The Power of Meditation - with Tom Cronin

Guest Introduction:

Tom Cronin previously worked as a bonds and inflation swaps broker for 26 years. Highly stressed, he turned to meditation for help, and it ended up transforming his life. Tom left his successful career and founded The Stillness Project, which aims to transform and teach people the power of stillness and calm through deep meditation and coaching.

Interview Summary:

In this interview, Tom begins by talking about his previous career in finance and living a wild and crazy lifestyle. He then discusses how he got into meditation after having a meltdown in his late 20s, and how it led to a rapid transformation in his life. He goes on to describe several different styles of meditation and their purposes. Tom also gives examples of mantras and explains how to use them in different types of meditation.

Next, Tom discusses brain wave frequencies, and how meditation helps lower our brain waves by reducing mental activity. He also talks about some of the different breathing approaches in meditation. He goes into more detail on the differences between zen meditation and deep transcending meditation. Tom then describes the deep sleep state that people experience when doing transcendental meditation, and how this carries over to everyday life. He offers practical guidelines for developing a consistent meditation practice.

Tom then talks more about contemplative meditation and what it means to set intentions. He also provides advice for setting good intentions, and describes the two main types of intentions: self-serving and spiritual. He goes into detail on using gratitude as a form of meditation, and shares his insights on how this practice might change our experience of life. Tom then touches on loving kindness meditation and similar types of practices. He walks us through the seven chakras and talks about clearing blocked energy.

Finally, Tom shares his insights on the ego, and discusses how different mindfulness practices approach the ego. Chris and Tom talk about different layers of connection and how the ego comes into play. Tom also explains what it means to be an aligned being, and gives examples of zen masters and yogis who fit this description. He closes with practical tips for reclaiming stillness in our day, calming the voice in our heads, and starting a meditation practice.