Interview with Jessica Mullen, creator of a Daily Meditation Series

I interviewed Jessica Mullen, who runs a daily meditation series on YouTube, about her thoughts on meditation. She shares some tips on how to get started as well as how meditating regularly has impacted her life. Enjoy!

When did you first start meditating? 

When I was 16. 

How did you get started? 

I wanted to get what I wanted. Grades, boys, health, you name it. So as a rebellious catholic school girl, I looked into the occult and came across guided meditations in a book about Wicca. 

Why do you continue to meditate? 

I stopped meditating in college. When I got a day job and started feeling the life getting sucked out of me, I remembered how much meditation helped me focus on what I wanted. It made me feel powerful. I stopped again for a few more years but came back to it again when I started to wonder what to do with my life after grad school. Basically, I keep meditating because it helps me remember the big picture in life (nothing is serious!) and it helps me focus on what I want. 



Describe your typical mediation session. What type of meditation do you do? 

I sit on a yoga mat and gaze at a candle. I usually do this with my wife Kelly. We set a timer (using the Equanimity app) for 15 minutes. I try to focus on my breathing (7 counts in, 7 counts out) with the goal of slowing my thoughts. If I can focus enough, time goes by in an instant and I feel connected to god. 

You recently started posting meditation videos on YouTube. What was your motivation? Do you find them helpful for you as well as others? 

One time years ago I did a drunken seance in a cellar. It was super fun and it felt natural. Then a few months ago at work, my boss had me record a voice over for a video, saying I sort of had a phone sex voice (that sounds bad taken out of context but it was a compliment!). Ever since recording audio life design lessons with Kelly, I'd been wanting to do a guided meditation, and that compliment from my boss gave me the confidence to try it. It was so scary at first! After doing it for a week and receiving positive feedback, I lost my voice. But I got over my fear and kept going with it. Doing the meditations is SO helpful or me. It forces me to "get it together" emotionally and vibrationally, because I can't really fake it. And when I'm not recording, I hear my voice in my head, doing the meditation all the time. It's really comforting and helpful and it's like a way to stay centered at any time. 

What would you recommend to someone who is new to meditation? 

Start by just sitting quietly for 5 minutes. Light a candle and set a timer if it helps. You don't have to -do- anything or accomplish anything. Sometimes it helps just to be aware of your thoughts. Try sitting 5 minutes every day until you get used to it. And if your thoughts are too distracting, try counting as high as you can, or just follow your breathing. The pranayama breathing app really helped me. Meditation isn't supposed to get you anywhere - it's more like giving your mind a bath. It always calms me down and gives me a new perspective on my day.

Thanks for answering my questions, Jessica! For more from Jessica, check out her post, A beginner's guide to meditation.