Hi Brandon! Thank you so much for taking the time for this interview.
Let me ask you, how did you hear about this meditation?
I was working at a gym as a personal trainer, and once a month they would allow an outside business in the area to set up a small booth to promote their business. Most of the time, the same nutrition companies or vitamin companies would come, but on one particular day it was a meditation center: Plainview Meditation. The woman managing the booth, her name is Heather, explained the meditation to me. The explanation was simple and made sense, but I was really taken in by her sincerity and how her face looked so bright and happy! I remember feeling odd about it at the time but looking back I realized it’s because I had never seen such a happy person like that before in my entire life. I signed up for an intro seminar on the spot.
What was your life like before you started?
(Ha ha) I wouldn’t really call it a life. I was 22, didn’t graduate from college, and was bouncing from one toxic relationship to the next. In my “mind world” I was searching for some…thing that was always just out of reach, and if I could just get my hands on it then everything would settle down and be alright. My mind was like a hamster wheel; I was chasing after something and running from something at the same time. I had questions that nobody could answer and so I had no direction in my life because I was consumed by those questions…and no, I didn’t sleep very well.
What was the first thing you noticed change within yourself?
Oh, definitely this one: It was the first time I truly threw away a picture. I was holding on to my memory of a classmate from kindergarten – Can you believe that? Kindergarten. That’s 20 years ago! My mind would drift back to that moment at least once a month. I would replay the conversations in my mind and agonize about how I should have said or done things differently. It was crazy, but it gave me a weird sense of comfort and familiarity even though it was nothing more than a memory. One day, as I was meditating, a feeling washed over me, like it was finally time to let this garbage go. At that moment, my whole body relaxed, and it was gone. I knew in my heart that I would never dwell on it again. I cried for the first time in 3 years. That was the first change.
What do you think separates this meditation practice from the rest?
Generally, I see meditation as “woo-woo” (referring to something that has no scientific basis, usually relating to spirituality or alternative medicine). When you look at what’s out there right now – Celebrity “Gurus” that tell you what you want to hear, ascetics wearing togas, sex cults, companies paying athletes to endorse their “quick-fix” meditation app – How could you blame me? How can anyone take meditation seriously with that kind of image? However, this meditation method shatters all stereotypes that I had about meditation. It’s scientific and results-based. It’s methodical and mathematical. There isn’t a single “guru” or meditation app out there that could hold a candle to even one Helper (referring to the guides who deliver the method and work diligently every day to get the results which are making people come out from inside their mind world). This meditation is the real deal. I would go so far as to say that this is the only real meditation out there.
What was your biggest enlightenment?
I’d like to start by sharing what I’ve learned about enlightenment, because like me I think a lot of people don’t even know what enlightenment is. Enlightenment is not about gaining supernatural abilities or becoming superior to your enemies. It’s not invincibility nor is it being able to predict future events. It’s not being an old and enigmatic traveler or having a long flowing beard and speaking in cryptic tongues like in movies. It’s simple: when I discard what is false, then truth enters into my mind. That process of truth entering into my mind is enlightenment. It feels like waking up from a very long dream. It’s sometimes big and profound, and sometimes small and grows over time. For me, my biggest enlightenments are the ones that are small and grow over time as I continue to meditate and discard my false mind. My greatest enlightenment so far is that I am always happy.
Many people are searching for a place where they feel they belong, or a positive community that they can turn to, how has this community helped you?
I was also one of those people! I remember when I first started, the feeling of always being welcomed, that there were no expectations of me at all, and genuinely being loved by this community, I assumed it was because they wanted me to stay. However, as time passed, I noticed that that feeling of being welcomed and accepted here never changed or wavered even once. Now I would like to pass that feeling onto others.
Reflecting back on your life what were some profound things you noticed about yourself, that you would probably overlook if you were to not practice this meditation?
This question would be best answered as a continuation of the previous question: After some time had passed, I began to look back at myself and wonder if perhaps I was the one who was judgmental and unwelcoming of others. I meditated on it and saw the answer very clearly: The way I treated others was much worse than the way that others treated me. If not for this meditation, I would have gone through my life believing that I was the victim of others mistreatment. This meditation gave me the opportunity to see things from a different perspective and change my behavior, and I took it.
What memory or memories stick out to you clearly that solidifies your trust in this journey?
All of the above, and also memories of the life that I lived before this meditation motivates me to keep going forward. I never want to go back to that. Like I said, that wasn’t life.
How has meditation helped you in dealing with the COVID19 pandemic?
My heart goes out to everyone dealing with this pandemic. Meditation has been a blessing during this time. Before meditation, I had no concern for my own safety or the safety of others, so I would not have done anything to prepare, and most likely I would have ignored the CDC guidelines. I live in New York with my family, so we would be in a very sorry predicament right now if that were still the case. Fortunately, my mindset has changed and so I took steps necessary for us to stay as safe and as healthy as possible early on. We are all okay.
Another reason is that because I have such a positive and wonderful community that I am able to stay connected with, I don’t feel bored or lonely during the quarantine. We meditate every day together online and communicate regularly. We help each other through this time. I think that’s what everyone needs right now.
Thank you so much Brandon. I am sure your interview will help someone who is in need of some hope during this time.
My pleasure.