Episode 6
Meditation: A Path to Personal Development
The salient point of this podcast episode revolves around the transformative power of meditation, as articulated by our distinguished guest, Mr. Blakas. With over thirteen years of extensive practice, he has emerged as a beacon of guidance for individuals grappling with anxiety and seeking inner peace through meditation. His personal journey—from experiencing profound anxiety in his youth to discovering a profound sense of calm—illustrates the potential of meditation to foster genuine personal growth and emotional resilience. Throughout our dialogue, Mr. Blakas emphasizes the necessity of patience and sincerity in the practice, urging listeners to embrace meditation not merely as a tool for immediate relief, but as a catalyst for long-lasting change. As we delve into his insights, we encourage our audience to consider the deeper implications of meditation and its capacity to instigate holistic transformation in their lives.
Takeaways:
- The guest's journey through meditation highlights its profound capacity to alleviate anxiety and promote inner peace.
- Successful meditation requires patience and consistency, akin to physical training for one's mental health.
- Meditation serves as a transformative tool, enabling individuals to confront and release long-held emotional burdens.
- True meditation fosters personal growth and facilitates a deeper understanding of one's emotions and reactions to the world.
Links referenced in this episode:
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- onlinemeditationevents.com
- NYU
- St. John's University
Transcript
Hello, everyone.
Speaker A:Welcome to Busy Free Mind.
Speaker A:This is Shobhna.
Speaker A:Our guest today has an inspiring story of transformation.
Speaker A:With over 13 years of practice, global retreats, and more than 300 meditation events live, he truly guides others toward inner peace.
Speaker A:As the co founder of onlinemeditationevents.com and a lecturer at NYU and St. John's University, he has helped thousands find growth and calm.
Speaker A:Please welcome Mr. Blakas.
Speaker A:Hi, Blake.
Speaker A:Thank you for joining us today.
Speaker A:How are you?
Speaker B:Hey.
Speaker B:I'm so happy to be here together with you.
Speaker B:Thank you for talking with me.
Speaker A:Sure.
Speaker A:You have spoken about overcoming high anxiety in your 20s and finding peace through meditation.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So for our listeners who may feel the same way, like stressed or searching for something, what was the moment you realized meditation could truly change your life?
Speaker B:Sure.
Speaker B:I. I didn't know that meditation could change my life.
Speaker B:So if you're someone that's not sure, I would say having an open mind and trying it.
Speaker B:I tried different ways to meditate also.
Speaker B:And it wasn't until I found a practice that helped me learn where the thoughts in my mind were actually coming from, where that anxiety was coming from and how to release it.
Speaker B:I started to realize that my anxiety wasn't just coming from what I was going through at that time.
Speaker B:I thought that when I had the highest anxiety was in my early 20s.
Speaker B:And I thought that it was from some enemies that I had at that time, like friends who I weren't.
Speaker B:Wasn't getting along with my love situation at that time, my money situation at that time.
Speaker B:But I came to realize that it was actually coming from everything for my whole life.
Speaker B:And through meditation, I could have that time to.
Speaker B:To reflect on myself and see what I was holding and release specific moments, step by step, where I had that anxiety.
Speaker B:So I could find the, really the root cause of when I started to have that kind of feeling and let go of it.
Speaker B:And then, yeah, I was.
Speaker B:I was hooked because.
Speaker B:Because it started to give me relief not only while I was meditating, but in the real situation, I was different.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:So for me, meditation, if I didn't see a result, but I also want to say I didn't have a mindset to, like, get it right away.
Speaker B:I think that hangs people up somehow.
Speaker B:With physical health, we understand that if you're really out of shape and you go to the gym, you're not going to walk out of the gym as Arnold Schwarzenegger in one day.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:We know that.
Speaker B:But sometimes with mental health, we feel, we think like that.
Speaker B:We think with meditation, like Oh, I didn't feel better or this or that.
Speaker B:You have to really give it time.
Speaker B:I would say for me, I went to go, I tried to do on my own a lot and then when I started to go learn from others, that's when it, it helped me the most.
Speaker B:And when I really stuck with it and didn't look for the result, but just tried to do my best sincerely.
Speaker B:Then of course, like after a month of doing that, I could realize, oh, I'm better.
