August 2020 TDM
The Mindful Moment Issue
Welcome to the August 2020 issue of The Daily Meditator. This is your monthly resource for fun, quirky, interesting, and noteworthy happenings in and around the worldwide meditation community—created by author and meditator teacher, Light Watkins. Written and edited by Jordan Pletzer, Kristen Vandivier, Emerson Wolfe, and Light (see the team bios at the bottom).
Our mission is simple: to help broaden the horizon of what a daily meditator looks like while providing you with relevant information and timely inspiration for staying committed to your daily practice.
The Mindful Moment issue: We didn't set out to create an issue about mindfulness, but the collective consciousness has spoken! In this issue, you'll find the leaders of the mindful movement as well as how mindfulness makes for better leadership. For a dose of reality, we're also diving into topical issues, such as the pandemic, parenting, and cultural appropriation. We hope you enjoy it! Let us know what you think :-)
12 powerful women of the mindfulness movement
Real-life Wonder Women who are using mindfulness to lead the way: Mindful.org published their second annual focus on female leaders in the Mindful movement, and we're excited to see some names we love! Here's the full list and links to their work:
Diana Winston - Director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA
Jenée Johnson - Mindfulness, Public Health, and Racial Healing Innovator
Tita Angangco - Cofounder, The Centre for Mindfulness Studies
Cheryl Jones - Founder, The Mindful Path
Sebene Selassie - Mindfulness Teacher, Author, Speaker
Leslie Booker - Yoga and Meditation Teacher, Speaker, Author
Sona Dimidjian - Clinical Psychologist
Ghylian Bell - Founder, Urban Yoga Foundation
Tami Simon - Founder and CEO of Sounds True, Writer, Podcast Host
Cara Bradley - Mindfulness and Yoga Teacher, Speaker, Author
Michelle Maldonado - Founder & CEO of Lucenscia
Jessica Morey - Founder, iBme
Bottom line: These superheroes may use meditation cushions instead of capes and lassos, but they're saving the world nonetheless.
[ MEDITATION & NEWS ]
Looks like meditation doesn’t make you immune to drama
Do Christianity and meditation mix? Not according to a group of Christian parents and community members who are suing the Chicago school district over the public school’s involvement with Transcendental Meditation (TM).
Chicago Schools partnered with the University of Chicago’s Urban Labs and the David Lynch foundation to bring the “quiet time” program to stressed-out inner-city kids.
For the uninitiated, TM involves a ceremony called a Puja where participants are given their mantra, which they use to meditate. Christian parents assert that the ritual is a religious ceremony.
While families are able to opt out of the programming, some parents argue that the pressure to participate amounts to a violation of their religious freedoms.
Bottom line: We're actually excited to hear there's peer pressure to meditate!
[ MEDITATION & LIFESTYLE ]
There’s mindfulness and meditation. But what’s the difference?
Are we meditating or practicing mindfulness? While the words are often used interchangeably, "mindfulness" and "meditation" are not actually considered the same thing. Positive Psychology posted about the five differences between the two terms:
1. Mindfulness is a quality; meditation is a practice
Meditation is a practice, and through this practice, one can develop different qualities, including mindfulness. Mindfulness is the state of awareness that happens through paying non-judgmental attention.
2. Meditation is one of many roads to mindful living
Meditation as a practice helps us become more mindful in our daily living. We create the capacity for paying attention through consistent, intentional efforts.
3. Mindfulness can be used in treatment that does not include meditation
Mindfulness is associated with mental health benefits, but many people are resistant to meditation. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is an excellent example of a treatment that uses mindfulness to help clients without requiring them to meditate formally.
4. Mindfulness can be practiced formally and informally
Since mindfulness is a quality rather than a formal practice, it can be practiced along side any other activity. Enhancing present moment awareness helps us slow down and pay attention.
5. Mindfulness is only one aspect of meditation
Meditation not only enhances present moment awareness, but it also increases focus and concentration. It helps you pay better attention for longer.
