I spoke to a friend and client today and she was telling me just how much meditation was benefitting her and her mental health. Obviously I felt chuffed; I advocate Meditation for this very reason. However, it was when I said to her ‘Why do you think I meditate?’ and her response was ‘I dunno Wendy, cos you are all Zen like’. I felt this blog come on swiftly afterwards.
This has happened before. I had a smashing client who is a personal trainer. When I went to his Bootcamp he could not help but laugh and comment on how different I was from the sessions he had with me.
Even those that know the loud version of me will refer to the meditation sessions I run in the evenings as ‘Bedtime stories with Wendy’ as I have such a calming manner about me.
Your perception of me and whether or not you think I am Zen-like will depend on where and when you have met me in life. As a child I was a volatile little minx; if someone did me wrong it meant they probably got a slap at very least. Teenage me was more compliant as I tried to find my place in the world and be a bit less offensive or honest. Corporate me was efficious. If you meet me teaching a meditation course or have a 1-2-1 session with me then my intention is to be more zen-like. I am responsible for holding that space for you so I will have got in the zone beforehand. I take that responsibility very seriously.
Ask my kids and you will certainly be told I am too loud and can shout. Ask my Hubster…. heaven knows what his response will be so probably best not to ask him. That poor man endures every aspect of me from the zen to the neurotic.
The truth is I suffer from the human condition as much as anyone. When I say I meditate to keep sane; I am not kidding!
I meditate to calm the brain, clear the brain, connect to the universe, receive messages from my body I may not notice otherwise and to receive messages from my subconscious mind. These are my early warning systems and can flag up any manner of things. Put very simplistically, if I come out of a meditation rejuvenated then I am all systems go. If the contrary happens then I check in why and it may result in a time to rest. So whilst I have off days I seldom plummet in to ill health, mentally or physically, for any length of time.
I love the phrase ‘Medicate or Meditate’. For me it is that simple. I came to meditation due to chronic illness. I had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for three horrible years. I will not go back to that. Meditation is the early warning system that kicks in when I overdo things.
Whatever your perception of me is, that is your reality. I do agree with the saying ‘what others think of you is none of your business’. I strive in all areas of my life to be honest, kind and act with integrity. We all adapt to different situations we are presented with so I am a bit of a chameleon.
I did ask one dear friend what they thought of me and loved their response ‘I think you are multifaceted Wendy’. I’ll take that!
(The accompanying photo is my meditating gnome that lives at the front of my house – tacky and classy and everything in between; like me!)
Love & Hugs,
Wendy