August 2021 TDM
Welcome to the August 2021 issue of The Daily Meditator. This is your monthly resource for fun, quirky, interesting, and noteworthy happenings in and around the worldwide meditation community, curated by Light Watkins and co. 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.
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[ MEDITATION & NEWS ]
Look Who’s Now Surfing the Crypto Wave?
The Buddha is apparently hot on crypto. According to techbullion.com, a new wave of blockchain-based projects is emerging, and at the helm is an innovative cryptocurrency called “BudaCoin,” which aims to incentivize millennials to integrate mindfulness into their daily lives.
BudaCoin ($BUDA), along with other block-chains, is leveraging the hype surrounding cryptocurrency particularly in those millennials who suffer from a higher risk of anxiety and depression because of social conditioning—which is basically all of them.
Utilizing the crypto-craze to get millennials and possibly future generations into practicing mindfulness and meditation is certainly an out-of-the-box approach that can prove very profitable—if and when crypto rebounds.
Bottom line: Hopefully, this “BudaCoin” can help millennials find more inner stability than the crypto market has been showing as of late.
[ MEDITATION & RESEARCH ]
A Meditation a Day Keeps the Anxiety Away
Does your teen feel like they’re burning the candle at both ends? According to a new study from EurekaAlert.org, over a third of teens report that their stress level has increased in the past year, while around half of teens don't feel they are doing enough to manage their stress.
The study noted that Transcendental-Meditation-practicing teenagers showed significantly lower emotional stress and improved academics. No surprises there, but it did take about 4 months of consistency in order for the meditating group to reduce emotional stress, increase quality of sleep, and improve their academic achievement (compared to the control group).
Bottom line: Turns out, having your teens muscle their way through school work is not nearly as effective as meditating their way to academic success.
Are you curious about what you’re here on Earth to do? If your answer is yes—the Finding Your Purpose masterclass in The Happiness Insiders community is now open for enrollment. Light Watkins and his online community will help you identify your purpose so you can start living a fuller life with intention.
Another Reason to Breathe When Going Into Labor
Should mindfulness training go hand-in-hand with Lamaze classes? According to medicalexpress.com, a short, group-based mindfulness training for pregnant women and their partners was shown to reduce the chance of a medically-unnecessary cesarean birth by 50% and doubled the chance of a natural birth. Another fun fact: out of the 140 pregnancies being studied, participants from the mindfulness group used epidural anesthesia 36% less than the control group. Looks like mindfulness can alter the entire experience of childbirth, if the practice is started early enough—and it reduces the health risks of both the mother and the newborn.
Bottom line: We love seeing meditation pop up all over the place these days—even in the delivery room.
[ MEDITATION & TECHNIQUE ]
5-4-3-2-1. Countdown to Becoming More Mindful
Mindfulness is now as simple as counting down from 5… sort of. Ofosu Jones-Quartey, a Rockville, MD-based meditation teacher developed a unique and accessible way of staying anchored in the present moment. According to an article by bethesdamagazine.com, Ofosu refers to his approach as the “5-4-3-2-1 Practice.”
It involves tuning into the 5 senses, and starts with closing your eyes and paying attention to 5 things you can see, then 4 things you can feel, followed by 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. Pretty clever, huh?
Since 2004, Jones-Quartey has been teaching his techniques in Washington, DC school classrooms, and if you want to be guided by him, he regularly records secular meditations on the Balance meditation app.
Bottom line: Imagine learning a simple technique like that when you were in school, and how much it would’ve helped balance the stress.
[ MEDITATION & POP-CULTURE ]
Ready For Some Laughter Meditation?
One more reason to laugh at your attempts to meditation. Comic artist Dan Piraro has been cleverly illustrating the many ironies he’s observed in the world of mindfulness, according to Lion’s Roar. His work is inspired by a new-found appreciation for meditation, and how the practice has allowed him to “control his reality.” As a bonus, he no longer feels the need to “strangle imaginary strangers who disagree with his worldview.” Can you relate? If so, you can catch more of Dan’s brilliant comics on his Instagram feed.
Bottom line: We love when meditators get serious about not taking themselves seriously.
[ REALITY CHECK ]
Celebrating the life of Guru Jagat
Guru Jagat, a renowned Kundalini yoga teacher and our dear friend, passed away suddenly from a pulmonary embolism this past Sunday night. She was 41, and a bright and beautiful light in the worldwide wellness community. Guru Jagat founded the RA MA Institute with studios in Los Angeles, New York, and Mallorca. And according to her Instagram account, there will be a celebration of her life and legacy on Monday, August 9th at 6:30 pm PST at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, which is at 6000 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90038. Check RA MA’s website for more details.
[ READ. WATCH. LISTEN. ]
Read: The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
Based on Dr. van der Kolk’s own research and that of other leading specialists, The Body Keeps the Score describes how trauma literally reshapes both body and brain, compromising the sufferers’ capacities to live their lives. The book also explores innovative treatments—from neurofeedback and meditation to sports, drama, and yoga—that offer new paths to recovery by activating the brain’s natural neuroplasticity. Read more
Watch: Tashi and the Monk
In an attempt to heal his own childhood abandonment, former Buddhist monk Lobsang Phuntsok adopts 85 unwanted children and raises them with love and compassion, at Jhamtse Gatsal, a remote children's community in the foothills of the Himalayas. The film follows Jhamtse's newest arrival, a wild and troubled 5-year-old girl named Tashi, as she learns what love is and how it can help her to heal. Watch here
Listen: The Vedic Conversation
Three normal guys, all Vedic Meditation teachers, have enlightening conversations about what it’s like to live life as a meditation teacher. Plus they invite guests from all aspects of the wellness community to weigh in on their experiences. Listen now
[ REPORT FROM THE FIELD ]
My most successful business ideas and executions have always come when I was meditating.
What have you gotten from Meditation? My most successful business ideas and executions have always come when I was meditating. There’s no question about it. When I’m iterating or ideating, 9 times out of 10, I receive the download for my next move in meditation.
Strangest meditation moment? I’ve definitely “transcended” and felt that more time passed than I was aware of, and that’s always a very interesting feeling.
Most unexpected benefit of meditation? Falling asleep was common for me in the early days of meditation, and it turned out that I needed the extra sleep. I wasn’t aware of just how sleep-deprived I was until I got that additional rest through meditation. Now I sleep like a champ.
[ WHO TO FOLLOW ]
Two of Our Favorite Instagram Accounts with a Purpose
Jackie Cantwell (left) is a sound musician, meditation leader, & mental health advocate who has played sound bowls & led breath-work for some of the largest meditations in the world. Jackie facilitates sound globally for mass meditations and has worked on tour with Oprah Winfrey. She is a resident sound practitioner for Chopra Global and Director of Medi Club. Follow her on Instagram @itsjackiecantwell
Steven Bartlett (right) founder of the social media marketing agency Social Chain, valued. Steven acts as a speaker, investor, author, and content creator, hosting Europe's most downloaded Business podcast, 'The Diary of a CEO'. He is widely considered one of Europe’s most talented and accomplished young entrepreneurs and philosophical thinkers. Follow him on Instagram @steven
"Do not judge me by my successes. Judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again."
— Nelson Mandela
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