February 12, 2025 • 28 mins
Meditation doesn’t have to be complicated. You don’t need hours of silence or a special cushion—just a few intentional moments in your day. In this episode of 1,000 Waking Minutes, Dr. Wendy Bazilian explores how to make meditation practical, approachable, and meaningful. Whether you’re brand new to it or looking for a fresh way to integrate it into your life, this episode will give you science-backed insights, practical tools, and a fresh perspective on how meditation can feel less like a task and more like a powerful pause in your 1,000 waking minutes.
FROM THE EPISODE
Meditation at its core is simply taking time to quiet the mind's chatter.
WE DISCUSS:
(2:52) My first experience with Transcendental Meditation (TM) as a teen
(6:46) What meditation is—and what it isn’t
(9:35) ROI of meditation: How it may help with pain, migraines, stress and aging
(14:43) What my 6-year-old is teaching me about meditation
(18:01) Guided Mindful Minute: A simple 5-Senses Mini-Meditation
(22:03) 3 small ways to bring mindfulness into your life
(24:47) Recap and final thoughts
CONNECT WITH WENDY:
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Visit the website: wendybazilian.com
Email me: 1KWM@wendybazilian.com
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Thank you for tuning in to 1,000 Waking Minutes and being part of this journey—together. A huge thank you to our amazing collaborators including our production and marketing teams, and Gabriela Escalante in particular. To the ultra-talented Beza for my theme music, my lifelong friend and artist Pearl Preis Photography and Design, to Danielle Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen, Joanna Powell, and of course, my family and everyone working tirelessly behind the scenes.
HEALTH DISCLAIMER:
The information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered individual medical or health advice. Always consult with your trusted healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or medical treatment.
REFERENCES:
Barrett, B., Hayney, M. S., Muller, D., Rakel, D., Brown, R., Zgierska, A. E., ... & Coe, C. L. (2018). Meditation or exercise for preventing acute respiratory infection (MEPARI-2): A randomized controlled trial. PloS one, 13(6).
Colzato, L. S., Szapora, A., Lippelt, D., & Hommel, B. (2017). Prior meditation practice modulates performance and strategy use in convergent-and divergent-thinking problems. Mindfulness, 8(1), 10-16.
Epel, E. S., Daubenmier, J., Moskowitz, J. T., Folkman, S., & Blackburn, E. H. (2009). Can meditation slow rate of cellular aging? Cognitive stress, mindfulness, and telomeres. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1172(1), 34-53. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.04414.x
Estave, P. M., Margol, C., Beeghly, S., Anderson, R., Shakir, M., Coffield, A., Byrnes, J., O'Connell, N., Seng, E., Gardiner, P., & Wells, R. E. (2023). Mechanisms of...
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Meditation is about stepping fully
into your life.
It's not about clearing your
mind, but about making space.
Space to breathe, to reset,
to notice the moments already
here.
And maybe, just maybe, to
meet the person in charge -
who's been with you all
along.
(00:21):
We experience 1,000 waking
minutes on average every day.
How are you spending yours?
I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian, and
you're listening to 1,000
Waking Minutes.
I can't wait to connect
with you here with practical
ways to eat well, move
daily, and be healthy, to
optimize every waking minute you
live for a happier, healthier
(00:41):
life.
Thank you for sharing some
of your waking minutes with
me today.
Let's get started.
♪ I'm saying yes to
better days, yes ♪ ♪
I'm on my way, yes,
it's gonna be okay, yeah
♪ Welcome back to
(01:07):
1,000 Waking Minutes, where we
explore the small, powerful practices
and choices we can make
each day toward a healthier
and more vibrant life.
I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian, and
today we're talking about meditation.
It's a 'be healthy' practice
in our eat well, move
(01:29):
daily, be healthy approach together.
And we're talking about meditation
today in a way that's
totally approachable and real life.
Now, I'm no meditation guru,
and I don't even do
it every single day.
And guess what?
You don't have to be
a monk on a mountaintop
(01:50):
to do meditation.
But today I want to talk
about making meditation work for
you, whether you're brand new
to it, or maybe already
have some experience but are
wanting to keep it simple
or reset your practice.
So I'll share a bit
(02:11):
of my own journey, a
little bit about what my
nearly six-year-old daughter
is teaching me about mindfulness,
some, I think, fascinating research
because you know I love
science, plus have a short,
easy meditation that we can
do together along with some
practical tips that we can
(02:32):
do and take into our
lives anytime.
Don't worry, this isn't about
adding one more thing to
your to-do list, but
it really is about making
space in your already busy
lives in a way that
can feel good and natural.
Think about that:
Making space.
So let me tell you
(02:53):
a little bit about my
real introduction to meditation.
Rather, it was my experience
with Transcendental Meditation and how
meditation really found me.
I'll take you back a
little bit to when I
was 17 years old.
My now husband, Jason, and
I, some of you may
(03:14):
know as listeners, we were
high school sweethearts.
Rather, camp sweethearts...
that's why I stumbled there.
We met in summer camp,
and we had been dating
for a while, and he
found this Transcendental Meditation, TM
for short, class in Hartford,
Connecticut, a little bit of
a ways from where I
(03:35):
grew up, about a 30
-minute drive, and he invited
me to join this class,
something we could do together.
