Meet Ora Nadrich, one of the most sought-after life coaches and meditation teachers in the industry today. Ora's meditation and inner awareness practice is a hit with celebrities including Oprah Winfrey, Katy Perry, Rachel McAdams, Paul McCartney, Ellen DeGeneres, Jennifer Aniston, Amanda Seyfried, Hugh Jackman, Russell Brand, Michael Jordan, Russell Simmons, Miranda Kerr and more. Ora's lifelong journey towards inner awareness has made her an expert and now she helps her clients face their fears, find the strength within to follow their dreams and reach their goals.
Ora gives us the scoop on why meditation is so powerful along with tips for adopting a mindfulness lifestyle. Check out Ora's website for class information and more on meditation!
What inspired you to become a life coach and meditation teacher?
I feel that I have been helping people for as long as I can remember. Even as a young girl, I was the problem solver in the group, and always found ways for people to get along. Having been told for years that I would be a great therapist, I decided to do it, and became a certified Life Coach.
I began practicing Transcendental Meditation when I was an actress, and found it extremely helpful. It taught me how to be a disciplined meditator, and years later when I began Mindfulness Meditation, people began asking me if I could teach them how to meditate, and decided to become a professional Mindfulness Meditation teacher. I absolutely love teaching people how to meditate.
What advice do you have for first-time meditators?
To simply try and do it. Even if you think you can’t, or have an expectation that you have to be good at it, or sit in the perfect lotus position, or stop your mind from thinking, you will find in a relatively short time that you like the way it makes you feel, and most likely will want to continue doing it. You will find your own personal “happy place” in meditation, so trust that it will happen.
As someone who's tried to meditate before, any advice on getting into that meditative state without over thinking or thinking about a million other things?
I always say accept who you are in your meditation, and that means if your mind begins to wander, don’t judge yourself, but know that all you have to do is put your focus or awareness on your breath, or a mantra, and it will help you stay in the “now” which is being in the present moment. The most important thing to remember is that meditation isn’t about having expectations of yourself, or trying to stop your mind from thinking, but allowing yourself to be who you are, and accept whatever experience you are having in your meditation with love and non-judgment.
What are the benefits of meditation and why is it practiced by so many celebrities?
Meditation has so many benefits from minimizing stress to lowering your blood-pressure, and one of my favorite things about it is that it lets you be intimate with yourself, and find that place within that is calm and accepting. I think it is the perfect thing to do for people who have busy and stressful lives, and as we know, celebrities are some of the busiest people around. It helps you stop all the “noise” and “drama” that can dominate many celebrities lives.
Tell us about your book, "Says Who?”
My book, Says Who? is about transforming negative and fear-based thoughts. I’ve created the Says Who? Method, which are seven questions to ask yourself to find out if your thought is real, or a distorted perception you may have from an experience or trauma that has happened to you. We think between 60-70,000 thoughts a day, and many of them are negative and don’t serve our well-being. And many of them did not originate with us, meaning we took on someone else’s thought; be it a parent, teacher, bully on the schoolyard, etc. that was negative or fear-based and turned it into our belief. The Says Who? Method helps you change your thoughts to positive, productive, and constructive thoughts that can help you live in the present, and manifest the life you want and deserve.
What exactly is mindfulness and how does one adopt a mindful lifestyle?
Mindfulness is being in the present moment with total awareness. Most of the time we are not present in the moment, and can let our mind wander either to our past, which has come and gone, or the future, which hasn’t happened yet. By practicing Mindfulness, we can keep ourselves present and aware in the moments we are in, which helps us live a more calm and less stressful life.
How does one stay mindful during stressful times?
You can stay mindful during stressful times by taking time in your day to meditate, or at least find ten minutes to sit somewhere quietly. By doing something as easy as focusing on your breath, it can help reduce stress and anxiety.
What's a day in the life for you like?
My day begins with waking up, and taking a few minutes in bed to try and recall a dream, and connect to my gratitude for being alive. I don’t like to jump out of bed until I feel that I’ve had some time connecting with myself first. I check in with my family, and give them some love, and then go to my meditation room, and give myself at least 10-20 minutes to sit quietly and go even deeper within to set my intentions for the day. I exercise doing Pilates, and then I have breakfast, which is usually a fresh pressed juice. I then shower, and am ready to start my workday with my team. I have dinner with my family, maybe watch a movie with my husband, and then wind it down by reading from an inspiring spiritual book, and end my evening with a meditation before I go to sleep.
How has meditation and mindfulness changed your life?
I’ve been meditating for over thirty years, and it has changed my life profoundly. It has taught me how to connect to the deepest part of who I am, and find my stillness within. It has helped me realize that each of us has an ever-present wholeness within us, and in meditation, we can connect to it so beautifully, and recognize that we are a part of the oneness that is all. Mindfulness has taught me that being present is our most natural state of being, and that to truly value being alive, we must value all of the moments of our life.
What's a quote or saying you live by?
One of my favorite quotes to live by is Carl Jung; “Your vision will become clear only when you look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes."
Who inspires you the most?
My husband, Jeff, my two sons, Jake and Benjamin, and my mom.
What's next for you?
I’m writing a new book, which I’m very excited about.
Thinking about giving meditation a try? Don't forget to check out Ora's website for more tips and follow her on Instagram @oranadrich
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