Bottom line: While all meditation leads to mindfulness, not all mindfulness practices are considered meditation.
[ MEDITATION & RESEARCH ]
Studies show two ways to cure loneliness during the pandemic
What to do to beat the lonely blues? We’ve now been in lock down for several months, and whether you're still self-isolating or opening up your bubble, no doubt you've struggled with feelings of loneliness. While it's easy to doom scroll on our social feeds and Netflix binge to pretend we have human connection, these feelings can still take a toll on our bodies.
Studies show that loneliness is bad for the heart, doesn’t keep the fight-or-flight response in check, leads to poor sleep, which makes it harder to concentrate, and can even alter our white blood cells!
Luckily, there are two simple ways to counteract these negative effects. You can probably guess the first one. A regular Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction practice is proven to combat loneliness and minimize inflammation in the body.
The second one, well... One research study published found that students’ anxiety and loneliness symptoms dropped 60% when hanging out with a therapy dog for two hours. So if you're feeling the need for social connection, go fetch Fido for a few blissful moments of pure loving connection. We recommend meditating at the dog park.
Bottom line: Some say that our four-legged friends are the only true gurus out there, with their unconditionally-loving furry selves.
[ MEDITATION & BUSINESS ]
5 ways mindfulness makes you a more effective leader
Because you’re the one you’ve been waiting for! Whether you're weathering a business storm, or floating in a deluge of abundance, a mindfulness practice may enhance your leadership abilities in the following ways:
Mindfulness fosters intentionality. Become present with what is, rather than getting caught up in future scenarios.
Mindfulness mitigates reactive tendencies. Noticing the state our mind is in allows us to pause. That moment of pause makes all the difference in how we respond to a problem.
Mindfulness cultivates creativity. Stepping out of reactive tendencies allows us to open up space for new ideas and solutions.
Mindfulness facilitates broader perspective. Greater awareness and enhanced discernment foster more strategic thinking.
Mindfulness increases emotional intelligence (EI or EQ). fMRI scans show increased activity in areas of the brain related to empathy and compassion, which helps support an overall healthier work environment.
Bottom line: Leadership without mindfulness is like eating cereal without milk. It can be done, but you’re really missing out on the best part.
[ MEDITATION & TECHNOLOGY ]
Even the meditation virtual world is getting a bit more realistic
They did say that your mind creates your reality. If what the meditation guides have been telling us is true, that your experience of your body parallels your experience of your world, then new meditation app Healium is taking it to the next level.
By harnessing the power of your heart rate and brain waves, the app uses these readable biometrics to help you create your (virtual) reality. How? For example, by shifting your brain waves or by lowering your heart rate, you could grow flowers or hatch holographic butterflies in your virtual world.
If you don’t have an Oculus Go, EEG headband, or an apple watch, you can still get an augmented reality version of Healium to use on your phone.
Bottom line: As long as it doesn't use our anxiety to recreate nightmares, we're good.
[ MEDITATION & FAMILY ]
Having a baby in a pandemic? (We bow down)
Some ways meditation can help with post-partum/pandemic blues. We're taught that becoming a new mother is supposed to full of love, bliss, and perfectly decorated nurseries; however, for many women, those first months (if not years) are defined by post-partum depression, stress, and anxiety.
Add a pandemic to that and you have an even greater post-partum mental health crisis.
Although post-partum issues are notoriously challenging, meditation has proven beneficial in relieving symptoms. One study said meditation could even be more helpful than psychotherapy or antidepressants.
Some ways in which it helps are:
It allows you to witness your thoughts and stress, giving you the inner space to find your calm.
It promotes self-compassion, helping you realize you are worthy for just being you.
It helps you be in the present moment so you can experience the magical moments that are right in front of you.
It helps you realize you don’t have to be a perfect mother (which doesn’t exist) and that motherhood is a beautiful mess.
Bottom line: While you may forget to shower and feed yourself, don't forget to meditate.