Now, this was extracurricular, extracurricular
for me, and it cost
$75.
I remember that so specifically
like it was yesterday.
This was huge for me
at the time because I
(03:56):
paid for it myself, because
if I was going to
do it, I was going
to be all in.
And by the way, courses
these days cost hundreds and
even thousands of dollars for
some Transcendental Meditation courses, but
that was big money for
me then.
And I did have some
jobs, so I babysat and
(04:17):
I taught kids, through the
YMCA, gymnastics, and I had
even had a paper route,
the Yankee Flyer, for anyone
who grew up in my
neighborhood and town.
The Yankee Flyer was my
weekly route for many years,
so I had saved up
a little bit of money
from this.
We went to our TM
(04:37):
classes from a real teacher
in Hartford on Sundays for
a series of weeks.
I feel like it was
maybe six sessions if I
were to guess and remember.
We were assigned our own
mantras, and if there's one
true secret between me and
my husband, Jason, it's we
have never shared our mantra
(04:59):
with each other.
That's probably the only secret
that we have.
And we started meditating together
and with a group of
strangers, mostly adults.
I'd get up early before
school to practice.
In those days, occasionally, I
was a bit of a
procrastinator and I'd pull all
-nighters sometimes or study hard
(05:19):
and wee into the nights,
and I'd still try to
get up.
And you know what?
Sometimes it worked, and sometimes
it didn't.
I say didn'ts in little
air quotes if you can't
see me and you're just
listening, because it probably did
always work to a degree.
But it certainly planted a
seed, and I kept on
(05:40):
trying.
So over the years, I've
had many - what I call -
seasons of meditation.
Some days or some periods
it's structured.
Some times and days it's
just a mindful pause while
washing the dishes or waiting
for someone or something.
(06:00):
Sometimes it's moving, and other
times it's still.
I've taken courses, I've read,
I've also just winged it
and tried things on.
I always like to say
I try it on to
see how it fits.
And this is the thing
about it that I've learned.
It doesn't have to look
one way.
In fact, meditation at its
(06:22):
core is simply taking time
to quiet the mind's chatter.
And it's often done through
focusing on a single point
of reference, maybe like your
breathing or some bodily sensations,
maybe a word or a
phrase or a visual.
It's by being present in
(06:43):
a single simple act.
Now, before I share a
few of the many scientifically
backed benefits of meditating, I
want to do something I
haven't heard many others do,
because I know that some
people I've interacted with over
the years - clients and friends,
(07:03):
maybe even you - have entered
into the topic of meditation
from a variety of places
and notions, sometimes preconceived ideas
or imaginations, sometimes expectations, as
well as some deep study
at times.
And some feel a little
bit sort of fearful or
distant from it, like it's
(07:24):
a little bit too woo
-woo to sort of get
a grasp on or even
know where to start.
So I thought I'd mentioned
briefly what meditation is NOT.
Meditation is not inherently religious.
To quote the famous actor
Hugh Jackman of stage and
screen, as we've all enjoyed,
(07:44):
I think we've all enjoyed,
I love his work.
He's spoken on his journey
with meditation and I think
he captures it really well
with a quote.
So I wanted to share
his quote about this.
And I quote (07:54):
"You can
be an atheist that meditates.
You can be a Christian
who meditates, a Muslim who
meditates.
It's like saying, is walking
a religious thing?
No. It's available to anyone
and the quality of your
life is changed forever," end
quote.
I think that that really
(08:14):
captures it.
It's like walking.
It's something that all of
us can do and it's
not inherently religious.
The second piece is that
meditation is not judgmental.
There's no, I can't or
I'm bad at meditation.
It's not competitive.
There's no judgment whatsoever.
(08:35):
Meditation also, I'd like to
think of it as not
being a talent.
No one is better than
anyone else.
It's a practice unto itself.
You may advance your own
practice, but it's not an
inherent talent or a skill
that you get and achieve
(08:55):
better than another.
And finally, meditation is not
linear.
What I mean by that
is with practice, you can
certainly improve in terms of
how you're able to start
a meditation or maybe flow
with the meditation or feel
the benefits.
But even for long-term
practitioners, there are days when
(09:16):
it feels clunkier or tougher
to settle down or settle
in.
It can be more difficult
at some times than others
to be present in the
moment or in your body.
You just keep doing it
and that's the evolution.
So that's what meditation is
not.
And now we're going to explore
(09:36):
the benefits of what meditation
can do for the body
and why meditation is more
powerful than we may have
thought.
So you know I love
good science-backed reason and
rationale for making the small
changes in our day.
So I want to share
some research with you that
(09:56):
shows that meditation can help,
especially with things like pain
and migraines and even aging
at the cellular level.
And by the way, there
are literally hundreds of published
papers, research studies on meditation
for a variety of conditions
(10:18):
and symptoms and proposed benefit
showing that regular meditation can
help reduce stress, anxiety, tension,
help with sleep and insomnia.
It can help with blood
pressure and sickness.
It can even help ward
off the common cold.
(10:39):
So I want to share
just a couple science-backed
benefits that may apply to
you.
Number one, for pain.
A 2025 study just published
in the Biological Psychiatry journal
found that mindfulness meditation can
reduce pain perception by activating
(11:00):
natural pain relief pathways in
the brain.
