Wayapa Wuurrk meditation 1: Your special place

Wayapa Wuurrk is a mindfulness practice that draws from Indigenous wisdom and uses meditation to help you connect with the environment. Wayapa Wuurrk literally means “connect to the earth” in the language of the Maara and Gunaikurnai Peoples. This meditation is led by Gunaikurnai man and Maara descendant Jamie Marloo Thomas. Together with his partner Sara Jones, Jamie co-created Wayapa Wuurrk in 2014 with Jamie’s Elders and community. In this meditation, you’ll visualise a special place in nature.

Wayapa Wuurrk practice in action. Source: Victoria Judge

Great Minds is a podcast from SBS that gives you a taste of different meditation and mindfulness practices from around the globe. It’s for anyone, whether you’re new to meditation or exploring further.   

This episode introduces a mindfulness practice called Wayapa Wuurrk.  

Wayapa Wuurrk combines ancient Aboriginal knowledge of connection to country, storytelling, meditation, and physical movement. The aim is to develop a deeper relationship with our environment through the concept of ancient earth mindfulness. 

Jamie consulted his Elders and community, and combined his professional experience in Men’s Health, Drug and Alcohol Support and Youth Mentoring, with his personal practice rooted in Aboriginal Dance and Ceremony. 

Learn more at wayapa.com. You can listen to more Wayapa Wuurrk meditation with Jamie by following Great Minds in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or the SBS Radio app.