in how you relate to stress, thoughts, and your own mind usually develops over time with consistent practice. The aim is to build something you can use for life.
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The Clearing Practice is not a crisis service, and Nick is not available outside of scheduled sessions.
If you're in immediate danger or need urgent support, please contact:
000 — if you or someone else is in immediate danger
Lifeline — 13 11 14 (24/7 crisis support, call or text)
Beyond Blue — 1300 22 4636 (24/7)
Suicide Call Back Service — 1300 659 467 (24/7)
If you're an existing client and need to let Nick know about something urgent between sessions, you can email hello@theclearingpractice.com and he'll respond as soon as possible during business hours.