These were measured through validated
subjective survey tools, but also
by functional brain MRIs that
measures where the brain centers
light up in different responses
like the pain center.
And this was statistically significant
(11:22):
and compared to a variety
of controls, including a placebo
cream that was applied to
an area of pain.
So is that mind over
matter?
Well, it looks like science
says that it is.
So number two, for migraines,
a specific type of pain,
but something that thousands and
thousands of people, including myself,
(11:44):
suffer, and it can be
very debilitating.
Another recent study and some
studies before it, but a
recent study showed that while
it may not prevent migraines,
(darn!), it can affect how
people experience them.
People practicing mindfulness-based stress
reduction have shown to have
beneficially altered pain perception and
(12:07):
responses to migraines.
In other words, they felt
less severe, the headaches.
They had improved wellbeing, including
lesser anxiety and fear around
having a migraine.
And other studies have shown
that spiritual mindfulness can result
in fewer migraines or less
(12:28):
severe pain associated with those
migraines, not by eliminating the
migraine, but by changing the
perception to it.
I think that's pretty cool.
Another benefit is boosting creativity.
So 'go figure!' on that.
A study in the Leiden
University in the Netherlands found
that even those new to
(12:50):
meditation, so listen up if
you're a beginner, those new
to meditation experiences get a
tangible boost in creativity after
just a short session.
So it is definitely worth
trying.
And the proof is in
your own creative output.
So you can put this
to the test yourself.
And finally, just one more
benefit I want to share today,
(13:12):
help with stress and potentially
with aging.
If you want a natural
way to slow aging or
to age gracefully, a growing
body of research shows that
meditation can almost short circuit
aging on a cellular level.
And it might just be
the closest thing to having
(13:32):
actually an anti-aging or
a slowing aging tool.
One study found that just
15 minutes of daily meditation
help preserve and lengthen the
telomeres by putting a cap
sort of on our DNA,
on our chromosomes, that help
protect the cell from the
cells and the telomeres from
(13:53):
shortening, which is a part
of the sign of aging.
And it seems like meditation
may help slow this process
down.
Another thing that's very cool
and worth the effort and
the time to make space
for meditation.
And as I mentioned, there's
much more research that has
been linked to mindfulness meditation
(14:16):
to a host of health
benefits from reduced blood pressure,
helping with the anxiety, stress,
burnout in the workplace, as
well as overall wellbeing and
so much more.
So the big takeaway here
is that meditation isn't just
about relaxation.
It's almost like a superpower
(14:38):
for your body and your
brain.
Now, here's the thing -
this is a maybe brief,
but I think an important
aside:
I've noticed that kids seem
to really 'get it' early
on.
They have almost an innate
ability to embrace and embody
mindfulness and what I think
(14:59):
are like certain meditative behaviors,
especially if they're given the
space to do so, and
maybe if it's gently fostered
along the way.
And we can learn from
this.
I've been observing it in
the school where my daughter
attends and just out when
I've been interacting with others
(15:20):
and on the playgrounds.
So I'll give you a
couple recent examples from my
own soon-to-be-six
-year-old.
The other day, just in
this last week, and I
recorded it real quick because
I was thinking about this
topic and making this into
an episode, my daughter sort
of spontaneously mused -
(15:40):
and if you have children
or you can remember periods
where they just sort of
blurt out of their mind
the thing that came to
mind - she was doing the
'back-and-forths' with a
full mouth of toothpaste in
the bathroom, brushing her teeth,
and she just sort of
gurgled and gargled - and then
I had to repeat it -
she said, "Mama, get ready
(16:00):
to meet the master.
Are you ready to meet
the master?
You've already met the master
because the master is YOU!"
And I just sort of
paused and looked around into
an empty void, looked down
at my daughter.
I mean, how true is
true?
And where did that come
(16:21):
from?
She's not even six, just
a little something out of
the blue, it seemed, but
she's already fostering a bit
of mindfulness practice.
She's picking it up from
different places.
There are practices now in
her public school.
And even when she was
younger, different meditative books and
(16:41):
practices and things that she's
seen and experienced.
And another one, when she's
frustrated or when she sees
me getting a little frustrated,
which is something that we
all experience at times, she
has this little ritual and
sometimes it changes a little
bit. But again, I captured
it the last time I
(17:02):
heard it within the last
week or so.
She puts her hands on
her belly and she makes
some little circles and little
movements with her fingers.
And she says in this
made-up little lyric, and
I think she made it
up, you can tell me
if I'm wrong here, but
she says, "'Frustration isn't here
to stay, ...so I'll try
(17:24):
to stay calm and be
happy, ...and wash my worries
away." And that is so
much what I love, that
meditation doesn't have to be
complicated.
That sort of is, in
a nutshell, for me, what
sort of captures what I
think of as meditation and
sort of being centered and
(17:45):
making space for the moment.
It can be as simple
as a breath.
It can be a phrase
or a made-up rhyme.
It can even be that
tiny quiet pause just before
you blow out a candle.
Okay, so let's do something
right now together.
Usually we do a Mindful
(18:06):
Minute together and this one
will take about 90 seconds,
so it'll be a Mindful
Minute and a Half.
But it's called something that
I think you'll enjoy and
it's called the Five Senses
Mini Meditation.
