# Skillful MIND

> Skillful MIND teaches meditation and the stages of spiritual awakening, online and on retreat. It was founded in 2010 by Peter Radcliffe, a meditation teacher in Adelaide, South Australia, who has practised since 1993. He spent time as a Buddhist monk in the rainforests of Thailand and has sat long solitary retreats of up to nine months. Skillful MIND offers a free two-minute Awaken Quiz, a free 256-statement Awaken Survey, free recorded workshops on the stages of awakening, a free weekly online meditation group, retreats in Australia and Thailand, and a year-long mentoring group.

## The ten levels of awakening

Skillful MIND describes inner growth as ten levels. People move through them in order, and each level builds on the ones below it rather than replacing them.

1. Survival
2. Belonging
3. Power
4. Order
5. Achievement
6. Community
7. Responsibility
8. Love
9. Bliss
10. Awakening

The levels draw on psychologist Clare W. Graves's research into how human values develop, with the higher levels of love and bliss drawing on the work of Tara Springett. Every level has a healthy side and a shadow side, so the useful question is not only "which level am I at?" but also "which levels are solid under me, and which am I still reaching for?"

- [The ten levels of awakening](https://skillfulmind.com.au/stages-of-awakening/): the full map in writing by Peter Radcliffe. Each of the ten levels with its healthy side and its shadow, eight questions to find your level, and answers to common questions (can you skip a stage, how long awakening takes, whether awakening is the same as enlightenment).
- [Wake Up: Stages](https://skillfulmind.com.au/wake-up-stages/): a free three-part recorded talk by Peter Radcliffe that walks through all ten levels, what each one feels like from the inside, the shadow at every step, and what moves a person from one level to the next.
- [Wake Up: Foundations](https://skillfulmind.com.au/wake-up-foundations/): a free one-hour recorded workshop on why chasing happiness keeps failing, and what actually changes it.

## Find out where you stand

- [The Awaken Quiz](https://skillfulmind.com.au/quiz/): a free two-minute quiz (17 taps) that gives an Awaken Snapshot, a first indication of which of the ten levels you live from most of the time.
- [The Awaken Survey](https://skillfulmind.com.au/map/): a free 256-statement survey (about 25 minutes) that produces a detailed Awaken Map across all ten levels, including the healthy and shadow side of each.

## Learn and practise

- [Wake Up workshops](https://skillfulmind.com.au/wake-up-workshop/): free live online workshops (60 minutes) on the foundations and the stages of awakening.
- [Awaken Course](https://skillfulmind.com.au/awaken/): a free five-week self-paced online course.
- [Sunday Online Meditation](https://skillfulmind.com.au/meditation-group/): a free weekly guided meditation on Zoom, open to all levels.
- [Mentoring](https://skillfulmind.com.au/mentoring/): a year-long small mentoring group with weekly online sessions and one-to-one guidance from Peter Radcliffe, starting each January.

## Retreats

- [Retreats](https://skillfulmind.com.au/retreats/): weekend meditation retreats near Adelaide, South Australia.
- [Thailand Inner Growth Retreat](https://skillfulmind.com.au/thailand/): a seven-night retreat in Thailand, 15–22 August 2027.

## About

- [About Skillful MIND](https://skillfulmind.com.au/about/): Peter Radcliffe's background, from engineering to monastic practice to teaching.
- [Blog](https://skillfulmind.com.au/blog/): articles on meditation and inner growth.
- [Meditation Leaders Program](https://skillfulmind.net/leader/): training for people who want to guide meditation in their own community.

## Contact

- [Book a free 30-minute call with Peter](https://skillfulmind.com.au/next-step/)
- Email: peter@skillfulmind.com.au