HAUTE AMBASSADOR Health & Wellness
SPRING CLEANING? TRY THIS FOR YOUR MIND AND BODY. BY LYDIA GRAHAM
Lydia is a passionate advocate of healthy living. She has launched and positioned many health and wellnessrelated companies, products, technologies and organizations receiving more than 100 awards nationally and internationally. Her focus in the health sector is specifically on life sciences, aging and longevity. She is a partner and investor in several recognized national brands. She sits on the board of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging whose mission is to eliminate the threat of agerelated disease for today’s and future generations. It is the only independent research organization globally dedicated to extending the healthy years of life. Like the scientists at the Buck, Graham envisions it will be possible for people to enjoy life at 95 as much as at 25. To support Buck’s mission, please visit www.buckinstitute.org.
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S WE BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT SPRING teacher of the ancient practice of Vedic meditation and cleaning—we might consider all that rift-raft the founder of the FLOW Meditation online program floating around in our brains each day—maybe which he developed to make the Vedic approach to we should think about cleaning that up a bit? But how meditation more widely accessible. He teaches groups, do we do that? individuals, and even programs for companies such One of the things I enjoy is sharing tips and resources as LinkedIn. His mission “is to allow a lot of people to I have found that you might find interesting and believe that mediation is something they can do.” helpful. While over the past two years, I have missed The course I did was a 4-week hybrid program the in-person events or gatherings that now seem to consisting of four live online sessions and twelve online be coming back, I must confess to have enjoyed online lessons encouraging me to meditate twice a day for up opportunities I might not to 20 minutes. The meditation have had otherwise. Two of technique is simple. It consists them came through Battery of a meaningless two syllable “My mission is to allow a lot SF. The first, a deep dive into mantra (selected from a pool of people to believe that mediation is mobility training—important of Vedic bija, meaning “seed” ” something they can do. for anyone hunched over a mantras) as a tool to help — JAMES BROWN computer—and not just for the mind settle without us older folks or performance having to try to focus and athletes, but that is another conversation. The second concentrate or trying to have fewer or nicer thoughts. was learning FLOW meditation from meditation teacher As one repeats the mantra silently in the mind, it comes James Brown. I have written before about extensive and goes, gets faster and slower, fainter and brighter, resources on meditation and the benefits of it, but I with thoughts often coming in between. In some sittings, thought this particular technique was worth calling out one can have many thoughts; in others, only a few. The due to its simplicity (and effectiveness). Anyone can do key is no effort (except repeating the mantra, but with it anywhere. Called a “householder’s” technique, it suits no effort to hold on to it). It’s no judgment meditation. busy people like us living lives in the real world versus Rather, it is simply an allowing around the mantra and in a monastic atmosphere of contemplation. the thoughts that come and go with no judgment on Who is James Brown? He is the Bay Area’s preeminent whether the thoughts or the sitting is “good” or “bad.”
