‘Social media exists to pull you out of your present.’–Megan D’arcy,  mindfulness practitioner and star-gazing geek

Not only is Megan the epic content, copy and UX writer of Megamalist (and my dear friend), but she’s also a mindfulness practitioner whose star-gazing sessions and karate classes were catalysts for living a more examined life.

What is mindfulness? And what’s its connection to meditation?

‘Mindfulness is about being present in whatever you’re doing. And you don’t necessarily have to sit quietly to be mindful,’ says Megan. As she explains her approach to these separate but related concepts, I realise that: 

You need the mindfulness to do the meditation. But the mindfulness is not restricted to the meditation.

Hm. Seems obvious once you say it. 

One serving of mindfulness, please! 

Okay, great, so we don’t need to sit still and stare at a lit candle to be mindful. 

You may be wondering, ‘What are my options?’

‘I enjoy getting lost in movement,’ says Megan. She suggests you ‘play to your strengths.’ Her strength is movement – like the karate she used to practise or the Saturday gardening she does now. 

I’ve never understood the staring at the candle thing.

Cool, movement. So gardening, fishing, driving… You do you, girlfriend. But remember this:

‘Don’t do a walking meditation in traffic.’ (Good point, thanks, Megan.)

What’s the deal with mindfulness’s connection to movement?

‘A lot of karate is being in touch with yourself,’ explains Megan; ‘It’s very much about self-awareness. It’s about perfecting your own form and skill level.’

Megan practised karate for many years and understands now that her practice was a form of mindfulness meditation. 

When you’re competing in the ring, it’s kind of like time slows down. And if you can focus your mind just on the other person, you’re actually so in tune with them… you can even pick up subtle cues through their breathing [that] they’re about to launch into an attack.

Megan D’Arcy, a black belt

But it wasn’t only karate that led Megan to unintentionally practising mindfulness. Her soirees with the stars over 20 years ago were meditative too: ‘I [would empty] my mind of other thoughts and my homework and what I have to do tomorrow.’ This letting go of future anxieties and planning meant that she could be (mindfully) present.

The upshot? She got to see, feel and understand a greater truth:

That act of sitting and stargazing made me feel connected to something much bigger than myself… you realise how insignificant your existence is. But it was also almost like a very hopeful experience… you look out and it’s almost like you’ve got all this opportunity –  because you are so insignificant. And so why can’t you just do whatever the hell you want to do?

Amen, sista! 

Technology – tool or tyrant?

‘I clearly have a smartphone addiction,’ says Megan. Um, ja, we’re there with you. 

My name is Janiqué. And my smartphone’s my heroin.

Megan and I got into a lengthy discussion around how addictive our phones (and social media in particular) are. But we both agree that meditation apps can be hugely beneficial.  

Which one’s the best? Well, Megan argues that ‘there’s no one app to rule them all.’

She has used Calm and Aware. And according to her, the latter ‘was worth the investment’. (I am a big fan of Sam Harris’s Waking Up app.)

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Big thanks to Megan for being my first guest.

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