OPEN MONDAY
Begin your
week differently
Join Vanessa Strauss for a free 30-minute live morning practice of meditation, breath and presence.
THIS MONDAY
6:30AM SYDNEY TIME
30 MINUTES
LIVE ONLINE
Free to attend. No experience needed.
Replay sent if you can't attend live.
Begin your week differently
OPEN MONDAY
Join Vanessa Strauss for a free 30-minute live morning practice of meditation, breath and presence.
THIS MONDAY
6:30AM SYDNEY TIME
30 MINUTES
LIVE ONLINE
Free to attend. No experience needed.
Replay sent if you can't attend live.
What is Open Monday
Each Monday morning, we open the doors to Our Living Rhythm so you can experience the practice for yourself.
This is not a webinar or sales presentation. It is the actual morning practise, shared live online with gentle guidance from Vanessa.
A real practice
Join the actual morning practice shared with the wider rhythm of Our Living Rhythm.
Clear Guidance
Vanessa will guide you through the meditative experience with warmth, clarity, and steadiness.
Come as you are
No experience required. You are welcome exactly as you are.
Attend live if you can. If the timing doesn't work, register anyway and we'll send you the replay afterwards.
What is Open Monday
Each Monday morning, we open the doors to Our Living Rhythm so you can experience the practice for yourself.
This is not a webinar or sales presentation. It is the actual morning practise, shared live online with gentle guidance from Vanessa.
A real practice
Join the actual morning practice shared with the wider rhythm of Our Living Rhythm.
Clear Guidance
Vanessa will guide you through the meditative experience with warmth, clarity, and steadiness.
Come as you are
No experience required. You are welcome exactly as you are.
Attend live if you can. If the timing doesn't work, register anyway and we'll send you the replay afterwards.
For those who know they need a rhythm
You may already know that meditation, breath and stillness help you return to yourself, but still find it difficult to hold a steady practice alone.
01
A steady beginning
Start the week with a clear and grounded rhythm, rather than rushing straight into being needed.
02
A supported practice
Be guided into meditation, breath and presence inside a live morning container.
03
A rhythm you can return to
Open Monday gives you a felt experience of what a regular morning practice can become.
For those who knows they need a rhythm
You may already know that meditation, breath and stillness help you return to yourself, but still find it difficult to hold a steady practice alone.
01
A steady beginning
Start the week with a clear and grounded rhythm, rather than rushing straight into being needed.
02
A supported practice
Be guided into meditation, breath and presence inside a live morning container.
03
A rhythm you can return to
Open Monday gives you a felt experience of what a regular morning practice can become.
What happens in the 30 minutes
The structure is simple, impactful and consistent. The rhythm is easy to enter into.
1. Arrive
Come into the space and let the morning settle around you.
2. Centre
Be guided back into your body, breath and present moment.
3. Tune In
Join the shared rhythm of the group and the living quality of the day.
4. Prepare
Use simple breath, sound, movement or stillness to enter the practice more fully.
5. Touch Stillness
Rest in a short period of guided or shared meditation.
6. Return
Close gently and carry the practice into the day ahead.
What happens in the 30 minutes
The structure is simple, impactful and consistent. The rhythm is easy to enter into.
1. Arrive
Come into the space and let the morning settle around you.
2. Centre
Be guided back into your body, breath and present moment.
3. Tune In
Join the shared rhythm of the group and the living quality of the day.
4. Prepare
Use simple breath, sound, movement or stillness to enter the practice more fully.
5. Touch Stillness
Rest in a short period of guided or shared meditation.
6. Return
Close gently and carry the practice into the day ahead.
GUIDED BY VANESSA STRAUSS
Vanessa is a Doctor of Chinese Medicine, astrologer, storyteller and long-time meditation teacher.
For more than twenty years, she has supported people through her clinical work, teaching, meditation classes and gathered circles. Her guidance draws on Chinese medicine, Daoist practice, astrology, myth and the living rhythms of nature, offering a steady and embodied space to return inward.
