Why Meditation Sucks—But You Should Do It Anyway, Part 2: Dr. Cheryl’s Long, Strange Trip

This week, I’m continuing the story of my freaking difficult, painful, real spiritual path that led me to the (relatively) peaceful and far wiser place I am today. Again, I’m not special—absolutely anyone can learn to meditate. And it will suck at first! But once you get the hang of it and commit to following an enlightened path, you’ll be more able to quiet that jittering, caffeinated monkey mind of yours and learn to bask in the tranquility, wisdom, and compassion of the gentle, quiet elephant mind.  Join me as I talk about the pressure and expectations I endured during my Ph.D. studies and my transcontinental search for mental clarity and serenity and the meaning of life. Come journey with me through some of the most incredible places I’ve had the privilege of visiting. And believe me, the spiritual path is freaking dangerous - I’ll tell you about a tiny Thai island and a homicidal premenstrual monkey that taught me a lot about the monkey mind and more. When I first committed to studying meditation, I had just graduated from an extraordinarily elite program with my Ph.D. and expected to begin the tenure track at a top university. Instead, I pulled a Kerouac and booked a one-way ticket to Asia. At each stop and each Buddhist retreat, I continued to have my mind opened and my perspective broadened. I started to hear the footsteps of my elephant. Today, I hope to give you just a taste of what that sort of journey can do for you.   In This Episode, You Will Learn: If you think that meditation means to stop thinking, you’ve been taught incorrectly.  (04:06) I am not enlightened. Right now, I'm just another bozo on this bus… but I have grown leaps and bounds from the exhausted, downtrodden grad student I was 25 years ago.  (08:01) I took a tough and powerful 7-month post-grad journey across Asia, got bit by a homicidal premenstrual monkey, and lived to tell the tale. (10:51) If I survived a maybe-rabies and still made it to my retreat, then what are you going to let stand between you and your goal? (27:44) The monkey wins way too often—but every time I think I can't change it, I'm reminded that underneath the biggest storms we ever encounter, there is calm, and there is peace. (30:42) Your weekly LoveByte. (31:25)   Q&A: Why do I hate meditating? Meditation sucks at first! The more you try to stop thinking, the more you'll turn up the mind.  But persevere and you’ll catch glimpses of the calm, tranquil mind-frame that you’ll be able to achieve with practice.  How can I stop thinking while I meditate? It is a complete misunderstanding that meditation means that you shouldn't be thinking. Can meditation help me sleep? When your mind can’t sleep at night it's obsessing about something— positive, negative, or neutral. With mediation, you can teach the mind to remain calm and peaceful. Places mentioned: The Stupa of Boudhanath The Full Moon Party on Koh Pha-ngan Let’s Connect! About Me Website - Sign up for Weekly LoveBytes here  Facebook Page   Youtube If you want to rate your relationship, take the Passion Quiz Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.