Issue 5: Why I Meditate
If five years ago you had told me I would be teaching meditation professionally, I probably would have scoffed, laughed, and asked "do you even know me?" I was the definition of Type-A personality, and I had no time to just sit and do nothing. (That's what I thought meditation was: sitting and doing nothing.)
Plus at the time, sitting alone with myself, even for a few minutes, was a struggle. I was not a huge fan of my own company, so I'd constantly find ways to distract myself from being alone, whether it meant calling a friend, or reading, or networking, or working, or watching something on Netflix.
Then I sat down to meditate for 30 minutes a day, for 30 days, and meditation changed my life. Meditation made me happier, calmer, a little saner, and a lot more balanced. Meditation taught me to fall in love with myself at a time when I felt completely out of love with myself.
There is science to back up the way meditation initially impacted my life. Studies show 20 minutes of meditation a day actively works to decrease our stress hormones (particularly coritsol and adrenaline). This works because meditation impacts our amygdala, or the part of our brain which controls our reaction to stress, a.k.a. our fight or flight response.
The amygdala is great because it kept our ancestors alive when there was a predator around. But too much amygdala reactivity (when there is no big tiger around the corner that wants to eat us), actually leads to an excess level of stress hormones in the body. Since the peaked stress hormone levels are not used for their intended purpose (to run away from a predator), we tend to suffer. When excess stress hormones continue to circulate throughout the body, we eventually feel their mental and physical effects.
An increased level of stress hormones in the body impacts our daily lives: we may suffer from insomnia or become anxious, depressed, and fatigued—ultimately we will feel out of touch with our minds, our bodies, and ourselves.
Excessive stress may make us feel like we are unable to focus on work or school, or our personal relationships may begin to suffer. Excessive stress hormones in the body also impact our monthly cycle negatively (I'll share more on that in later issues).
Meditation helps us reestablish the connection with our minds and our bodies, decreasing our tendency and reactivity to stress. And when stress hormone levels decrease, we sleep better, we are less reactive in conflicts, we are more productive, and we are happier.
So though a doctor may not have prescribed this specific treatment for you yet, try to challenge yourself to meditate for at least 20 minutes a day for a month and notice the impact it has on your body and mind.
You can even reach out to me personally with any questions you have about establishing a meditation practice by directly responding to this email. I'm here to help.
And if you want to learn a bit more about my personal meditation journey, check out this podcast interview on This Full Mind.
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Meditation:
First, meditation is a lesson in presence.
Breathing with mindfulness we begin to connect with the present breath, and ultimately the present moment. Meditation starts to teach us how to live right here, right now, rather than staying stuck in the past or lost in a future that does not even exist.
Next, meditation is a lesson in patience and gentleness.
Meditation teaches us to cultivate compassion for ourselves, because by sitting with the self we begin to get to know ourselves better. We learn how to become gentle and patient with whoever and wherever we are in this very moment.
Then, meditation is a lesson in love.
As our meditation practice grows, we begin to love ourselves—completely and wholly—with all our flaws. When we can accept and love our imperfect selves, we can also more fully love others despite their imperfections.
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Calling all Londoners seeking meditation:
Don't worry USA: California and New York we are coming for you soon!
Join us for a final event in London! Founder, Sara Shah, will be leading a meditation during our Women's Circle on March 22nd! We would love to have you join, and since it will be on Mother's Day in the UK, be sure to bring your Mum.
Click here to buy tickets for you or a friend in London.
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AN INTERVIEW WITH MEGAN MOOK
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Since today's issue is all about meditation, I wanted to feature one of my favorite meditation teachers: Megan Mook. Megan is an amazing mentor that breathes compassion, and her teachings have impacted my practice and helped me grow in so many ways. She spent her early 20s in a Korean Monastery, and her teachings incorporate Tibetan, Indian, Haitian, and Chinese practices. She is based in NYC, and offers one-on-one appointments and mentoring sessions. Her expertise ranges from using herbal flower essences to balance, to holistic healing, to meditation mentoring. She is a gem of a human, learn more about what she offers here.
What issues do women most often come in for when seeking your care?
Learning how to set boundaries while keeping their hearts open.
How would you describe what you do to someone who has never heard of it before?
Most essentially, I teach people how to heal themselves through cultivating inner qualities such as love and compassion. Because I am being trained as a traditional healer, I do this through a variety of modalities, rather than a one-size-fits all approach. This allows me to treat everyone uniquely, and find an approach that truly resonates with them.
What does a typical session with you look like?
All my sessions are different! Sometimes we talk and meditate, sometimes we explore flower essences, sometimes yoga, sometimes cupping, and sometimes breathing exercises. What we do depends on what the person needs. Usually it's talking and meditating, though. A typical session is 60 minutes (although I often run over because I get pretty excited!).
Why is what you do helpful in balancing women's bodies?
The key to balance is intimacy. I help people develop intimacy with themselves and others. Cultivating intimacy as a means of finding balance works in the way sun and rain work to sprout a seed. It's just the natural way of things.
What is one thing you wish women did less that would help them balance their bodies if they actively chose to forego it?
Internalizing outer aggression.
What is one thing you've learnt about women's health that you wish every woman knew?
The kind of wisdom passed down from our grandmothers, like don't go out with a wet head, has strong merit! It's not folklore.
What inspired you to work with women?
Part of my spiritual training is to try and see things clearly. This means acknowledging the way women are suppressed and the reason behind this suppression, which is our incredible power. I feel a special calling to heal the wounds of suppression and support the feminine power.
What is one piece of advice you would like to share with the Mother Yin community?
Real healing and happiness can't be achieved or explained in a "Top 5 Ways To..." list. It's more rich and nuanced than that! Healing and happiness is achieved through actual relationships, intimacy, love, compassion and, of course, wisdom.
How can women become more in touch with their bodies and hormones?
Awareness is *always* the key. And awareness needs love. Otherwise it is too painful.
What is one piece of advice you would give to your daughter?
When the world breaks your heart, learn how to strengthen it AND keep it open.
Thank you Megan!
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Nettle tea can combat hormonal acne, PCOS, UTIs and much more.
Nettle works to optimize and regulate the endocrine system, which is in charge of keeping our hormones in check. Nettle tea is rich in iron, so it's a great thing to reach for during the week leading up to your period, throughout your period, and even the week after. Women claim it reduces cramps and bloating leading up to and into the menstrual cycle.
For menopausal women, nettle tea works by helping the body process estrogen, leading to a reduction in menopause symptoms.
Studies found that nettle has an anti-inflammatory effect in the body, and also works by limiting inflammatory hormones in the body. It also works to detoxify the body. This combination of anti-inflammatory, detoxifying, and hormone regulating effects, work well when it comes to combating hormonal acne, which results from a build up of toxins, inflammation in the body, and an imbalance in hormones.
Regular consumption of nettle tea may also help to combat urinary tract infections (UTIs) and kidney and bladder related problems.
Be sure to speak with your doctor before incorporating nettle tea into your daily diet, as it can react with medications prescribed for diabetes, blood pressure, or blood thinning drugs. Nettle tea is not recommended for pregnant women, as it may stimulate uterine contractions.
*I promise to never include a herb I have not personally tried here. I only include herbs that have benefitted my body, but every body reacts differently. I am not a medical professional, so take the research-based advice with a grain of salt,. Remember to exercise with caution, and respect what works for your body and what does not.*
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