GUIDED BY VANESSA STRAUSS
Vanessa is a Doctor of Chinese Medicine, astrologer, storyteller and long-time meditation teacher.
For more than twenty years, she has supported people through her clinical work, teaching, meditation classes and gathered circles. Her guidance draws on Chinese medicine, Daoist practice, astrology, myth and the living rhythms of nature, offering a steady and embodied space to return inward.
What people say
"A wonderful way to start the day with myth, mudra and meditation. After the morning practise I feel light, elevated and blissful."
— Brenda C.
"Coming back to the inner work every morning, I liked the predictability of the routine. It felt comforting / safe. Vanessa’s style is soft but deeply ancient."
— Tracey C.
I feel a deep sense of comfort and am able to prepare for what is to come. Vanessa’s guidance has been life changing, and her support has been truly life saving.
— Sasha
Join us this Monday morning.
Register here and we’ll send you the Zoom link, a few simple notes to help you arrive, and the replay afterwards if you can’t attend live.
Free to attend. We will only email you about accessing Open Monday and related Our Living Rhythm updates.
Common Questions
No. Open Monday is suitable for beginners and experienced practitioners. Vanessa will gently guide the practice, and there is nothing you need to know, prepare or get “right” before you arrive.
You’ll be guided through a simple morning rhythm that may include preparing the space, breath, simple seated movement, meditation and sound. Each element is there to help the body settle and the mind become quieter, so you can enter the meditation more fully. Each morning has a slightly different flavour, but the structure is steady and easy to enter.
No. You are welcome to keep your camera off and simply participate quietly. There is no pressure to speak, share or be seen.
Open Monday is the actual morning practice, shared live online with guidance from Vanessa. There will be an invitation to continue afterwards, but the session itself is not a sales presentation.
If you can’t attend live, you’re still welcome to register. We’ll send you the replay after the Monday practice so you can experience it in your own time. The live gathering is the heart of Open Monday, but the replay is there if the timing doesn’t work for you.
Choose a quiet place to sit, either on a comfortable chair or a well-supported cushion. If sitting on a cushion, make sure it is high enough that your back feels supported and you can settle comfortably for the 30-minute practice.
Yes. Open Monday & Our Living Rhythm is open to all genders. Vanessa has taught mixed groups for many years, and this space is for anyone who feels genuinely drawn to the practice and can meet it with sincerity.
Come and experience one morning
Your next step is to simply try a class this coming Monday.
Still have a question?
If there is something you'd like to know that isn't covered here, please reach out and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
Common Questions
No. Open Monday is suitable for beginners and experienced practitioners. Vanessa will gently guide the practice, and there is nothing you need to know, prepare or get “right” before you arrive.
You’ll be guided through a simple morning rhythm that may include preparing the space, breath, simple seated movement, meditation and sound. Each element is there to help the body settle and the mind become quieter, so you can enter the meditation more fully. Each morning has a slightly different flavour, but the structure is steady and easy to enter.
No. You are welcome to keep your camera off and simply participate quietly. There is no pressure to speak, share or be seen.
Open Monday is the actual morning practice, shared live online with guidance from Vanessa. There will be an invitation to continue afterwards, but the session itself is not a sales presentation.
If you can’t attend live, you’re still welcome to register. We’ll send you the replay after the Monday practice so you can experience it in your own time. The live gathering is the heart of Open Monday, but the replay is there if the timing doesn’t work for you.
Choose a quiet place to sit, either on a comfortable chair or a well-supported cushion. If sitting on a cushion, make sure it is high enough that your back feels supported and you can settle comfortably for the 30-minute practice.
Yes. Open Monday & Our Living Rhythm is open to all genders. Vanessa has taught mixed groups for many years, and this space is for anyone who feels genuinely drawn to the practice and can meet it with sincerity.
Come and experience one morning
Your next step is to simply try a class this coming Monday.