Speaker B:And then not totally better, but then bit by bit, I started to get more in touch with my emotions and more at peace.
Speaker A:So who introduced you to meditation?
Speaker A:Found by yourself or.
Speaker B:Sure, I was meditation in general, I would say the Internet.
Speaker B:I was just looking for what could help me.
Speaker B:I was having sleep issues, I was having trouble managing my emotions.
Speaker B:And I'd heard people mention about meditation and actually when I started doing meditation 14 years ago, wasn't as popular as it is right now at all.
Speaker B:Like there wasn't calm headspace, any of that.
Speaker B:And, and people thought it was.
Speaker B:It wasn't that many places to go to meditate either, besides for some yoga studios that would offer it.
Speaker B:But.
Speaker B:And people thought it was strange too that I was meditating.
Speaker B:Actually, as, as an American, you know, you're from, you're from the east, so, so it's a little bit more.
Speaker B:People know what it is.
Speaker B:But what are you doing?
Speaker B:You're going and doing drugs or like what, you know, you're going to meditate.
Speaker B:But yeah, I, I would say books and the Internet.
Speaker B:Yes, yes.
Speaker A:In your experience, has meditation ever not worked for someone you have taught or what signs show that meditation might not be the right tool for someone at that time?
Speaker B:Sure.
Speaker B:I'm from the belief that I really believe it's similar to exercise.
Speaker B:That's just what I believe in the fact that if you have the right attitude and if you have time and patience and if you're open, then it will work.
Speaker B:Because to me also, meditation is a blanket term meaning you could say exercise.
Speaker B:There's many ways to exercise, right?
Speaker B:You could bike, you can lift weights, you can swim, you can dance.
Speaker B:When you say meditate, there's many ways to meditate, but when I specifically talk about a holistic approach of self reflecting, seeing what I'm holding in my mind and releasing to connect with something higher and something greater.
Speaker B:Sometimes I would say, what I would say is sometimes it's not the right timing for someone.
Speaker B:Like I've often seen, whether it's a parent trying to force their kid to do it because they know it's good, or it's a spouse trying to force their spouse to do it, and they're not really open to it.
Speaker B:Even if you're open and you're trying and you want to change, it's.
Speaker B:It's going to be challenging, actually.
Speaker B:So if you don't even want to and you're not open, then it can be tough.
Speaker B:So that.
Speaker B:That's how I would answer that.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Do you think people expect too much from meditation?
Speaker B:For sure.
Speaker B:I think a lot of people do.
Speaker B:It depends who you're talking about.
Speaker B:I have a lot of.
Speaker B:If you would say, people who seek me out.
Speaker B:Sometimes it's, you know, very spiritual people looking for enlightenment right away or some stories about that happening.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:So sometimes it can be unrealistic in that way.
Speaker B:At the same time, I really believe the answers to everything we're looking up for are actually within us.
Speaker B:But it takes patience and perseverance.
Speaker B:And I'm not someone who's about like, you can't pre.
Speaker B:I don't think you can preach a overnight change.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:So if they want an explanation of.
Speaker A:Or the feel of instant enlightenment, how do you help your students manage those expectations?
Speaker B:I think that's.
Speaker B:That's the same in.
Speaker B:In anything.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Time goes by anyway.
Speaker B:That's what I always say.
Speaker B:Time goes by anyway.
Speaker B:It's better to have a big view and try to see the bigger picture.
Speaker B:Time goes by very fast.
Speaker B:Six months goes by like this, like this.
Speaker A:But you have to convince them.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:The effect will be like, gradual.
Speaker A:You have to go through the process.
Speaker A:So if they want that instant, quick result, how do you.
Speaker A:How do you convince your students that it will happen?
Speaker B:I just.
Speaker B:I give them examples because there's just principles to this universe.
Speaker B:The day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:This is.
Speaker B:There's just principles.
Speaker B:It goes back to that.
Speaker B:To me, it's a same as exercise, but it's for your mind.
Speaker B:It's developing spiritually.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:You can't see your mind, but if you could see all the things that are in your mind, you would know that there's a lot of work to do.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:If I show up to the gym, very out of shape, of course I can get in shape, but it's just very unrealistic.
Speaker B:It doesn't make sense to want the result right away.