[ REALITY CHECK ]
Looking for balance between meditation and cultural appropriation?
Where's the line between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation? In the wake of the BLM movement, the conversation of cultural appropriation in the meditation and yoga communities is finally coming to light. Brands such as Lululemon and Prana are examining the ways in which they portray the cultural roots of the practices for which they make products.
Lululemon has been pressured by activist Nani Vishwanath and a Change.org petition to remove their “namastay put” and “mula bandhawear” underwear lines (the lines have since been removed). Prana is being questioned as to why they don’t recognize the Sanskrit origin in the name of their company on their website.
Cultural appropriation of ancient traditions that originated in India and the countries surrounding it seems to fall into two camps: either the sterilization of yoga and meditation by removing evidence of its Eastern roots as to not “offend” Westerners, or the disrespectful commercialization of yoga and meditation through products like “namastay” underwear. It has many meditators wondering, “How can I practice without being offensive?”
This is a rich and complex subject, and there’s no simple answer as to what is “appreciative” versus “appropriative.” However, approaching your practice with reverence to the tradition from which it comes by making an effort to study the history of how mediation and yoga in the West has been pushed through a filter of capitalism and colonization is a good first step.
Bottom line: Practicing meditation itself is not cultural appropriation as long as we‘re mindful of showing reverence to where it came from.
[ READ. WATCH. LISTEN. ]
Read: You Belong: A Call for Connection
In You Belong, much-admired meditation expert Sebene Selassie reveals that accepting our belonging is the key to facing the many challenges currently impacting our world. Using ancient philosophy, multidisciplinary research, exquisite storytelling, and razor-sharp wit, Selassie leads us in an exploration of all the ways we separate (and thus suffer) and offers a map back to belonging. Read now
Watch: The Vedic Conversation
ThisYoutube series and podcast by dear friends of The Daily Meditator Derrick Yanford, Rory Kinsella, and Anthony Thompson combines story-telling and Vedic philosophy for an insightful look into modern life. Watch now on Youtube.
Listen: Broken Brain Podcast
The Broken Brain podcast will help you take your brain health to the next level and teach you how to live your best life! Listen as host and serial entrepreneur Dhru Purohit (our cover model) interviews the top experts in the field of neuroplasticity, epigenetics, biohacking, mindfulness and functional medicine. Listen Now
[ REPORT FROM THE FIELD ]
“I feel life comes to me and I don’t have to chase anything.”
What have you gotten from meditation?
Meditation gave me the ability to cope and adapt to situations in life. I feel life comes to me and I don’t have to chase anything.
Strangest meditation moment?
The strangest meditation moment was earlier on when I first started meditating. I had the experience of euphoria. It was this really good pulse feel in my spine and it was as if I could have stayed there for a really long time.
Most unexpected benefit of meditation?
My most unexpected benefit was how quickly my intuition works. The ability to pick up on things quicker from other people, as well as myself.
[ WHO TO FOLLOW ]
Two of our favorite Instagram accounts with a purpose
Hunter Cressman
Vedic meditation teacher and friend of The Daily Meditator Hunter Cressman is a perfect example of one person using his platform to amplify the voices of marginalized experiences, while also shining a spotlight on his own learning process. From posts about unlearning white fragility and supporting black transgender lives, Hunter embodies spiritual teachings in a practical way. We dig it, maybe you will, too.
Follow him on IG: @HunterCressman
Jessamyn Stanley
Yoga teacher, podcaster, author, and cannabis advocate Jessamyn Stanley's Instagram account is a no-holds-barred real life experience. While most yoga accounts are perfectly curated, this glimpse into Jessamyn's daily life is a refreshing change from picturesque poses. But don't get us wrong - she's still a goddess and a force to be reckoned with.
Follow her on IG: @MyNameIsJessamyn
“Social media has given us this idea that we should all have a posse of friends when in reality, if we have one or two really good friends, we are lucky.”
Brene Brown
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