You can do it wherever
you are, whether you're sitting
(18:26):
or standing, even walking, you
can do this mini meditation.
Just 90 seconds and you
don't need anything fancy to
prepare.
So first, I'm just going to
ask you to sit or
stand comfortably with your feet
grounded for our first time
together.
And we'll start by taking
one deep breath in through
(18:47):
the nose and then exhale
through the mouth.
Okay, now just follow along
with the five senses.
First is Taste.
If you have something near
like water or tea or
coffee, take a sip right
(19:08):
now.
And if not, just notice
the environment of your mouth
right now.
Notice the sensation.
How does it feel on
your tongue?
What does your tongue feel
like against the roof of
your mouth?
What's the temperature?
Is there any texture?
If you didn't have liquid
(19:30):
right now, try this again
later at various temperature fluids.
Next, Touch.
Press your hands together palm
to palm or one hand
to another place on your
body if you only have
one hand free at the
moment, like your torso or
(19:50):
your leg.
Press and release.
Press and release.
Feel the contrast between tension
and relaxation with the press
and release.
Next is Sight.
(20:11):
Look at something still, so
somewhere in your room, outside,
inside, anything in your space.
Observe it, notice something about
it.
No judgment, just notice.
And Sound.
(20:32):
Listen.
What's the quietest sound you
can hear right now?
Maybe a hum in the
background.
Is it the sound of
your breath?
And finally, Smell.
(20:53):
Notice the air around you.
If you have a candle,
a coffee, an essential oil,
food cooking on the stove,
take a breath in.
And notice, if there's no
strong scent, notice the neutrality
of your air right now.
That's it.
(21:14):
You just meditated.
Totally done.
Taste, touch, sight, sound, and
smell.
Five Senses Mini Meditation.
Pretty simple, right?
You brought attention to something,
you made space for your
senses, and this is something
(21:35):
you can return to anytime
you need a pause in
your day.
So that's it.
That's our Mindful Minute and
a Half.
Today, you can literally do
this anytime.
And the more often you
take little pauses for this
minute, more or less, the
more naturally mindfulness and meditation
(21:56):
will come to you.
Thank you for sharing that
Mindful Minute and a Half
with me today.
So let's put this to
practice this week and bring
some meditation into your life.
I invite you this week
to try one small way
to bring mindfulness into your
everyday life.
(22:18):
You don't need to carve
out extra time.
You just need to notice
what's already there.
So here are a few
easy ways you can start.
Try a 'Morning Moment.'
Before you grab your phone
in the morning, take one
deep breath.
Just one.
(22:38):
That's your mindful moment.
And that can be your
morning moment.
Build up to or build
into a certain number.
Maybe you take five or
seven breaths or spend one
minute.
You can choose what your
morning moment can be.
Second, you could try a
(23:00):
walking meditation.
The next time you're walking
to your car, through your
home, [or] outside, focus on your
footsteps for just 10 seconds
or maybe 10 steps or
maybe one block.
(23:20):
I will talk more about
moving meditation in a future
episode for sure.
It can be extremely powerful
in so many ways, but
this is a simple walking
meditation that you can do
when you're walking anytime.
And a final tip (23:38):
taking
a 'mindful pause'.
Before your first sip of
your coffee or tea, pause.
Start saying "pause" to get
you into the awareness.
If you're visual, picture yourself
pressing pause.
Maybe it's on a remote
or I'm always thinking of
(23:58):
my old school tape deck
to press pause.
Then if you're holding your
mug, feel the warmth of
the cup in your hands
or the handle or the
coolness of the ceramic.
Whatever you're doing, notice the
aroma.
Bring your senses to attention.
That's mindfulness in action.
(24:20):
You don't need to change
your routine at all.
You just add some awareness
to what you're already doing.
That's the kind of meditation
and mindfulness I hope that
I'm bringing to you today.
Try one - or a few -
of these this week and
see how it feels to
you.
It just takes one moment
(24:41):
to start seeing and bringing
mindfulness into your everyday life.
So let's briefly recap as
we round out today's time
together.
Meditation isn't just nice;
science shows it actively reduces
pain and stress and anxiety.
It even impacts the way
we age.
(25:02):
Meditation isn't about perfection either.
It's about the small moments
of presence and bringing awareness.
And those kids, pay attention
to those kids.
They naturally know how to
be mindful.
We can learn from them
and we can also foster
their ability to stay mindful,
which will keep them resilient
as they grow and age.
(25:22):
Remember, you don't have to
spend 30 minutes of meditation
sitting with your eyes closed
in a chair.
Just a minute or two -
even 10 seconds - can make
a real difference.
You can try that Five
Senses Mini Meditation
again. It regrounds you and
it brings you right into
your body.
And this week, try one
(25:43):
small way to bring mindfulness
into your life.
Whether it's that deep breath,
a mindful walk, or taking
a pause before you sip
your morning coffee.
Thank you for sharing a
few of your 1,000
waking minutes with me today.
I hope you found something
helpful or interesting to take
with you.
And if you enjoyed this
(26:04):
episode, I'd love for you
to share it with a
friend or someone who might
appreciate it.
You can always find me
at wendybazilian.com and you
can reach me directly at
1KWM@wendybazillian.com.