Speaker B:And I. I try to take the mindset off the result also.
Speaker B:I think that's where we get hung up the most.
Speaker B:It's not about the result, it should.
Speaker B:You should focus on more doing the work.
Speaker B:And then the result is a byproduct that also, that goes back to like the main thing.
Speaker B:I try to preach with meditation.
Speaker B:A lot of times in the west, we really manipulated meditation like we do with everything else, to try to get the result, to try to feel good right away and these kind of things.
Speaker B:But to me, meditation is so that I can reflect on myself and I can change and I can become a better person.
Speaker B:So then I can help my family and I can help my community and I can help this world become a better place.
Speaker B:The end result of that is, guess what?
Speaker B:I'm going to be happier, I'm going to live better.
Speaker B:But if I'm seeking out meditation for the wrong reasons, it's.
Speaker B:It's the same as anything else.
Speaker B:You're not going to.
Speaker B:You're not going to get the real lasting result right.
Speaker B:If I go to the gym and I just want to take steroids right away, or I just want to do this or that right away.
Speaker B:You want to make money, but you want to make money overnight or it's the same in anything.
Speaker B:It.
Speaker B:It doesn't.
Speaker B:There.
Speaker B:There's principles of this world.
Speaker A:Beautiful.
Speaker A:Beautiful.
Speaker A:So what do you tell the beginners who feel they are bad at meditating?
Speaker B:I would say to let go of the expectation completely because meditation is not something like school.
Speaker B:We once again, we got brainwashed.
Speaker B:We have to unbrainwash.
Speaker B:It's not like school where you're trying to learn and do right and this is the right way to do it and my mind should be completely focused and let go of that expectation.
Speaker B:Let go of that expectation of that you're not going to think about anything and this and that.
Speaker B:It's all about the sincerity in your heart to try to become a better person.
Speaker B:It's not about becoming good at meditation.
Speaker B:It's not about that.
Speaker B:And anybody can become good and meditation doesn't matter.
Speaker B:So many people, oh, I have add, I have ocd, I have this.
Speaker B:It.
Speaker B:I'm telling you, you can meditate, you can 100%.
Speaker B:Bit by bit, bit by bit, your mind will become stronger.
Speaker B:You can become more resilient.
Speaker B:You can learn how to reflect and release anything that you're holding on to.
Speaker A:Wonderful.
Speaker A:So some critics say meditation is just a way to escape life's challenges.
Speaker A:What's your opinion?
Speaker B:I think some people do use it in that way.
Speaker B:I don't like to use it in that way and I don't advise using it in that way.
Speaker B:I believe that meditation should be a tool for how to change our actions.
Speaker B:So when I meditate and release, then my actions should change.
Speaker B:If my actions don't change, there's really no point in my opinion.
Speaker B:So for example, if you're using it, there's someone at work that's that's bothering you and you know there's a conversation you need to have.
Speaker B:If you just sit by yourself all the time and meditate all the time and don't face anyone all the time, it's not going to change.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:But when you meditate, you can release of what maybe is triggering you about that situation.
Speaker B:You can see it from a different perspective and then maybe you can have a heart to heart conversation with that person and actually make a change.
Speaker B:So I agree.
Speaker B:I don't think it should be used as an escape.
Speaker B:And I think we've all done that.
Speaker B:Everyone who meditates too, right?
Speaker B:Like, but these days.
Speaker A:Yeah, but these days meditation is used like a therapy, right.
Speaker A:To reduce stress and anxiety.
Speaker A:So how would you shift from escaping anxiety to find true peace?
Speaker B:To me, true peace is when you're okay with whatever happens, no matter what.
Speaker B:And that gets very deep because to me that even comes down to you have to be okay with dying today.
Speaker B:That's very deep.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:But that's.
Speaker B:If that's in your subconscious that you're scared to die today, then you will not have true peace.
Speaker B:You said true peace.
Speaker B:So then that goes as deep as possible for me.
Speaker B:True pieces.
Speaker B:Even if everything does go wrong, you're okay because I know that the universe has my back and I'm stable within there.
Speaker B:Anxiety comes from the control and worry and fear.
Speaker B:And of course it's something we learned and it's because we've been hurt a lot of times in our life and we hold on to all those things because we release.
