Not so long ago, if you’d told someone that you meditate they’d ask you where your tie-dyed clothes were. Now, the overwhelming and irrefutable benefits mean that influencers and game changes alike are now flocking to learn how to find their zen. Below are a list of just some of the celebrities who have started integrating meditation and mindfulness in their daily lives:
#1 Deepak Chopra
This one should come as no surprise. He’s created many programs, retreats and apps to help guide your own meditation. One of these was actually made with our #2 on the list Oprah Winfrey! Deepak advocates the simplicity of meditation and the need for it in our daily life.
He claims “Meditation is not a way of making your mind quiet. It is a way of entering into the quiet that is already there – buried under the 50,000 thoughts the average person thinks everyday.”
#2 Oprah Winfrey
Oprah has been a cheerleader for meditation for years, establishing her own meditation centres and taking her personal practice very seriously. She attended a workshop on transcendental meditation and uncovered the benefits for both her personal and corporate life.
She said “Only from that space can you create your best work and your best life.”
#3 Arianna Huffington founder of the Huffington Post
Arianna is an amazing advocate for the addition of the third metric – Wellness – into our definition of modern success. After facing her own personal battle with trying to ‘have it all’, Arianna found meditation as a way to decrease her stress and improve her life.
Arianna expressed “Meditation is not about stopping thoughts, but recognizing that we are more than our thoughts and our feelings.”
#4 Jeff Weiner CEO of LinkedIn
Jeff is arguably one of the most powerful executives in the tech world which potentially makes him one of the busiest people on earth. Nevertheless, he has a strong belief that reducing stress and being mindful is a key way to optimize creativity and productivity.
His philosophy is “You have to maintain a culture of transformation and stay true to your values.”
#5 Kobe Bryant & Lebron James famous NBA Players
I know I’ve squeezed in an extra person to make the top five but these two are too great not to make the list. As professional superstars, the pair are notably two of the top players in the NBA. Potentially one of the main reasons they’ve got to where they are in such a competitive sport relates to their dedication to mindfulness and meditation. Being present in a game and not worrying about what’s happened in the past or about to happen in the future is something we can all relate to.
Lebron believes “I treat it like every day was my last day with a basketball.”
What do all these people have in common besides being famous? They acknowledge that meditation can have profound impacts on the quality of their life even though they’re not a practicing monk. They normalise meditation for the rest of us. They show us that you don’t have to be locked away in the hills to achieve ‘enlightenment’.
So how do you start? Stay tuned for the ‘basics of meditation’ in my upcoming blog! But for now – just start by paying attention to your breathe. Try 10 long breathe’s morning and night and just focus on that and try and be present in the moment. You’ll surprise yourself and you’re already meditating!