I'd love to hear from
you.
And if you haven't already,
please be sure to subscribe
(26:24):
wherever you listen to your
podcasts so you can stay
in touch and not miss
what's coming next.
I'm very grateful for your
support.
Well, until next time, find
those little moments for some
meaningful meditation and be well!
(26:45):
Thank you for tuning in
to 1,000 Waking Minutes,
a huge thank you to
our amazing collaborators, including our
production and marketing teams and
Gabriela Escalante in particular, to
the ultra talented Beza for
my theme music, my lifelong
friend and artist, Pearl Preis
Photography and Design, to Danielle
Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen, Joanna Powell,
(27:06):
and of course my family,
and everyone working tirelessly behind
the scenes.
And to you, our valued
listeners, I so appreciate your
support.
If you enjoyed today's episode,
please consider leaving a comment,
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(27:27):
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Until next time, find some
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1,000 Waking Minutes each
(27:47):
day.
♪ I'm saying yes to
better days, yes ♪ ♪
I'm on my way, yes,
it's gonna be okay, yeah
♪ ♪ I'm saying yes
to better days, yes ♪
(28:09):
♪ I'm on my way,
yes, it's gonna be okay,
yeah ♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
Meditation is about stepping fully
into your life.
It's not about clearing your
mind, but about making space.
Space to breathe, to reset,
to notice the moments already
here.
And maybe, just maybe, to
meet the person in charge -
who's been with you all
along.
(00:21):
We experience 1,000 waking
minutes on average every day.
How are you spending yours?
I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian, and
you're listening to 1,000
Waking Minutes.
I can't wait to connect
with you here with practical
ways to eat well, move
daily, and be healthy, to
optimize every waking minute you
live for a happier, healthier
(00:41):
life.
Thank you for sharing some
of your waking minutes with
me today.
Let's get started.
♪ I'm saying yes to
better days, yes ♪ ♪
I'm on my way, yes,
it's gonna be okay, yeah
♪ Welcome back to
(01:07):
1,000 Waking Minutes, where we
explore the small, powerful practices
and choices we can make
each day toward a healthier
and more vibrant life.
I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian, and
today we're talking about meditation.
It's a 'be healthy' practice
in our eat well, move
(01:29):
daily, be healthy approach together.
And we're talking about meditation
today in a way that's
totally approachable and real life.
Now, I'm no meditation guru,
and I don't even do
it every single day.
And guess what?
You don't have to be
a monk on a mountaintop
(01:50):
to do meditation.
But today I want to talk
about making meditation work for
you, whether you're brand new
to it, or maybe already
have some experience but are
wanting to keep it simple
or reset your practice.
So I'll share a bit
(02:11):
of my own journey, a
little bit about what my
nearly six-year-old daughter
is teaching me about mindfulness,
some, I think, fascinating research
because you know I love
science, plus have a short,
easy meditation that we can
do together along with some
practical tips that we can
(02:32):
do and take into our
lives anytime.
Don't worry, this isn't about
adding one more thing to
your to-do list, but
it really is about making
space in your already busy
lives in a way that
can feel good and natural.
Think about that:
Making space.
So let me tell you
(02:53):
a little bit about my
real introduction to meditation.
Rather, it was my experience
with Transcendental Meditation and how
meditation really found me.
I'll take you back a
little bit to when I
was 17 years old.
My now husband, Jason, and
I, some of you may
(03:14):
know as listeners, we were
high school sweethearts.
Rather, camp sweethearts...
that's why I stumbled there.
We met in summer camp,
and we had been dating
for a while, and he
found this Transcendental Meditation, TM
for short, class in Hartford,
Connecticut, a little bit of
a ways from where I
(03:35):
grew up, about a 30
-minute drive, and he invited
me to join this class,
something we could do together.
Now, this was extracurricular, extracurricular
for me, and it cost
$75.
I remember that so specifically
like it was yesterday.
This was huge for me
at the time because I
(03:56):
paid for it myself, because
if I was going to
do it, I was going
to be all in.
And by the way, courses
these days cost hundreds and
even thousands of dollars for
some Transcendental Meditation courses, but
that was big money for
me then.
And I did have some
jobs, so I babysat and
(04:17):
I taught kids, through the
YMCA, gymnastics, and I had
even had a paper route,
the Yankee Flyer, for anyone
who grew up in my
neighborhood and town.
The Yankee Flyer was my
weekly route for many years,
so I had saved up
a little bit of money
from this.
We went to our TM
(04:37):
classes from a real teacher
in Hartford on Sundays for
a series of weeks.
I feel like it was
maybe six sessions if I
were to guess and remember.
We were assigned our own
mantras, and if there's one
true secret between me and
my husband, Jason, it's we
have never shared our mantra
(04:59):
with each other.
That's probably the only secret
that we have.
And we started meditating together
and with a group of
strangers, mostly adults.
I'd get up early before
school to practice.
In those days, occasionally, I
was a bit of a
procrastinator and I'd pull all
-nighters sometimes or study hard
(05:19):
and wee into the nights,
and I'd still try to
get up.
And you know what?
Sometimes it worked, and sometimes
it didn't.
I say didn'ts in little
air quotes if you can't
see me and you're just
listening, because it probably did
always work to a degree.