Speaker B:We can, we can become free, beautiful.
Speaker A:But there is a thin line for doing meditation.
Speaker A:One is for like inner peace and calm.
Speaker A:Another is to calm our thoughts.
Speaker A:Have you ever used meditation to avoid your problems instead of facing them?
Speaker B:I'm sure I have definitely done that in the past.
Speaker B:That is okay to do not.
Speaker B:It's not the main goal.
Speaker B:Like I just said, I. I think the main goal shouldn't be that and we should be able to catch ourselves if we are doing that.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Because.
Speaker B:But it can be to be in another way.
Speaker B:It can be better than other things.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Like I used to use and drugs to, to cope and, and avoid from.
Speaker B:Avoid things also.
Speaker B:So it's a little bit Of a healthier, healthier.
Speaker B:But it shouldn't be used as that for sure.
Speaker B:I. I agree.
Speaker B:Yeah, it should be used to change myself, to become a better person.
Speaker A:So how did you realize that difference between escaping and healing?
Speaker B:I think it took time.
Speaker B:I think when you start meditating.
Speaker B:When I started meditation, I didn't start with the intention to that good intention, like I talked about, of to become a better person, help make this world a better place.
Speaker B:I just wanted relief from my problems.
Speaker B:And deep down I wanted to become a better person.
Speaker B:But I didn't know that.
Speaker B:I think we all do also.
Speaker B:We all feel that call.
Speaker B:But I. I started to realize once I got past the superficialness of it, I started to.
Speaker B:And start to reflect on myself.
Speaker B:It's a relationship between you and the universe.
Speaker B:Whether you call it universe, God, Buddha, Allah, to me it's all the same.
Speaker B:And when you start to be able to see yourself from that objective light, you start to see there's things you need to change.
Speaker B:And you start to humble yourself and you start to.
Speaker B:Since you humble yourself, you start to get gratitude and yeah, you start to look, really look at yourself and see how you've been living and see yourself through the perspective of other people.
Speaker B:And then you have more compassion for other people.
Speaker B:You start to have more compassion for yourself and for others.
Speaker B:So I think it's.
Speaker B:To me, it's much deeper than just taking some breaths to relax.
Speaker B:This is not my concept of meditation, but of course I do that also, and I teach that also.
Speaker B:But the real meditation is what I'm passionate about.
Speaker B:Real transformation is what I'm passionate about.
Speaker B:Not temporary relief, but true, lasting change.
Speaker B:And when we find the things that are hidden in our mind and release those, we can have that lasting peace.
Speaker A:Beautiful.
Speaker A:We would like to know about personal development meditation, the program that you're offering.
Speaker A:You'd like to get insights on that?
Speaker B:Sure.
Speaker B:So, yeah, I do that program right now.
Speaker B:It's once a month during the pandemic.
Speaker B:I do it every week.
Speaker B:Even I might go back to doing it twice a month.
Speaker B:It's totally free class.
Speaker B:And I just love to go on there and volunteer and be with the people.
Speaker B:There's a good group of people that come and we talk about the pillars of developing for me, personal development, my own personal development, developing spiritually, physically and mentally.
Speaker B:So we touch on those things and developing spiritually comes first for me.
Speaker B:And that would be meditation, prayer, journaling, like this, physically, some form of exercise every day.
Speaker B:I say I have to develop spiritually, physically, mentally, some form of exercise.
Speaker B:Eating.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Even if it's walks, stretching, sleeping.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And then mentally is learning.
Speaker B:Learning whatever you're interested in, whether it's your career or whatever you want to study and learn and grow yourself.
Speaker B:Yeah, learning.
Speaker B:And I, I believe that if we develop ourselves every single day in those three areas, we make time for that, then definitely we will be in a better place.
Speaker B:We will be in a better place.
Speaker B:So in that program there's usually a topic.
Speaker B:This last month's topic was about awakening our gratitude.
Speaker B:So I'll have some mindful stories about that, we'll talk about it together, we'll do some journaling.
Speaker B:We did gratitude meditation and then we did meditation to reflect on the blockages of gratitude and release those.
Speaker B:So yeah, this is what we cover.
Speaker A:Beautiful.
