How Meditation Changed Nick Daez’s Life
Nick Daez, art director, entrepreneur and Kundalini yoga teacher, discovered the power of yoga and meditation seven years ago when he hit rock bottom. Experiencing extreme burn-out from his career along with struggles with his relationship, he sought healing practices to recalibrate and be at peace with himself. His curiosity about the benefits of meditation and Kundalini led him to travel around the world – New Mexico, India, and Nepal– which in turn, helped him find his purpose: to teach and refine his practice.
“I noticed the trend that those people, like me, who experience their lowest of lows start to seek for healing and esoteric practices since nothing seems to be working anymore,” Nick saw the demand for meditation practices during the pandemic as more students were enrolling in his online classes to learn how to incorporate meditation in their lives.
Finding peace and calm may feel like a struggle for some of us, especially during the pandemic. Thinking about the future can bring about feelings of anxiety. Remembering painful experiences in the past trigger us to feel fear. Perhaps, you feel unmotivated and unhappy with your current circumstances. These situations are normal. Direct your attention inward and understand that the root of suffering is found in constant wanting and craving. How does your mind operate in your life? Is fulfillment just around the corner or are you always wanting to be somewhere other than where you are?
The lack of spontaneity during the pandemic and the never-ending routine has caused many of us to feel uneasy. Some of us may still be feeling dissatisfaction because of how things are going. Nick emphasizes that we are experiencing a collective pause and it is completely okay to feel uncomfortable. Discomfort is normal and it is completely okay to feel frustrated. Just like bad weather, it will pass. One useful tip Nick shared for off days is: “Be comfortable being bored. It’s not possible for us to feel overly excited all the time.” The truth is, it’s impossible to feel ecstatically happy every single day. The constant search for happiness and thrill may cause us to feel more unhappy.
By sitting through discomfort, you gain strength. It helps to watch your thoughts pass by without having to do anything about it. Start listening to the voices in your head without judging yourself for it. Take time to monitor your thought patterns to understand yourself better. The act of meditation allows us to gain awareness.
Most of us may feel intimidated by the act of meditation. Nick shares that “emptying the mind” and “silencing your thoughts” are common misconceptions associated with meditation.
“Meditation isn’t just about silence. It’s only one small part of it. It’s more about learning how to harness your thoughts and your emotions. It’s learning how to stay still amidst the negativity thoughts and anxiety. Learning to sit with discomfort.”
He shares some useful tips on starting your meditation journey as well as some tips to cope during the pandemic:
1. Take small steps.
At first, sitting with your thoughts may feel like a dreadful place to be in. It might feel terrifying once the dark thoughts creep in or you might feel the urge to run and go back to scrolling through your feed. When these happen: observe the thoughts and let it be.
Nick suggests that one minute a day is already enough to get started. If you are starting out, committing 15 minutes on your Day 1 is setting yourself up for failure. It takes time to learn how to meditate and it’s important to be patient with yourself through this learning process. Just like any skill in life that you want to build, it will take time to develop. Be kind and patient with yourself.
2. Explore what kind of meditation works for you.
Through meditation, we train our mind to be relaxed, clear, and inwardly focused. Meditation is all about training your mind to be aware and developing healthy perspectives. There are infinite resources bound on different traditions and cultures. There’s no best nor perfect way to do it. The key is to discover what practice will allow you to experience tranquility and awareness.
You can activate your senses to meditate. You can take time to look around, listen to the sounds in the space, observe the rhythm of your breath, and simply allow everything to be. Some like to practice yoga, others painting, and others prefer listening to guided meditation. Do your research and explore.
Nick even suggests relaxing showers as a form of meditation. Whether you prefer hot or cold showers, you can simply be present and be aware of the drops of water rushing through your skin. Watch your thoughts as you lather your hair and scrub your body gently. Taking a relaxing shower after a long day can be transformed into a spiritual practice. This can significantly help you reduce stress and gain clarity.
3. Allow your practice to evolve.
Our spiritual and healing journey is not linear. As we go through different experiences in life, our practice also evolves. Nick shared that he used to be someone who is strict with his meditation schedule. Meditation was supposed to be done at a specific time and place. However, things changed as years went by.
During the pandemic, Nick converted basketball into a form of movement meditation. Basketball is more than a workout for him. It was an activity he found beneficial to stay present in the moment and gain mental fortitude. Allowing your practice to evolve will help you constantly monitor your mental and emotional state.
4. Be comfortable with the noise.
“One of the greatest benefits of meditation is the insights you get from your practice,” Nick explains. You get these insights when you are able to sit with discomfort and embrace adversity. When we experience stressful situations, it’s easy to run away and try to get your mind off of things – shop
ping, social media, drinking, or partying. These external sources of happiness may temporarily take away discomfort. However, there is power in sitting still and allowing insights to transpire within us.
“Insights” arise as we acknowledge the unsettling noise. It is the non judgmental way to look at things – “what is happening as it happens.” In Pali, the word for this practice is vipassana. Insights are important to understand the problems we face in different aspects in our lives.
These insights can allow us to take inspired actions after gaining better clarity. And whenever we feel like there’s no way out, remember that there is a way through. Surrendering and accepting what is can free us from internal misery.
5. Stay consistent with your practice.
If you are trying to lose weight, you will make time to work out every day. Treat your meditation practice the same. Stop for a month and you’re out of shape. Science proves that meditation is a powerful tool to eliminate stress and reduce anxiety. In order to experience the benefits of meditation, it’s important to commit yourself to it. There is no need to be strict with it as long as you devote time to it.
Nick practices Kundalini yoga which is a meditative form of yoga – “yoga of awareness”. It involves chanting mantras and breathing exercises that aims to awaken your potential and align you with your life’s purpose. Nick believes that teaching is his life’s purpose. He wakes up everyday excited to teach about the practices that helped him heal and evolve.
Nick offers several online classes such as meditation for beginners, sound baths, and some small group face to face classes in La Union. He also hosts some talks about mental health as well as lessons on different breathing techniques. You may reach Nick through Instagram: @nickdaez and check him out on Spotify podcast
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