Congressman Tim Ryan: The Mindful Nation
Then, when I got into Congress, things got really, really hectic. I knew the days I practiced meditation that I was better. I was more focused. I could concentrate. I was more creative. I was a better listener—all of the benefits you normally hear about. But, I couldn’t get myself to do it every day. I couldn’t discipline myself. So, in 2008, when I was feeling like I was becoming burnt out, I did a five-day mindfulness retreat with Jon Kabat-Zinn.
Deepak Chopra: Oh, very good.
Congressman Tim Ryan: Just more and more silence introduced throughout the course of the week. And then, at the very end of the week, there was a 36-hour period with no Blackberries, you know; no phone calls; no journaling; just you and your mind.
Dr. Deepak Chopra: I do that periodically, yes.
Congressman Tim Ryan: Yeah, it was amazing experience. At the end, I really had the experience of my mind and my body being in the same place in the same time–at the same time. It reminded me of being a quarterback and when I was in the zone, or when I played basketball and I was in the zone.
I thought, “Wow, you can train your mind to be in the zone,” and that really struck me. Afterward, I went up to Jon and said, “Hey, we need this in our schools. We need this to help our veterans. We need this to help our healthcare system, because it’s a stress.” –I was so relaxed. It was like, “Boy, this is how you get rid of stress.”
