Meditation. The word is everywhere these days. From being a central point in the bestsellerEat, Pray, Love to a recent Oprah Winfrey special on Iowa’s own “meditation town” that my best friend forced me to watch, meditation is a central discussion in our world. Tell someone you’re stressed, and they’ll probably ask if you meditate….or do yoga….or drink tequila. And if you’re anything like me, you’d rather go the tequila route than the meditation route. But maybe there’s something more to consider.
Photographer Peter Siedler conducted an experiment during a “dathun” – a month long meditation retreat. he took a photo of participants before the retreat, and another photo in the same background after the retreat. He simply asked that they consider what they were searching for in the period ahead on the first day, and to contemplate their experience on the last day. The results are quite astounding. Here are just two photos:
I don’t know about you, but I see the difference in these two photos. And whether it’s the meditation, or just the day the photos were taken, I don’t know. But it’s worth reconsidering the practice. What do you think? Will you be crossing your legs and letting out an OM soon?
About the Author: Marcy Twete
Marcy Twete is the Founder and CEO of Career Girl Network and the author of the book “You Know Everybody! A Career Girl’s Guide to Building a Network That Works.” At Career Girl Network, Marcy provides women with information, resources, and networking to empower them in their careers and to advance the work of women in business as a whole. Prior to launching Career Girl Network, Marcy worked in numerous nonprofit organizations and as a consultant in the field of nonprofit fundraising, marketing, and community relations. Marcy is a graduate of the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota, and a native of rural North Dakota. She is the Vice Chair of the Chicago Board of Directors for Step Up Women’s Network in Chicago and a member of the Advisory Board for Girls on the Run Twin Cities, and is dedicated to advancing the work of organizations that move the needle for women and girls worldwide.
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