© 2026 Our Living Rhythm. All rights reserved.
CONTACT US
We're here to help. If you have a question about Our Living Rhythm, membership, technical support or anything else, we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
WE READ EVERY MESSAGE
Your message goes directly to us.
CONSIDERATE SUPPORT
We aim to respond within 1-2 business days.
WE'RE IN AUSTRALIA
We work Monday to Friday AEST
By submitting this form, you acknowledge that your information will be handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Golden Feather Journal
Timely myths, stories and reflections drawn from the living sky and the changing seasons. It offers a little more context for the themes moving through Our Living Rhythm, while the morning practice itself remains simple, familiar and complete.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The Morning Rhythm
No. The rhythm is there Monday to Friday so that you have somewhere steady to return to, not another commitment to keep. Join when you can and return when you need to. You do not fall behind by missing a morning.
Recent practices remain available for seven days. The replays are there to support participation when life does not allow you to join live, rather than becoming an ever-growing library you need to work through.
Yes. There is no beginning to catch and no curriculum to finish. Each morning stands complete in itself, so you can enter the rhythm wherever you find yourself.
Each morning follows a familiar structure that helps you arrive, settle and gradually move inward. The practice may include breath, sound, gentle movement, mantra, contemplative guidance and shared silence before returning consciously to the day. The particular emphasis may shift with the season and the cycle we are moving through, while the underlying rhythm remains familiar.
No, but it is not an entirely new class each day either. The structure remains steady so that it becomes familiar over time. Within that structure, the practices, language and contemplative themes can shift gently according to the season, mythology, living sky and what feels appropriate for the group.
Experience & Belief
Not at all. The morning is designed to be entered through experience rather than prior knowledge. Vanessa guides the practice, so you can simply arrive with curiosity and discover what is meaningful for you.
No. Our Living Rhythm draws respectfully from contemplative traditions, but it does not ask you to adopt a particular spiritual worldview. Different traditions have used many words to describe inner experience. You are invited to explore through your own direct experience rather than accept someone else’s interpretation as truth.
No. These may help shape the seasonal atmosphere and themes of the practice, but there is nothing you need to study beforehand. They provide context and texture rather than a curriculum you are expected to understand.
That is completely fine. You do not need to understand everything intellectually before participating. Vanessa will give you enough guidance to enter the practice, and familiarity develops naturally with time.
No. Your inner experience remains your own. There may be opportunities for reflection and connection within the community, but participation is invited rather than demanded. You are never required to publicly explain or perform your spiritual experience.
Live Practice & Replays
The morning practice is held online through Zoom. Members are given one clear place to find the current live link, recent recordings and essential information.
The live practice begins at 6:30am Sydney time, Monday to Friday, and runs for approximately thirty minutes. If you live outside New South Wales, your local start time may change when daylight saving changes, so we always refer to Sydney time.
Each practice remains available for seven days. This rolling window allows you to return to a missed morning without creating an archive you feel obliged to complete.
Very little. You will need an internet-connected device capable of joining Zoom and somewhere you can practise comfortably for around thirty minutes. Headphones can be useful but are not essential. Any further practical guidance is provided when you join.
Open Monday & Membership
Yes. Open Monday is a free live morning practice and an opportunity to experience the rhythm for yourself. Come along, take part, and then decide whether you would like to continue.
No. It is a genuine morning practice. Members and guests enter the same shared rhythm together. There is no presentation or sales session within the practice itself.
You become part of the ongoing weekday rhythm and receive access to the live Monday to Friday practices, the rolling seven-day replays, concise orientation material and the wider member space. There is no course to complete and nothing to catch up on.
No. The shared practice can create a quiet sense of belonging without requiring constant interaction. Community participation is available, but there is no expectation that you post regularly, share personal experiences or become socially involved.
Yes. Your membership can include someone physically sharing the practice with you in your home. Your membership account and access details remain yours, rather than being shared as a separate login.
Still have questions?
