You know that weird phenomenon when you buy a new car and start seeing it all over town? Well, it’s happening to me, only it’s with mindfulness and meditation, ever since I wrote about them. I turn on the NBC Nightly News, and there’s a segment showing kids meditating. I open a magazine, and every other page is devoted to mindfulness. Am I riding a wave of something new (like I did with those awful Crocs I happily wore an entire summer), or is this something I won’t regret?
I am betting it’s the latter. That’s why I spent a recent Saturday morning in a class to mindfully meditate. That’s right. A year ago, you couldn’t have paid me to do that. But this year, with my brain feeling like it is in a vise from migraines, I am trying everything to make the pain go away, even stuff I normally would mock.
My meditation morning started with me sizing up the other participants and realizing everyone seemed normal. If I’m honest, everyone was actually dressed a bit nicer than me, and looked like they actually combed their hair. The class was all women: some my age, a couple of new moms and my daughter. Believe it or not, I can be shy in group settings, so it’s always nice to have a friendly face—or in this case a scowling yet familiar face—to look at when doing something new. (I bribed her to come with me.)
According to the experts, meditation has a physiological effect. It changes the way you deal with stress, which in my case is migraines. I’ve always believed that my mind was too chaotic to meditate. I have lots of voices in my head (all my own) talking at the same time about to-do lists, not-to-do lists, money-making ideas, gift ideas, column topics … When I lie down, the chattering usually gets louder, which makes falling asleep a challenge.
But, this mindfulness stuff seems to be working. My road rage, i.e. the number of people I flip off on Highway 40, is declining, as are my migraines. I am falling asleep quicker and unaided (without the help of Advil PM). I actually think I might become an optimist! Who knows? Next thing you know I will take up camping and declare that I love nature.
If you are at all interested in joining me in my mindfulness adventure, there are some great online resources: headspace.com, calm.com, omgmeditate.com
Favorite new word: Humblebrag. Usually done on Facebook or Twitter, sometimes in person, this is masking a brag with a complaint. The Harvard Business School did a study about how annoying it is and cited Ari Fleischer’s tweet as an example: “They just announced my flight at La Guardia is number 15 for take-off. I miss Air Force One.”
And something nice: I don’t know St. Louisan and Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, although I wish I did. Not only is he brilliant, he is kind. I know this is old news, but I just read about it again in The New Yorker. As part of the Best School Day initiative, he funded all the ‘wish lists’ projects for every school in Missouri. Yes, he is that nice.
Contact Patty at phannum@townandstyle.com.
