Yvonne: What's the first thing the world should understand about you and your book, Padme?

Padme: When I’m asked how long it took me to write my self-published book, Let’s Not Call It Meditation: Practical Guidance for People Who Think They Can’t Sit Still and Quiet the Mind, I usually say three years, but it also took me this whole lifetime.

Ever since I began meditating thirty years ago, I've met people who didn’t understand what it’s all about. They think meditating is too difficult, or for someone special (not them!), or that they have to belong to a meditation center.

A little over three years ago, I realized it was time to help clear up mistaken ideas and confusion about it: to write about how a regular meditation practice brings more awareness, love, and clarity to your life.

And I soon realized that meant I would need to share lots of personal stuff in order to make my case. So it took both my whole life and three years to write this book!

Yvonne: Remembering and forgetting play an important part in your book. Can you explain how?

Padme: One of the most important pieces I hope people get from reading the book is how we all live our lives forgetting and remembering to be aware, or to be with what is.

With practice, the remembering times get longer and the forgetting times get shorter. I lived much of my married and parenting life focused at home, with plenty of opportunity to remember and forget being with what is. There were times when I wished and wished that I was contributing more financially to the family’s well being. And sometimes I would get caught up in wanting to be doing something that was more (I told myself) creative or exciting.

Those forgetting times often escalated into arguments, confusion, and unhappiness for myself, and family members. And then I would realize I was spreading my pain around again, and I would start meditating more. Love would fill my days again, instead of frustration and confusion. Awareness would help me remember the perfection of my life as it is.

Yvonne: Share an important event in the publication of your book.

Padme: The morning I received Jon Kabat-Zinn’s endorsement for my book, I cried so much from relief that I couldn’t even read past the second line for a half hour. Larry Dossey’s wonderful endorsement had come a few days before and had left me breathless, but Jon Kabat-Zinn’s meant more to me because he’s not only a highly respected meditation teacher and author, but he’s also the man who brought mediation out of the meditation centers, into the world as a powerful healing practice through his work at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center.

When I was done crying, I felt so filled with joy that I emailed the good news to all the friends who I knew would understand and celebrate with me!

Yvonne: So, what do you do in your 'down' time?

Padme: When I’m not doing what I can to help get my book (which is available on my website) out there, I love walking in the woods, being creative with food, dancing by myself to world music, especially with drumming, listening to Diane Rehm, chocolate, connecting with friends, and being playful, especially when my husband feels like playing too.