If there is something you'd like to know that isn't covered here, please reach out and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT
Last updated: September 2026
1. About this Agreement
This Participation Agreement applies to paid membership of Our Living Rhythm.
Our Living Rhythm is an ongoing live morning meditation practice. Each morning stands complete in itself, with no curriculum to complete and no requirement to attend every weekday. The rhythm is there as a place you can return to.
By purchasing an Our Living Rhythm membership, you agree to the terms below.
2. Participation
Participation is voluntary.
You are responsible for choosing your own level of participation and deciding whether a particular practice is appropriate for you.
There is no requirement to speak during live sessions, share personal experiences or explain your spiritual or contemplative beliefs.
Practices and teachings are offered as invitations. You remain free to interpret your own experience.
3. Household Participation
Your membership allows members of your household to practise alongside you when participating from the same home.
Your membership account, access details, recordings and member resources may not be shared with people outside your household.
The membership remains registered to the purchasing member.
4. Live Practice, Recordings and Access
Membership provides access to the live morning practice and the recordings and resources described on the membership page.
Recent recordings may be available for a limited period rather than forming a permanent archive.
Membership access and resources are provided for your personal and household use only.
You are responsible for providing a suitable device, internet connection and any equipment needed to participate online.
We will make reasonable efforts to provide reliable access, although temporary interruptions or individual technology problems may occasionally occur.
5. Respect and the Shared Space
Our Living Rhythm is intended to provide a respectful shared environment for contemplative practice.
We ask members to communicate with kindness and respect and to recognise that participants may hold different beliefs, interpretations and life experiences.
Personal information or experiences shared by another participant should be treated with discretion and should not be recorded, published or shared without their permission.
6. Intellectual Property
Unless otherwise stated, original recordings, meditations, written materials, teachings, visual resources and other content created for Our Living Rhythm remain the intellectual property of Vanessa Strauss and/or the business operating Our Living Rhythm.
Membership gives you permission to access these materials for personal and household use.
You may not reproduce, publish, distribute, teach, sell or commercially use Our Living Rhythm materials without written permission.
7. Health and Wellbeing
Our Living Rhythm provides meditation, contemplative practice and education.
It is not intended to diagnose or treat a medical or psychological condition and does not replace appropriate professional healthcare.
Some practices may involve breath, movement, sound, stillness or inward attention. You are responsible for participating at a level appropriate to your circumstances and may modify, observe or stop a practice at any time.
If you are uncertain whether a practice is appropriate for you, please seek advice from an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
8. Membership, Payments and Cancellation
Our Living Rhythm is an ongoing membership.
Monthly memberships renew each month unless cancelled before the next renewal.
Annual memberships renew every twelve months unless cancelled before the next renewal. The annual membership is offered at a reduced rate in exchange for payment for a full twelve-month membership period.
You may cancel your membership at any time. Cancellation prevents the next scheduled renewal, and your membership continues until the end of the period already paid for.
Cancelling an annual membership does not provide a pro-rata refund for the unused portion of the current annual period.
Refunds are not provided simply because a member has not attended live practices or used the available resources.
Where a billing error, duplicate payment or exceptional circumstance occurs, please contact us so the matter can be considered fairly.
Nothing in this Agreement excludes any rights or remedies that cannot lawfully be excluded under Australian consumer law.
9. Stewarding the Practice
Our Living Rhythm is intentionally stewarded to protect the integrity and respectful functioning of the shared practice.
If a member repeatedly disrupts the practice, disregards these shared agreements or significantly affects the participation of others, we may limit or end their participation.
Where appropriate, concerns will first be addressed respectfully and with consideration of the circumstances.
10. Privacy
Personal information is handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
11. Changes to this Agreement
We may update this Agreement as Our Living Rhythm develops or where changes are required to our membership arrangements.
If a change materially affects an existing member's rights, fees or ongoing membership arrangements, we will communicate that change appropriately before it takes effect.