But it certainly planted a
seed, and I kept on
(05:40):
trying.
So over the years, I've
had many - what I call -
seasons of meditation.
Some days or some periods
it's structured.
Some times and days it's
just a mindful pause while
washing the dishes or waiting
for someone or something.
(06:00):
Sometimes it's moving, and other
times it's still.
I've taken courses, I've read,
I've also just winged it
and tried things on.
I always like to say
I try it on to
see how it fits.
And this is the thing
about it that I've learned.
It doesn't have to look
one way.
In fact, meditation at its
(06:22):
core is simply taking time
to quiet the mind's chatter.
And it's often done through
focusing on a single point
of reference, maybe like your
breathing or some bodily sensations,
maybe a word or a
phrase or a visual.
It's by being present in
(06:43):
a single simple act.
Now, before I share a
few of the many scientifically
backed benefits of meditating, I
want to do something I
haven't heard many others do,
because I know that some
people I've interacted with over
the years - clients and friends,
(07:03):
maybe even you - have entered
into the topic of meditation
from a variety of places
and notions, sometimes preconceived ideas
or imaginations, sometimes expectations, as
well as some deep study
at times.
And some feel a little
bit sort of fearful or
distant from it, like it's
(07:24):
a little bit too woo
-woo to sort of get
a grasp on or even
know where to start.
So I thought I'd mentioned
briefly what meditation is NOT.
Meditation is not inherently religious.
To quote the famous actor
Hugh Jackman of stage and
screen, as we've all enjoyed,
(07:44):
I think we've all enjoyed,
I love his work.
He's spoken on his journey
with meditation and I think
he captures it really well
with a quote.
So I wanted to share
his quote about this.
And I quote (07:54):
"You can
be an atheist that meditates.
You can be a Christian
who meditates, a Muslim who
meditates.
It's like saying, is walking
a religious thing?
No. It's available to anyone
and the quality of your
life is changed forever," end
quote.
I think that that really
(08:14):
captures it.
It's like walking.
It's something that all of
us can do and it's
not inherently religious.
The second piece is that
meditation is not judgmental.
There's no, I can't or
I'm bad at meditation.
It's not competitive.
There's no judgment whatsoever.
(08:35):
Meditation also, I'd like to
think of it as not
being a talent.
No one is better than
anyone else.
It's a practice unto itself.
You may advance your own
practice, but it's not an
inherent talent or a skill
that you get and achieve
(08:55):
better than another.
And finally, meditation is not
linear.
What I mean by that
is with practice, you can
certainly improve in terms of
how you're able to start
a meditation or maybe flow
with the meditation or feel
the benefits.
But even for long-term
practitioners, there are days when
(09:16):
it feels clunkier or tougher
to settle down or settle
in.
It can be more difficult
at some times than others
to be present in the
moment or in your body.
You just keep doing it
and that's the evolution.
So that's what meditation is
not.
And now we're going to explore
(09:36):
the benefits of what meditation
can do for the body
and why meditation is more
powerful than we may have
thought.
So you know I love
good science-backed reason and
rationale for making the small
changes in our day.
So I want to share
some research with you that
(09:56):
shows that meditation can help,
especially with things like pain
and migraines and even aging
at the cellular level.
And by the way, there
are literally hundreds of published
papers, research studies on meditation
for a variety of conditions
(10:18):
and symptoms and proposed benefit
showing that regular meditation can
help reduce stress, anxiety, tension,
help with sleep and insomnia.
It can help with blood
pressure and sickness.
It can even help ward
off the common cold.
(10:39):
So I want to share
just a couple science-backed
benefits that may apply to
you.
Number one, for pain.
A 2025 study just published
in the Biological Psychiatry journal
found that mindfulness meditation can
reduce pain perception by activating
(11:00):
natural pain relief pathways in
the brain.
These were measured through validated
subjective survey tools, but also
by functional brain MRIs that
measures where the brain centers
light up in different responses
like the pain center.
And this was statistically significant
(11:22):
and compared to a variety
of controls, including a placebo
cream that was applied to
an area of pain.
So is that mind over
matter?
Well, it looks like science
says that it is.
So number two, for migraines,
a specific type of pain,
but something that thousands and
thousands of people, including myself,
(11:44):
suffer, and it can be
very debilitating.
Another recent study and some
studies before it, but a
recent study showed that while
it may not prevent migraines,
(darn!), it can affect how
people experience them.
People practicing mindfulness-based stress
reduction have shown to have
beneficially altered pain perception and
(12:07):
responses to migraines.
In other words, they felt
less severe, the headaches.
They had improved wellbeing, including
lesser anxiety and fear around
having a migraine.
And other studies have shown
that spiritual mindfulness can result
in fewer migraines or less
(12:28):
severe pain associated with those
migraines, not by eliminating the
migraine, but by changing the
perception to it.
I think that's pretty cool.
Another benefit is boosting creativity.
So 'go figure!' on that.
A study in the Leiden
University in the Netherlands found
that even those new to
(12:50):
meditation, so listen up if
you're a beginner, those new
to meditation experiences get a
tangible boost in creativity after
just a short session.
So it is definitely worth
trying.
And the proof is in
your own creative output.
So you can put this
to the test yourself.
