A while back I had the pleasure of meeting Deepak Chopra at a media event. When I reflect on this once-in-a-lifetime interaction, it amazes me how much his words of slowing down and taking time to breathe every day would become such a big part of my daily curriculum. Life truly wows me sometimes. Things really do come full circle. As a long-time magazine editor and writer for various outlets and now publisher of this platform, I know I have been blessed to work in the field that I love. Here’s a recap of my brief encounter with the one and only Mr. Chopra and how it changed my perspective on life.
“My Meeting with Deepak Chopra”
Perhaps my wanting to go to this special event was two-fold:
On a personal note, I had been going through my own spiritual journey since a health scare in 2013. Professionally, I wanted to learn more about his important messages on how to live happier and healthier. I’ve also always loved yoga so that was a no-brainer.
But for some reason, as soon as I opened the invitation, I knew this wouldn’t be your average media event where editors and writers mingle and talk shop or gossip about the latest cutbacks and how print is a lost art. This was going to be a life-changing experience for me so I took it as a sign I had to attend now matter what.
For those of you who don’t know, Deepak Chopra is a world-renowned physician and expert in mind-body healing, and has written over 65 books including New York Times bestsellers. He has a huge following in every country, along with many celebrity clients, and is highly respected around the globe for his thought-provoking teachings about alternative medicine. I was excited.
Here’s what I recall…
We had to remove our shoes at the door when we got there. A tad unusual for a press event, but after all, it was the opening of the new Chopra Yoga Center in Toronto so it made perfect sense. And actually put everyone at ease.
Deepak entered from the back of the room and the applause erupted. Not surprisingly though, with hence his incredible allure. It was almost as if he had walked out on to Oprah’s stage. He was wearing a nicely tailored suit and he stood in front of the table that was set out for him to sit at so he could be up close and personal with our small privileged group. He opened by asking us what we wanted to talk about, which spawned a few giggles from the crowd.
We wanted to hear his thoughts on life, love, and happiness of course.
He spoke clearly and calmly and looked straight in people’s eyes as if to invoke some sort of trance. As we listened to his theories on the best lifestyle practices for brain health, and how important they are for busy parents, he reminded us all: “Every now and then, just stop, and ask: ‘Am I aware?’ ‘What am I aware of?’ And all of a sudden the world will open up.” The audience was silent.
His words filled me with emotion and pride. I’ve made some changes in my life over the past 10 months that have made me a stronger, more self-aware person, too. And hearing him speak about this topic right there in front of me was the affirmation I needed that I’m on the right path.
Finding my truth
We were also able to ask him some questions. I was up.
“What was the inspiration behind your book Super Brain?” I asked him excitedly.
What came next was not what I had expected. Deepak laughed. Laughed! (Well, maybe more of a chuckle but it was directed at my question particularly. He said simple and sweet, it was a great question because of the answer he was about to tell.
“It was inspired in the bathroom,” he chuckled.
Turns out he met his co-author Rudolph Tanzi, PhD. in the bathroom at a conference and they casually started talking about the brain and how it was the key to health, happiness and well-being. After a few hours of brainstorming (literally) they had decided to write a book together. Wow! Now, I knew people did a lot of thinking in the toilet, but this was crazy.
What else did I learn?
He said regular exercise, yoga, proper breathing techniques, sleep, meditating at least twice a day, and avoiding alcohol are all imperative to self-awareness. In other words, getting to know yourself inside and out is critical to being happy and healthy. This all made perfect sense to me. He also said that multi-tasking is the one skill you can’t make better with practice.
“If you’re doing everything at once you’re not doing anything at all.” This was my biggest takeaway.
I thought about this for a moment. It’s so true. As women we try to do it all. We want to be superwoman 24-7. And we pride ourselves on our multi-tasking skills. In fact, it’s often our survival technique. But to my surprise, Deepak didn’t agree with this theory. He told us that women. and moms specifically, need to realize there’s more to the precious time we spend trying to get everything done. “You need to meditate every day, and if you don’t have time, then you need to do it more,” he explained.
In other words, those of us who claim we don’t have enough time to do things for ourselves, are really the ones who need it the most. So true.
**Reflection Exercise:
Here’s a Brain Break exercise that should be practiced daily.
Take a few minutes from your hectic day to slow down. Find a quiet spot in your house or close your office door at lunch and do a 15-minute meditation.
Ask yourself these questions:
How does this make you feel?
Are you ready to take on the rest of your day?
Try to meditate once a day (preferably in the morning) as it will help clear your mind and relieve stress.
Don’t forget to breathe. In and out. Inhale and exhale.
And, repeat.
Always in health,
Kerrie-Lee
Namaste.
About the Author:
Kerrie Lee Brown is a women’s health advocate, business coach, speaker, and mom of two. She is also the founder of RedLily®. To read her heart story, including “10 Signs You Need to Slow Down”, check out her self-help book “My Heart, My Self: A Heartfelt Guide for Women” on Amazon
You can also learn more about her writing/editing services at KerrieLeeBrown.com and check out her new lifestyle product Heart which was uniquely formulated after her sudden heart event. Read Kerrie’s 3-part heart story under Wellness.
*If you liked this RedLily® entry, you may want to visit “Overcoming Self-Sabotage” in our Healing category or more inspiring works by Kerrie Lee Brown.
