Kabat-Zinn leads a session at a retreat in upstate New York.
(2 of 2)
I thought I was being open-minded and nonjudgmental about all this until I asked Cassandra if she was impressed with my attitude. "The only annoying thing is that after I meditate, you're like, 'Ohhhhhhm. Are you centered now?' And you make a namaste gesture," she said. "Then I'll say something totally normal, and you'll say, 'Whoa! Whoa! You're not being centered! Are you sure you were even meditating? Don't talk so loud!' It makes me wish I never told you I meditated." Other than that, though, she says it has indeed calmed her mind. I don't think meditation is making her more attuned to the universe, however, or she would have received the energy I sent to her that says, "Why can't you just take pills like normal women?"
In December, Cassandra started planning a weeklong meditation trip to India with a bunch of fellow meditators. This was not a particularly convenient time, since I had a sitcom pilot and movie script due, in addition to more Facebooking of Théo. I asked her why someone needed to go all the way to India to close her eyes and think about nothing. She explained it was the spiritual center of meditation. This made as much sense as me going to Vegas to masturbate to porn.
In the end, Cassandra decided not to go to India and has even compromised by agreeing to meditate on a full stomach. So I'm a little less stressed. But it's still difficult to have someone in the house so focused on getting focused. Unless she gives up on this soon, I'm going to have to start meditating too.