12. Acceptance
By purchasing an Our Living Rhythm membership, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to this Participation Agreement.
Our Living Rhythm is operated by The Trustee for Strauss Family Trust
ABN 57 962 604 616
PRIVACY POLICY
Last updated: 31 August 2026
1. About this Privacy Policy
We value privacy and are committed to handling personal information with care, transparency and appropriate restraint.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, hold and disclose personal information when you interact with our websites, clinical services, consultations, programs, classes, memberships, events, newsletters and related services.
Our services are operated by:
The Trustee for Strauss Family Trust
ABN 57 962 604 616
This includes services and programs offered under the Vanessa Strauss and Our Living Rhythm names.
In this policy, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to The Trustee for Strauss Family Trust.
We handle personal information in accordance with applicable Australian privacy laws, including the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles and, where applicable, relevant health privacy requirements.
2. Information We May Collect
The personal information we collect depends on how you interact with us.
This may include your name, email address, telephone number and other contact details; information relating to appointments, consultations, programs, classes, memberships or events; information relating to purchases, subscriptions and payment status; communications and enquiries; information associated with registrations and participation; and technical information such as IP address, browser or device information, cookies and website activity.
Payments may be processed by third-party payment providers. We do not generally hold complete payment card details ourselves.
We aim to collect only information that is reasonably necessary for our activities and services.
3. Health and Sensitive Information
Some of our services involve health or other sensitive personal information. This is particularly relevant to Vanessa Strauss’s clinical services, where health information may be required to provide appropriate care and meet professional or legal obligations.
People participating in other services or programs may also voluntarily provide information about their health, personal circumstances, beliefs or experiences. We collect and handle sensitive information only where it is reasonably necessary and where we have consent or another lawful basis to do so. Clinical health information is not used for marketing purposes.
Where possible, please avoid including unnecessary health or sensitive personal information in general website contact forms or ordinary email enquiries.
4. How We Collect Information
We generally collect personal information directly from you when you interact with us. This may occur when you complete a website or registration form, make a booking, purchase or subscribe to a service, participate in a program or membership, subscribe to a newsletter, contact us, request support, or participate in an online or in-person service.
Some technical and usage information may also be collected automatically when you use our websites or digital services. In limited circumstances, we may receive personal information from another person or service provider where this is reasonably necessary and lawful.
Where practical, you may interact with us without identifying yourself. Some services, however, require identifying information in order for us to provide them properly.
5. How We Use Personal Information
We may use personal information to provide and administer services you have requested, manage appointments and registrations, process purchases and subscriptions, provide information needed to participate in a service or event, respond to enquiries, provide support, communicate with you about services you are using, send communications you have chosen to receive, understand and improve our services and websites, maintain appropriate records, protect the security and operation of our business, and meet professional, regulatory or legal obligations.
We may also use information for another purpose where you have consented to that use or where it is otherwise permitted or required by law.
6. Email Communications and the Golden Feather Journal
Some communications are necessary to provide a service you have requested. For example, if you register for Open Monday, book an appointment, purchase a program or become a member, we may send confirmations, practical information, reminders and other communications reasonably connected with that service.
If you choose to receive the Golden Feather Journal or other ongoing communications, we may send you stories, reflections, information and occasional invitations relating to Vanessa Strauss, Our Living Rhythm and other relevant offerings.
You can unsubscribe from optional marketing communications at any time using the unsubscribe option provided or by contacting us.
We may retain a record of your communication preferences and consent so that we can respect your choices.
7. Cookies and Website Technologies
Our websites may use cookies and similar technologies to support website functionality, security, analytics and measurement. These technologies may collect information such as your IP address, browser or device information, pages visited and interactions with the website.
We may use analytics or advertising measurement services to help us understand how our websites and communications are being used and performing. You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings and, where available, website cookie controls. Some website functions may operate differently if cookies are disabled.