Speaker A:So programs like success meditation or personal development meditation promise career growth or better focus.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So how do you balance these goal oriented outcomes with authentic meditation practice?
Speaker B:Sure.
Speaker B:I, I think it can be authentic.
Speaker B:It's all about the mind.
Speaker B:Meditation has shown me the power of intention, how important it is the mind of which you do something with.
Speaker B:If you are chasing, becoming the person who you were born to be, I don't think there's anything wrong with that.
Speaker B:If you're chasing success to show off, that's one thing.
Speaker B:And you will always feel empty if you're chasing it from a place of lack of.
Speaker B:And that's what the things that we work on, letting go of that mind of lack.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Money can be used as a, as a tool.
Speaker B:There's nothing wrong with, with money.
Speaker B:It's the way in which we use it.
Speaker B:But if you've been around people who have money, you will know money is not the answer to happiness and peace and all those things.
Speaker B:But when you meditate and when you release the blockages in your mind, you can become more efficient, you can become more focused and when you have a positive mind, you can have more belief and confidence then you can, you can succeed in what you do.
Speaker B:And I think a lot of people, they want to succeed.
Speaker B:So we have, we have that program because it's something that they're interested in.
Speaker B:So we, we meet them where they're at.
Speaker B:But we don't sell a lie of, of success or money is, is going to be the answer to all your problems.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Beautiful.
Speaker A:Many corporate participants admit that they just zone out or treat meditation as a short break.
Speaker A:How do you make it meaningful for busy professionals?
Speaker B:Sure.
Speaker B:So I let them know it's not just temporary relief.
Speaker B:And everybody wants to get better at what they're doing.
Speaker B:Everybody wants to be more efficient, everybody wants to be happier, everybody wants to be able to be regulated emotionally, that they're not triggered all the time, that they're able to have good relationships with their.
Speaker B:With their co workers and with their clients.
Speaker B:So I try to teach it in that way because that's more meaningful and more important to me than just taking a break.
Speaker B:Sometimes you need a break, though, too.
Speaker B:So I do teach also.
Speaker B:It's always good.
Speaker B:Like, people are stressed and people are burned out.
Speaker B:But what really fires me up the most is teaching about transformation and changing your actions.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Can short daily sessions still make a deep impact on someone's stress or mindset?
Speaker A:And is it temporary or permanent?
Speaker B:100%.
Speaker B:Short sessions daily can make an impact, for sure.
Speaker B:Starting small is always a great idea in anything you do, whether it's your diet, exercise, meditation.
Speaker B:It can seem too daunting to start with something really big.
Speaker B:So I think starting small is really, really good.
Speaker B:And it compounds.
Speaker B:It compounds.
Speaker B:So even if it's something like we talked about, intention setting a little bit.
Speaker B:So even if it's something like, before you go in work, set your intention.
Speaker B:Think about, how do I want to be?
Speaker B:What kind of energy do I want to give off?
Speaker B:How do I want to treat my co workers and how do I want to feel?
Speaker B:Do I want to let that person make me feel inferior?
Speaker B:Or do I want to feel comfortable in my own skin?
Speaker B:Do I want to be aligned with my values?
Speaker B:Do I want to be compassionate to myself and others?
Speaker B:Do I want to be thankful and just for a minute think about that and then go in?
Speaker B:And then when you go home, that can take a minute, literally.
Speaker B:And then when you go home, before you go in the door, do I want to carry everything that happened in work to home?
Speaker B:How do I want to treat my family?
Speaker B:How do I want my energy to be here?
Speaker B:And how do I want to be compassionate to myself and others?
Speaker B:How would I want to be treated?
Speaker B:And thank you so much.
Speaker B:And take a deep breath and that's it.
Speaker B:Even something very, very, very simple and tangible.
Speaker B:Laughter is the absolute best medicine.
Speaker B:Have you ever heard that before?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Laughter therapy.
Speaker B:Oh, you know about it?
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:Laughter is the best medicine.
Speaker B:So even something like that, like really it change your state right away, literally.
Speaker B:After you do that little intention setting, take a deep breath in your nose and it's not that serious.
Speaker B:Make a big smile.
Speaker B:Just do that a few times.
Speaker B:Yeah, I think you do that every day.
