Those of you who know me know that I am a big advocate for meditation. In fact, I devote a complete chapter in my book: Body by Angie to the benefits of affirmations and meditation. I started this internal journey of the mind two years ago when I noticed very successful people were meditating. I was curious enough to buy Centerpointe’s meditation CDs and give it a try. Like anything in life, it takes time to see results. In fact, I was lousy at meditation for the first three months. I wasn’t sure if I was doing it right, I couldn’t stay awake, my mind would wander, and I almost gave up. But something inside me convinced me to stick with it and so I did.
After 3 months of “trying” to meditate, I realized that “trying” was part of the problem – meditation is that act of non-doing. And once I released all expectations, all desires, all ideas of what I was supposed to be doing -that’s when I started to fully meditate.
Meditation has changed my life in many ways. I am more clear on what I want in life, more focused in my daily activities, happier, and I have developed a sense of well being.
For this first year of meditation, I concentrated solely on Centerpointe’s Holosync meditations. After that, I started checking into other forms of meditation, including brain entrainment and affirmations. I even began taking classes locally to learn how others taught meditation.
Just last weekend I enrolled in a class offered at FUN yoga studios. The instructor’s name was Jyoti. After her class she passed out flyers to let us know that her yogi teacher was going to be in LA the following day. Interested, I called up my mom to join me.
On a whim, we jumped in the car the next morning at headed to LA to discover what a real life yogi master was like. Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath looked much like what you would expect Moses to look like – with his long, golden curly hair and white robes, despite his Indian accent. My mom and I listened as he talked about inner peace creating world peace. This inner peace comes from meditation, of course. 
We were so inspired by Yogirag’s positive energy that we ended up staying for the evening immersion to learn his particular meditation technique. So inspired that I ended up staying out till midnight on a work night! And let me tell you, it was so worth it! He taught me the most powerful meditation technique I have ever learned – I left charged and full of life from his immersion.
The next day, my staff was certain I would be super tired and sluggish. However, I came in to work that morning at 5:30 am feeling like I had slept 9 hours – charged and ready to take on the world! My positive energy was noticed by many that Monday morning and I couldn’t help but share my experience with everyone.
What this experience taught me was that life is a journey (duh!) but to be ready for the curves in the road. Don’t be afraid, follow your curiosities and interests, and marvel at where you end up. I ended up in LA on a work night, way past my bedtime, with a giant smile on my face.
El Rey Theater, Los Angeles
Yogiraj