And finally, just one more
benefit I want to share today,
(13:12):
help with stress and potentially
with aging.
If you want a natural
way to slow aging or
to age gracefully, a growing
body of research shows that
meditation can almost short circuit
aging on a cellular level.
And it might just be
the closest thing to having
(13:32):
actually an anti-aging or
a slowing aging tool.
One study found that just
15 minutes of daily meditation
help preserve and lengthen the
telomeres by putting a cap
sort of on our DNA,
on our chromosomes, that help
protect the cell from the
cells and the telomeres from
(13:53):
shortening, which is a part
of the sign of aging.
And it seems like meditation
may help slow this process
down.
Another thing that's very cool
and worth the effort and
the time to make space
for meditation.
And as I mentioned, there's
much more research that has
been linked to mindfulness meditation
(14:16):
to a host of health
benefits from reduced blood pressure,
helping with the anxiety, stress,
burnout in the workplace, as
well as overall wellbeing and
so much more.
So the big takeaway here
is that meditation isn't just
about relaxation.
It's almost like a superpower
(14:38):
for your body and your
brain.
Now, here's the thing -
this is a maybe brief,
but I think an important
aside:
I've noticed that kids seem
to really 'get it' early
on.
They have almost an innate
ability to embrace and embody
mindfulness and what I think
(14:59):
are like certain meditative behaviors,
especially if they're given the
space to do so, and
maybe if it's gently fostered
along the way.
And we can learn from
this.
I've been observing it in
the school where my daughter
attends and just out when
I've been interacting with others
(15:20):
and on the playgrounds.
So I'll give you a
couple recent examples from my
own soon-to-be-six
-year-old.
The other day, just in
this last week, and I
recorded it real quick because
I was thinking about this
topic and making this into
an episode, my daughter sort
of spontaneously mused -
(15:40):
and if you have children
or you can remember periods
where they just sort of
blurt out of their mind
the thing that came to
mind - she was doing the
'back-and-forths' with a
full mouth of toothpaste in
the bathroom, brushing her teeth,
and she just sort of
gurgled and gargled - and then
I had to repeat it -
she said, "Mama, get ready
(16:00):
to meet the master.
Are you ready to meet
the master?
You've already met the master
because the master is YOU!"
And I just sort of
paused and looked around into
an empty void, looked down
at my daughter.
I mean, how true is
true?
And where did that come
(16:21):
from?
She's not even six, just
a little something out of
the blue, it seemed, but
she's already fostering a bit
of mindfulness practice.
She's picking it up from
different places.
There are practices now in
her public school.
And even when she was
younger, different meditative books and
(16:41):
practices and things that she's
seen and experienced.
And another one, when she's
frustrated or when she sees
me getting a little frustrated,
which is something that we
all experience at times, she
has this little ritual and
sometimes it changes a little
bit. But again, I captured
it the last time I
(17:02):
heard it within the last
week or so.
She puts her hands on
her belly and she makes
some little circles and little
movements with her fingers.
And she says in this
made-up little lyric, and
I think she made it
up, you can tell me
if I'm wrong here, but
she says, "'Frustration isn't here
to stay, ...so I'll try
(17:24):
to stay calm and be
happy, ...and wash my worries
away." And that is so
much what I love, that
meditation doesn't have to be
complicated.
That sort of is, in
a nutshell, for me, what
sort of captures what I
think of as meditation and
sort of being centered and
(17:45):
making space for the moment.
It can be as simple
as a breath.
It can be a phrase
or a made-up rhyme.
It can even be that
tiny quiet pause just before
you blow out a candle.
Okay, so let's do something
right now together.
Usually we do a Mindful
(18:06):
Minute together and this one
will take about 90 seconds,
so it'll be a Mindful
Minute and a Half.
But it's called something that
I think you'll enjoy and
it's called the Five Senses
Mini Meditation.
You can do it wherever
you are, whether you're sitting
(18:26):
or standing, even walking, you
can do this mini meditation.
Just 90 seconds and you
don't need anything fancy to
prepare.
So first, I'm just going to
ask you to sit or
stand comfortably with your feet
grounded for our first time
together.
And we'll start by taking
one deep breath in through
(18:47):
the nose and then exhale
through the mouth.
Okay, now just follow along
with the five senses.
First is Taste.
If you have something near
like water or tea or
coffee, take a sip right
(19:08):
now.
And if not, just notice
the environment of your mouth
right now.
Notice the sensation.
How does it feel on
your tongue?
What does your tongue feel
like against the roof of
your mouth?
What's the temperature?
Is there any texture?
If you didn't have liquid
(19:30):
right now, try this again
later at various temperature fluids.
Next, Touch.
Press your hands together palm
to palm or one hand
to another place on your
body if you only have
one hand free at the
moment, like your torso or
(19:50):
your leg.
Press and release.
Press and release.
Feel the contrast between tension
and relaxation with the press
and release.
Next is Sight.
(20:11):
Look at something still, so
somewhere in your room, outside,
inside, anything in your space.
Observe it, notice something about
it.
No judgment, just notice.
And Sound.
(20:32):
Listen.
What's the quietest sound you
can hear right now?
Maybe a hum in the
background.
Is it the sound of
your breath?
And finally, Smell.
(20:53):
Notice the air around you.
