(Illustration: Maria Zamchy/Getty Images)
Saying we've been through a lot lately is an understatement. As a result, we're all obsessed with our wellness apps, in a race to feel better. We're trying to meditate, and sometimes it doesn't go so well. But what if we told you you don't have to light that meditation candle, you don't need the apps? Just sit down. Get heavy.
Enter Jessamyn Stanley. She's a body positivity advocate and yoga teacher, author of "Every Body Yoga" and "Yoke: My Yoga Self Acceptance." Her advice on meditation: "I don't try to block out any thoughts. I don't try to assume a specific posture. It's nice whenever the aesthetics are there. But you know, I hope if I need to meditate at the worst of times, then it's good practice." In a recent episode of our Adult ISH podcast, my co-host Merk Nguyen and I asked Stanley to guide us through a custom meditation. And it was just too good not to share on its own.
Here's what we learned.
- Meditation can be messy
- Make space at the table for things you don't like
- Accept your whole self: the light and the dark
Check it out for yourself (audio above) and check out the full conversation with Jessamyn Stanley on YR Media’s Adult ISH podcast (Season 5, Episode 5 – Mind, Body and Soul ISH).