Meditation, a Dog and Money: 3 Unexpected Things That Eased My Fear

I had a yoga TV show and a yoga studio for 10 years. And at the very first yoga class I went to, at the YMCA in Clearwater, Florida, I woke myself up at the end by how loudly I was snoring. Meditation was never on my radar. If it isn't on yours, I get it.

What counts as meditation, and what doesn't

People tell me they meditate when they're gardening, when they're on the beach, when they're walking the dog. I love that. But that's contemplation. That could be relaxation. Even the end of that yoga class, lying there in shavasana, wasn't meditation.

Meditation is when you're sitting upright. Your spine is the antenna for the prana, which is Sanskrit for the energy that flows everywhere and that we're all made up of. It's life force. It's God force. When you're lying down, the antenna's not up.

Can you meditate lying down?

That's why people sit. Historically, Hatha yoga, the postures I taught for so long, prepared the body to sit longer in meditation. If your hips are tight or your back or neck hurts, it's very hard to sit still. And when you can sit still, you can receive that energy more fully. That's where the peace, the relaxation and the joy can come from.

How to start meditating as a beginner

Sit upright. Facing north or east can help. Say a prayer, invoke a blessing, ask for guidance. Then calm yourself as much as you can with some nice big inhales and exhales.

Your mind may race. I understand. The more diligent and persistent you are, the more the results may flow. And you don't need to see visions. I don't. I have friends who do. When I meditate, I feel more connected, more peaceful, and more prepared mentally, emotionally and spiritually to move forward.

Does meditation fit with my religion?

I grew up in a very multicultural household. My mother was from upstate New York, Irish and Welsh. My dad was from India and was a Sikh. We had statues of Buddha and Jain statues in the house, and I went to temple, Lutheran church and Unitarian Sunday school with my best friends. So I didn't have to overcome thinking a certain way to embrace meditation.

The path I follow allows you to embrace whatever religion you are and simply be more connected to the divine. It's you and God. It's you and the universe. The words matter less to me than knowing it's a personal relationship with Source.

How meditation changed my life when I was paralyzed with fear

In 1986 I had graduated from college with no idea what I was going to do with my life. My mother had cancer. My father had died when I was 13. I was working in retail and had moved to Tampa, and I was full of uncertainty and fear.

Then I was introduced to Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda. I'd read a page or two and have to take a nap. I knew I'd have to change my life so much if I started this path, and that scared me. But slowly, I started meditating consistently, and the fear started to fade. Connections were made. Prayers were answered, even prayers I didn't know I had.

What I gave up, and why

For me, alcohol and meat dull the vibration receptivity of the body, so I don't drink and I don't eat meat. When I stopped drinking in 1986, I wondered how long I could go without it. Once, out of habit, I ordered my usual drink, and I felt very ill afterwards. I'm telling you what has worked for me, for your consideration, not what you should do.

Two more things I didn't expect to help

One is Sadie, our dog. I identified as a cat person. Now my business team tells me I'm much calmer since she came into my life, because she gets me outside and into the moment.

The other is money. Tosha Silver's book It's Not Your Money changed how I see it. When I buy something or pay someone, I am simply recycling God's money, and that has reduced my stress. More money in the bank is great. True wealth is also having what you need when you need it.

So if fear is running the show for you right now, start small. Sit up. Breathe. Every time you have a fear thought, replace it with what if, and for the highest good. Come back to it tomorrow. There is hope, and you are not alone.