If you have a candle,
a coffee, an essential oil,
food cooking on the stove,
take a breath in.
And notice, if there's no
strong scent, notice the neutrality
of your air right now.
That's it.
(21:14):
You just meditated.
Totally done.
Taste, touch, sight, sound, and
smell.
Five Senses Mini Meditation.
Pretty simple, right?
You brought attention to something,
you made space for your
senses, and this is something
(21:35):
you can return to anytime
you need a pause in
your day.
So that's it.
That's our Mindful Minute and
a Half.
Today, you can literally do
this anytime.
And the more often you
take little pauses for this
minute, more or less, the
more naturally mindfulness and meditation
(21:56):
will come to you.
Thank you for sharing that
Mindful Minute and a Half
with me today.
So let's put this to
practice this week and bring
some meditation into your life.
I invite you this week
to try one small way
to bring mindfulness into your
everyday life.
(22:18):
You don't need to carve
out extra time.
You just need to notice
what's already there.
So here are a few
easy ways you can start.
Try a 'Morning Moment.'
Before you grab your phone
in the morning, take one
deep breath.
Just one.
(22:38):
That's your mindful moment.
And that can be your
morning moment.
Build up to or build
into a certain number.
Maybe you take five or
seven breaths or spend one
minute.
You can choose what your
morning moment can be.
Second, you could try a
(23:00):
walking meditation.
The next time you're walking
to your car, through your
home, [or] outside, focus on your
footsteps for just 10 seconds
or maybe 10 steps or
maybe one block.
(23:20):
I will talk more about
moving meditation in a future
episode for sure.
It can be extremely powerful
in so many ways, but
this is a simple walking
meditation that you can do
when you're walking anytime.
And a final tip (23:38):
taking
a 'mindful pause'.
Before your first sip of
your coffee or tea, pause.
Start saying "pause" to get
you into the awareness.
If you're visual, picture yourself
pressing pause.
Maybe it's on a remote
or I'm always thinking of
(23:58):
my old school tape deck
to press pause.
Then if you're holding your
mug, feel the warmth of
the cup in your hands
or the handle or the
coolness of the ceramic.
Whatever you're doing, notice the
aroma.
Bring your senses to attention.
That's mindfulness in action.
(24:20):
You don't need to change
your routine at all.
You just add some awareness
to what you're already doing.
That's the kind of meditation
and mindfulness I hope that
I'm bringing to you today.
Try one - or a few -
of these this week and
see how it feels to
you.
It just takes one moment
(24:41):
to start seeing and bringing
mindfulness into your everyday life.
So let's briefly recap as
we round out today's time
together.
Meditation isn't just nice;
science shows it actively reduces
pain and stress and anxiety.
It even impacts the way
we age.
(25:02):
Meditation isn't about perfection either.
It's about the small moments
of presence and bringing awareness.
And those kids, pay attention
to those kids.
They naturally know how to
be mindful.
We can learn from them
and we can also foster
their ability to stay mindful,
which will keep them resilient
as they grow and age.
(25:22):
Remember, you don't have to
spend 30 minutes of meditation
sitting with your eyes closed
in a chair.
Just a minute or two -
even 10 seconds - can make
a real difference.
You can try that Five
Senses Mini Meditation
again. It regrounds you and
it brings you right into
your body.
And this week, try one
(25:43):
small way to bring mindfulness
into your life.
Whether it's that deep breath,
a mindful walk, or taking
a pause before you sip
your morning coffee.
Thank you for sharing a
few of your 1,000
waking minutes with me today.
I hope you found something
helpful or interesting to take
with you.
And if you enjoyed this
(26:04):
episode, I'd love for you
to share it with a
friend or someone who might
appreciate it.
You can always find me
at wendybazilian.com and you
can reach me directly at
1KWM@wendybazillian.com.
I'd love to hear from
you.
And if you haven't already,
please be sure to subscribe
(26:24):
wherever you listen to your
podcasts so you can stay
in touch and not miss
what's coming next.
I'm very grateful for your
support.
Well, until next time, find
those little moments for some
meaningful meditation and be well!
(26:45):
Thank you for tuning in
to 1,000 Waking Minutes,
a huge thank you to
our amazing collaborators, including our
production and marketing teams and
Gabriela Escalante in particular, to
the ultra talented Beza for
my theme music, my lifelong
friend and artist, Pearl Preis
Photography and Design, to Danielle
Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen, Joanna Powell,
(27:06):
and of course my family,
and everyone working tirelessly behind
the scenes.
And to you, our valued
listeners, I so appreciate your
support.
If you enjoyed today's episode,
please consider leaving a comment,
writing a review, and giving
1,000 Waking Minutes, that's
us, a five-star rating.
And please hit subscribe on
(27:27):
Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever
you enjoy your podcasts.
Please follow and stay connected
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And don't forget to share
with your friends.
Your support helps us grow
and bring you more great
content.
Until next time, find some
simple opportunities to optimize those
1,000 Waking Minutes each
(27:47):
day.
♪ I'm saying yes to
better days, yes ♪ ♪
I'm on my way, yes,
it's gonna be okay, yeah
♪ ♪ I'm saying yes
to better days, yes ♪
(28:09):
♪ I'm on my way,
yes, it's gonna be okay,
yeah ♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
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