It's funny how often we put off the very things that would not only enhance our lives, but make them easier and even more meaningful. I tend to be someone who can easily put things off to the last minute, which might explain why an entire year went by before I picked up the phone and called the woman who not only taught me transcendental meditation ( TM ), but also became one of my most treasured friends.
Her name is Nancy Cooke de Herrera.
I decided there would be no better gift for turning thirty, then learning how to meditate. So over the course of three visits, I made my way to Nancy's home in Beverly Hills, where she gave me a mantra and said "If you have time to brush your teeth in the morning, you have time to meditate!"
Nancy is one of those people who have a touching story about almost everything and everyone you could ever imagine. She was with the Beatles and the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in India back in the sixties, and it was the Maharishi himself who taught Nancy how to teach mediation. She has travelled the world and given everyone from Greta Garbo to Madonna their mantras, and if that weren't enough, she even raised four amazing children. People like Nancy make the world a better place, and for those of us in LA, like Sheryl Crow and the Red Hot Chili Peppers (whom Nancy also taught TM), the good news is, she's right here in our own backyard!
Now I know how easy it is to put off doing things we know are good for us. But meditation isn't only good for our selves; it's actually quite good for the world! At a time when so many things appear to be getting worse, there is no better time than now to remember we are not as helpless as the television, newspaper and radio have the ability to make us feel.
Meditation helps us do that.
Everyday, whether we're in a blue state or a red state, we're reminded of how difficult it is to get along with each other. And with a tragic oil spill that has punctured a wound so deep in Mother Earth; our universe could really use a collective hand from all of us, now maybe more than ever.
They say when we pray, we speak to God, but when we meditate God speaks to us.
So with this writing, I am offering a little bouquet of truth. I don't know how to cap the oil spill or how to get a red state to love a blue state, but I do know that when all take seriously the part we came to play, it helps in a loud and busy world to quiet ourselves and be still. And when enough of us quiet ourselves long enough, we will remember to extend a little more compassion to those we meet, and we might just have a little more understanding to those we have a tendency to point the finger at.
There is something to be said about going within before going out into the world, and maybe, taking a few extra minutes in the morning to visit that peaceful quiet place, might just be the first step in creating a more peaceful life, and in turn, make the world a more peaceful place to live.
So the next time you find yourself feeling helpless in any situation, remember there's something you can do about it. The easy way out of a chaotic world, is found by taking the easy way in...just meditate!
If you're interested in learning how to meditate, you may contact Nancy Cooke de Herrera at the Email address below ~ and give yourself a gift that truly keeps on giving.
ndeherrera@sbcglobal.net