Speaker B:You're going to start to See, and you start to reflect on yourself.
Speaker B:You start to see, oh, I accumulated this, I accumulated that.
Speaker B:I need to let go of this, I need to change that.
Speaker B:Oh, you start to see, oh, I wasn't angry because of what that person said.
Speaker B:I was angry because in the morning, this or that happened with my kids and this or that happened at home.
Speaker B:And then I was carrying that and then I was late to work.
Speaker B:Oh, I gotta wake up earlier.
Speaker B:I gotta be on, on time and be in a better whatever.
Speaker B:You start to see and it starts to compound and you start to.
Speaker B:You can change just like.
Speaker B:But here's the thing.
Speaker B:The negative compounds without even realizing it.
Speaker B:So we shouldn't even be questioning that.
Speaker B:Like just taking in some negative stuff like from, from the news or from social every single day.
Speaker B:Guess what?
Speaker B:That's also compounding in the wrong way.
Speaker B:So of course meditation can, can compound in the right way.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Even I read in a study that pretend smiling for two minutes will drastically reduce your stress and improve your confidence.
Speaker A:In one of my shots.
Speaker A:Yeah, I have referred that in my description and I have read that, so I love that.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:I just had a call with a real estate company this morning and part of my presentation, I'm pulling up the quote so I don't.
Speaker B:So I can say it perfectly.
Speaker B:Part of my presentation, one of the quotes was you don't smile because there's a reason.
Speaker B:You smile and then there is a reason.
Speaker A:So what are all the industries that you are concentrating now to provide?
Speaker A:Personal development meditation or success meditation.
Speaker A:Is that particularly for IT industry or are you concentrating on other type of industries?
Speaker B:Sure, any.
Speaker B:Any industry, Any industry.
Speaker B:I just had a call with a real estate company this morning.
Speaker B:I am affiliated with a hospital here in New Jersey.
Speaker B:I have done for fitness brands, real estate lawyers.
Speaker B:Yeah, I T. Social workers.
Speaker B:Anyone?
Speaker B:Anyone?
Speaker B:And we match to them.
Speaker B:We match to them.
Speaker B:And we're developing something right now in the wake of AI really something around.
Speaker B:We didn't come out with this name yet, but something around wise intelligence.
Speaker B:Because as.
Speaker B:As more of the world goes technology, we need to become more human and develop our soft skills.
Speaker B:That's where our and companies really need to work on developing that with their personnel.
Speaker B:How to be more.
Speaker B:More human and how to develop kindness and empathy and focus and compassion and confidence.
Speaker B:Since the computers have all the answers, then we need to develop becoming genuine, authentic good people.
Speaker B:And then that's how we will actually win in companies too.
Speaker A:Awesome.
Speaker A:So do you think there's a point where using medication to optimize people for corporate performance starts to dilute or even pollute its original spiritual purpose.
Speaker B:I don't because I mean me personally, I would never walk the line of that and how I see it.
Speaker B:I love how you, you have like the skeptical question is really cool because I'm actually naturally very, very skeptical.
Speaker B:But I became very positive and so optimistic that I think that meeting people where they at.
Speaker B:Where they're at is great.
Speaker B:Meeting people where they're at is great.
Speaker B:And it opens their eyes to what's possible.
Speaker B:So I believe it's the opposite.
Speaker B:I think that when you meet people where they're at and you teach them skills how to become better employees, then also that plants a seed for them to look how to become a better person and to develop spiritually.
Speaker B:Because not always.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:They don't.
Speaker B:The companies usually, you know, smart companies anyway, they know the spiritual principles, I hope.
Speaker B:But they don't necessarily want to hear something spiritual.
Speaker B:They want something very practical.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:But still there's no losing it.
Speaker B:Like that's the universe at the end of the day that's taking away the stress and who you're connecting with.
Speaker B:So I've heard so many stories of people who.
Speaker B:Someone came into their work or I came into their work and they didn't even think of meditation as an option.
Speaker B:But then because they start to learn about that, then they start to develop spiritually.
Speaker B:So I actually, I think it's the opposite.
Speaker B:But I don't really focus on what other people do.
Speaker B:There might be other people who are manipulating it like you say.
Speaker B:I'm sure we're human, so that can happen.
