When the idea of trying meditation was suggested to me back in 2012 I pictured chanting in a room full of people I had nothing in common with while wearing white garments.   

That’s what Jughead did in an Archie Comic I had in my bathroom once and I just didn’t find it relatable at all!  

I felt like if I tried meditation I was going to be a Don Draper-esque* imposter at some retreat I had no business being at.

See a pattern here?

These visions and expectations came from some form of media that was stuck in my memories.  

But these were never MY actual experiences.

This is a protective feature of the brain.  I hear about and consider a new activity and then I start picturing what it’s going to look like as some sort of slideshow of assumptions and tv shows I’ve seen and I promptly think…I don’t know if I can see myself doing that – better not risk it.

It turns out my imagination of how most things are going to go is wildly inaccurate most of the time.   Thank goodness – because most of the experiences end up being different and better!

Even the word meditation makes some people run in the other direction.  I’ve hosted groups where people have requested to pray instead during the meditation and I’ve had therapists recommend mindfulness to me.  When it comes down to it everyone chooses their own experience so it’s all welcome and everyone gets what they need from it.  

In my heart I see it as going within, quieting the mind, and making space to connect with something deeper and, if you are open to it, something bigger.

A mindfulness practice specifically is a way to strengthen your mind to be more focused, less distracted, and calmer.   To me it’s meditation at its most practical.   I have yet to have a lot of personal connection to that approach as I respond to more of a guided visualization that leads into a period of deeper contemplation.  That’s the sweet spot for me.

So those are the type of meditations I create and facilitate because it’s what I know to be most effective for me and for many people I’ve connected with.   

If you’re ready to sign up for my free meditation night tomorrow (April 19) at 8pm EST that’s the gist of what we’ll be doing.   And, as an added bonus, I will be incorporating some Reiki energy into the session.   I have been a certified Reiki practitioner since 2016 and incorporating meditation and Reiki together is such a beautiful combo so I’d love to share that tomorrow too.

If showing up tomorrow feels exciting for you then listen to that inner knowing.   

If you are worried this could be too “out there” please know that I had the same worries before I embraced the idea that it’s what I make it and that we’re never really attracted to the work of people who we don’t mesh with as long as that person is being authentic. 

So I try to be as transparent with you in my communication here and show you that I am my own mix of realism and whimsy.

I walk the line every day between a sense of logic and pragmatism and a sense of curiosity toward all the wonders life has to offer.

I’ve heard this called living in the “and” and I’ve learned to embrace it. I need a schedule AND I want to be flexible.   I am Catholic AND I live by my very own personal values about spirituality and equity.  I love pizza and beer AND I’m a nutritionist.  I cheer for the Toronto Maple Leafs AND when they’re inevitably ousted I jump on any Canadian bandwagon available.   

See?  

All it requires is openness.  We are all here to learn and grow and try lots of things while remaining steeped in our values and integrity.

If that sounds like your jam too then join me tomorrow and maybe even send the link to a friend that might be into it too!   Here’s your registration link:  How to Curate Calm:  A Group Meditation Night

See you there!

*Note: As a diehard Mad Men fan I’m compelled to mention that the scene with Don Draper meditating didn’t happen until 2015 but I used it to illustrate a reference to my life in 2012.   I also recognize you probably don’t care – but I do so please forgive me 😉