About Owen Bruhn
As a child, Owen played with myths and meditation. He learnt Stillness Meditation from Dr Ainslie Meares (1910-1986) throughout 1984. Dr Meares had initially been involved in hypnosis and transitioned to teaching Stillness Meditation as he found it to be most effective. Stillness changed Owen's life and set him onto his current path. Stillness can change your life as well, by Stillness Meditation training or healing treatment.
Meares wrote many books but had no teacher training program. Some people tried to teach Stillness Meditation. Owen got into the habit of comparing what they said with Meares' books. Some were ordinary people, others were hypnotists, yoga teachers etc who had attended classes and then dabbled. A few used Meare's name and kept teaching whatever they had always taught. Gradually, it dawned on Owen that none of them taught the complete 5 pillars system. They were helping people but not as much as they might.
In 2010, a hip injury saw Owen in rehab. The facility provided physical and talk therapy. The absence of a Stillness Meditation program was a surprise and he thought that needed to be changed.
As an occupational health trainer Owen had run quite few courses for OHS inspectors and one at TAFE. Training others had upgraded his own occupational health skills. He recognised that learning to teach meditation might help his rehab, maybe he could help spread Stillness Meditation too? During his own teacher training he talked with many people about the complete system. They encouraged him to write a book. Ainslie Meares on Meditation included:- Meares' instructions on how to meditate, his biography, some of his poems etc. It was Meares' complete system but the “5 pillars” (see later) weren't named by Owen to avoid putting some other teachers offside. They teach a “modified version” with missing or shrunken pillars. It differs from what Meares taught and wrote in his books. The modified version works, but it could work much better.
Owen founded Stillness Meditation Touch Therapy (ABN 81 101 839 279) in 2015. In 2017, he was registered to teach therapeutic and personal growth meditation by Meditation Australia (aka Aust. Meditation Teachers Assoc). He continued working as an ergonomist & occupational hygienist up until 2018.
Ainslie Meares on Meditation was mainly aimed at helping people to learn Stillness Meditation. It had outlined the 5 pillars system but it had not been possible to cover all of it in detail. Several factors support Stillness Meditation and are scattered through Meares' 35 books. Some relate to a Sound Body. Others to a Still Mind. The ability to experience Stillness literally made us human. The support factors can help each of us evolve to being more fully human.
Owen wrote A Key To The Books Of Dr Ainslie Meares to help motivated researchers and enthusiasts find out which book(s) to read. Still Mind Sound Body outlines the main points for people too busy to source and read full details in Meares' books. It also updated some of the Sound Body support factors.
The pandemic shut down live meditation teaching due to the 2020-2022 Melbourne\Victorian lock downs. Owen found it to be an opportunity to put the complete teaching protocol in one place - Ainslie Meares on Teaching Meditation. Completing the book sparked new challenges. Owen had to search for ways to keep on improving his own skills to benefit clients. Meares had visited other systems. Owen decided now was the time to visit and research some that Meares had not.
Reiki and Therapeutic Touch (TT) involve meditative (“centering”) touch therapy. Owen continued his “5 pillars” Stillness Meditation practice whilst undertaking his research. He “powered” Reiki and TT using Stillness too. He had many new insights. His skill levels surged. This reinforced the mission of Stillness Meditation Touch Therapy (ABN 81 101 839 279):
To research, teach and write about the 5 pillars Stillness Meditation system to enable people to learn to live, aligned with their life purpose, in calm and ease even in the face of difficulties. Eventually, Stillness in meditation and living in harmony through difficulties will spread sufficiently to change society.
To share Stillness with allies by unity in essentials, freedom in non-essentials. Encouraging all health, meditation and energetic therapists to experience Stillness in solo meditation, as healer and as recipient.
Owen works hard communicating all 5 pillars so his clients can experience a speedy journey to a better life. He lives with family and pet dogs. His children are grown up and some have left home. His studio is in Ringwood Melbourne and he also runs Stillness Meditation class at local venues. In addition, Owen offers his unique Stillness powered minimalist Reiki and Therapeutic Touch to those who have an affinity with one of those paths. Stillness powered Therapeutic Touch uses hands hovering inches away from the body. This can also be done in Stillness powered Reiki. Both allow sensitive people to experience soothing touch without direct contact.