Meditation: Calm, Daily Calm: Optimal Anxiety Length: 11 minutes Where: Fryman Canyon, Los Angeles How It Felt: Warm & Peaceful Who Joined Me: My friend Andrea
My BFF since I was twelve, Andrea, came to visit me in LA this week. It’s been absolutely wonderful to start connecting with people in the flesh again as vaccinations roll out! I don’t think we’ve stopped talking since her plane landed except to sleep, take bites of food, and to meditate together!
We decided to take advantage of a beautiful sunny day and go for a hike. At the Tree People spot I love which I’ve written about before, we stopped and sat side by side on a bench, where we took in the view, let the sunshine crisp our faces and shoulders, and meditated.
The session was about leaving your comfort zone just enough to achieve something called “optimal anxiety”- the amount of anxiety you want in life. You don’t want to have none at all, because that means you’re sticking to your comfort zone full time and not pushing yourself to grow. Too much anxiety, and you shut down completely.
I got incredibly happy and excited during this meditation, because it reminded me that I’m about to start really being able to work again! After a year of virtual creative endeavors, soon we will be able to get safely back on set, back in the audition room, back onstage- all of it! I live in that “optimal anxiety” space in normal life, and I never, ever thought I could miss it so much.
I knew I’d miss the work, but not the anxious thrill of it all. New places, new people, giving vulnerable performances in front of perfect strangers whose job it is to judge you, starting new classes all the time, getting “first day of school” vibes- I miss it all so much. I miss how alive I feel, how awake my soul is!
I. Can’t. Wait.
Sunshine, a childhood best friend who knows me better than most, fresh air, a nice hike to wake up the body, and being reminded that things are about to get very exciting and fulfilling again very soon?
10/10. Highly recommend.
My Year of Meditation 