ABC Anchor says Meditation Helps with Angry Political News
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There is no doubt that the hate in this country saw a lot of growth in 2017.
It seems that those on each side of the political aisle are further away than ever before. Having a President that loves to drive a wedge between the two sides, does not make it better.
But, ABC News Anchor Dan Harris says there is a way to deal with all the anger.
Meditation.
Harris writes that meditation is by no means a cure-all for our era of mean tweets and mindless tribalism. I’ve been meditating for years, and yet during one of the Trump-Clinton presidential debates I stress ate an entire family size bag of popcorn. I didn’t realize what I’d done until I looked down to see my feet surrounded by stray kernels and my hands coated in white chemical residue. Nonetheless, I really do believe meditation can help you survive this season of discontent and division.
First, what is meditation and how do you do it?
There are thousands of kinds of meditation, but I favor a simple, secular, scientifically-validated form called “mindfulness meditation.”
The beginning instructions include just three steps:
1. Sit comfortably. You don’t have to be cross-legged – a chair will do.
2. Close your eyes and bring your full attention to the feeling of your breath. Pick a spot where it’s most prominent: nose, belly, or chest.
3. Every time you get distracted – which you will, a million times (What’s for lunch? How does Jared Kushner keep his hair so perfect? Gun to my head, could I use the word “emoluments” in a sentence?) – just begin again. And again. And again.
Many people wrongly assume that the moment they get distracted is proof that they have failed at meditation. The opposite is true. When you wake up to the fact that you are carrying on a nonstop conversation with yourself – one that is mostly negative and self-referential – it is the first step toward not being completely governed by your thoughts, urges, and emotions.
FTVLive plans on trying some meditation in 2018, or at least trying to get more sleep.
We'll have to see how it goes.