Speaker B:I try to do my best never to, never to try to try to take or manipulate the beautiful practice of meditation.
Speaker A:Do you want to explain any students experience before and after meditation?
Speaker A:We would like to hear some stories, success stories.
Speaker B:Some success stories.
Speaker B:Yeah, sure.
Speaker B:So I want to tell my.
Speaker B:My own first and then I'd like to hear anything that you.
Speaker B:That you'd like to hear.
Speaker B:But I have many, many, many success stories.
Speaker B:From health to finance to family to finding peace myself.
Speaker B:I went from being suicidal to now living with peace.
Speaker B:So it's quite a amazing transformation that I never knew it was possible to live with that, that level of peace to go from.
Speaker B:I thought that, you know, living up and down all the time and living with that high anxiety and depression was just part of life.
Speaker B:So to be able to live with peace now is just really, really amazing and thankful.
Speaker B:So that's my own story, one story that comes to mind right now.
Speaker B:Is one meditator came back from Iraq, Iraq War veteran.
Speaker B:He was diagnosed with ptsd.
Speaker B:And he was told that that's just something that you're going to have the rest of your life, and it's something that you just have to manage.
Speaker B:You're not going to be able to get rid of it.
Speaker B:And he didn't want to take that as an answer.
Speaker B:And he went and did everything you could think of.
Speaker B:And then when he found us, he also wasn't sure it's going to work or not, but he's military, so he had that attitude to really, to really do it well.
Speaker B:And his transformation is just amazing.
Speaker B:I always show his before and after picture that the PTSD really went away.
Speaker B:He was able to find those things in his mind that things, the horrible things that he saw and took in, and he was able to.
Speaker B:To release them, to surrender them back.
Speaker B:And now he no longer lives as a prisoner to.
Speaker B:To his mind.
Speaker B:And that's probably the most beautiful story that sticks to my mind right now, but all kinds of stories too, of people becoming better people, better parents, better.
Speaker B:You start to be able to see yourself and see, wow, wait.
Speaker B:I was treating my wife not well.
Speaker B:I was so prideful and I had so much expectation on her.
Speaker B:And like, I love to hear those kind of stories.
Speaker B:And then I start to realize, like, all the things she does for the family and, and how it must be to be her.
Speaker B:And I let go of all my expectation and now, like, we can communicate well and we can.
Speaker B:We can be at peace together.
Speaker B:So why did you name this podcast?
Speaker B:It's Busy Free Mind.
Speaker B:Right, Busy Free Mind.
Speaker A:Our mind is always busy.
Speaker A:I, I was working as a HR professional, but I voluntarily quit my job because I don't feel that calmness or I don't feel satisfied in my work.
Speaker A:So I thought I have to do something that is related to mental wellness or mind health.
Speaker A:And that's why I started this channel.
Speaker A:And when I thought about the topic, people are always occupied, always engaged with their mind.
Speaker A:So let's have a topic like Busy Free Mind.
Speaker A:Also, for my podcast, I'm not like, concentrating on a higher level talks.
Speaker A:You know, when people talk about data and science, not everyone is going to understand about that.
Speaker A:It will be more confusion like, rather than a clarification.
Speaker A:So what I thought was like, it shouldn't be like a normal podcast where you talk about data, the numbers, the graphs and stuff.
Speaker A:Let's talk realistically.
Speaker A:When, when we have a conversation, it should be understandable by all.
Speaker A:It should be relatable by all.
Speaker A:So that's my that's one of my motive when I started this and that.
Speaker B:I love how you said that and what what I what I feel from you, too.
Speaker B:You have a very genuine vibe.
Speaker B:Very genuine.
Speaker B:And that's really, really, really important.
Speaker B:You're genuinely try to trying to help people with this because you went through what you went.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Thank you, Blake.
Speaker A:Thank you so much.
Speaker A:Thank you so much for joining us today.
Speaker A:Our viewers will like the episode and they will get an insight about the personal development, meditation and success meditation.
Speaker A:And I hope they will give it a shot.
Speaker A:Thank you so much.
Speaker A:Definitely.
Speaker A:I'm looking forward to join in another session.
Speaker A:Thank you so much.
Speaker B:Thank you so much.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Stay in touch.