8. Sharing Information With Others
We do not sell or rent your personal information. We may disclose personal information to trusted service providers where reasonably necessary to operate our business or provide our services. These may include providers of website and data hosting, booking and administration services, email and communications, payment processing, online meetings and video services, data storage, analytics and website measurement, and professional, accounting, legal or technical services.
We seek to limit the information shared to what is reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose. We may also disclose personal information where required or authorised by law, or where reasonably necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal rights.
9. Overseas Processing and Disclosure
Some of the service providers we use operate internationally. As a result, personal information may be stored, processed or accessed outside Australia, including in the United States, Ireland, other countries within the European Economic Area, and other locations used by our service providers. These locations may change as service providers and their infrastructure change.
Where applicable, we take reasonable steps to ensure that personal information disclosed overseas is handled appropriately and in accordance with our privacy obligations.
10. Security and Storage
Personal information may be held electronically and, where relevant, in physical records. We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification and disclosure. The measures used depend on the nature of the information and the circumstances in which it is held.
While no method of electronic storage or transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we take reasonable steps to protect the information entrusted to us.
11. Retention of Information
We retain personal information for as long as it is reasonably required for the purposes for which it was collected and to meet applicable legal, professional, clinical, accounting or administrative obligations. Different types of information may need to be retained for different periods. Health and clinical records may be subject to specific legal and professional retention requirements.
When personal information is no longer reasonably required and there is no lawful reason for us to retain it, we take reasonable steps to securely destroy or de-identify it.
12. Access and Correction
You may ask to access personal information we hold about you or request that it be corrected if you believe it is inaccurate, incomplete, out of date or misleading. We may need to verify your identity before providing access or making changes. There may be circumstances in which access or correction cannot be provided. Where required, we will explain the reason.
Additional requirements may apply to requests concerning health information.
13. Privacy Concerns and Complaints
If you have a question or concern about how we have handled your personal information, please contact us using the details below. We will consider your concern and respond within a reasonable period. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).
14. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy as our services, information-handling practices or legal obligations change. The current version will be published on our website and will show the date it was last updated.
15. Contact
For privacy enquiries, access or correction requests, or concerns about how your personal information has been handled, please contact:
The Trustee for Strauss Family Trust
ABN 57 962 604 616
Email: privacy@vanessastrauss.com.au
You may also contact us through the contact form on our website.
MEET VANESSA
A practitioner and teacher with more than two decades of experience holding spaces for meditation, healing and contemplative practice.
Vanessa Strauss is an AHPRA-registered Chinese medicine practitioner, acupuncturist, meditation teacher and astrologer.
Her work has developed over more than twenty-five years of clinical practice and twenty years of teaching meditation. Since beginning to teach in person in 2006, Vanessa has facilitated more than 5,000 hours of meditation classes.
She began teaching online in 2019, bringing that same live, relational approach into the online space.
A PRACTICE GROUNDED IN EXPERIENCE
Vanessa’s teaching is informed by many years of working directly with people, both in the treatment room and in contemplative practice.
Alongside her meditation teaching, she has practised Chinese medicine and acupuncture for more than twenty-five years and has worked professionally with astrology for more than ten years. She also spent five years lecturing at Endeavour College of Natural Health, teaching Chinese medicine foundations and advanced acupuncture techniques, as well as supervising students in clinical practice.
This breadth of experience allows her to hold the morning practice with both structure and responsiveness. The foundations remain familiar, while the themes can be gently shaped by the seasons and cycles we are moving through.
QUALIFICATIONS & PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
Master of Health Science (Acupuncture)
Bachelor of Health Science (Chinese Medicine)
AHPRA Registered Chinese Medicine Practitioner
Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training (KRI) & Advanced Studies, 2005-2011
Certified Acutonics® Practitioner (2013)
Evolutionary Astrology Apprenticeship (Jeffrey Wolf Green Lineage)
Teaching meditation in person since 2006 · Online since 2019
Eyes to the skies and you shall rise.
- Estas Tonne
