Icing on the cake, “a helluva lot of extra icing”
I had the pleasure of a conversation with Nathan Vanek, a longtime meditation practitioner, teacher, and author (see bio below). On reading one of my recent essays on meditation, Nathan suggested that I was overthinking it. “It’s all good, but the reality is that meditation is very very simple, too simple actually. All forms, techniques, styles and approaches, to me, at this point, are spectacularly unnecessary.” I mulled his reduction and then began an inquiry. Below is a transcript of our online chat, copied with permission, lightly edited, while preserving its original meaning and tone.
“John: Is prayer a type of meditation?
Nathan: Sorry for my late response; I was still doing my morning prayers 😊. I would say ‘yes,’ prayer is a type of meditation. I would also add that meditation could be seen as a kind of prayer as well.
John: How about immersion in nature—walking in a forest, cold-river immersion, etc.? Are these all meditation?
Nathan: Sure. In my opinion, one could answer both ‘yes’ and ‘no,’ depending on how inclusive or reductive one wants to be at the time. For example, ‘meditation’ is just a word we’ve put on a state of mind—a state of relaxation and well-being, not to mention self-knowledge. So yes, those activities can all be considered forms of meditation. On the other hand, what do you do when you can no longer cold-water dip or even walk in the forest? Will you be okay? Do you have a tool to keep your sense of well-being intact?
John: Nature is always nearby—a walk in my yard, hugging my dogs. Nature is always close.
Nathan: Yes, but you know that little by little all our meditations are taken away. what then?
John: Are they taken away? We are nature; nature is always near.
Nathan: Yes, you’re basically answering your own question. Now you’re using the word ‘nature’ instead of ‘meditation.’
John: Is art meditation?
Nathan: Yes, although I must say it can also be rather frustrating at times 😀. When I paint, I’m aiming for a feeling—a great sense of fulfillment. It’s hard to describe, but it’s like a sense of relaxation. That moment when you think, ‘Ah, that hits the nail right on the head.’
John: What about thoughtful use of psychedelics? Is that meditation?
Nathan: Psychedelics? Well, LSD was definitely a precursor for me, so I can’t deny it. But they can also be counterintuitive, like shred the nervous system or worse. That said, as you mentioned, the risks can be minimized if used thoughtfully. Many people seem to like that ayahuasca stuff these days.
John: Meditation, prayer, nature, art … is it all about relaxation?
Nathan: Yes, I would say so: relaxation and well-being. I’m less inclined to include self-knowledge, and I’m definitely not inclined to include ‘enlightenment.’
John: So, meditation is kind of like a cup of warm milk?
Nathan: I’m vegan 😊.
John: Tea, then? A nice cup of tea?
Nathan: Here’s the thing: warm milk or tea, or nature walks, are great, but they’re not really going to do much for you unless you keep at them. Meditation practice is the same—you’ve got to keep at it. But with a clear understanding of the practice, your whole life can be positively affected: increased intelligence, energy, well-being. With the maturation of the practice, all these good qualities become an inherent part of you. In fact, at that point, you don’t even need to meditate—you will, but you’ll embody meditation. You are meditation. You can drink warm milk, cold-water dip, walk in the park—whatever. It’s all good.
John: I want to be clear on the qualities beyond relaxation. I get that one embodies meditation with time, okay. But what qualities are we talking about beyond relaxation, increased energy, and intelligence? Eating right and exercise do that. Well-being? Living ethically does that.
Nathan: Eating right, exercising, sexual continence, good company, living ethically—these are all part of having a clear understanding of the practice we call meditation.
John: What does meditation uniquely bring?
Nathan: It includes all of those. Put them together with a proper understanding of sitting meditation, practiced consistently, and the result is a greatly enhanced sense of relaxation, intelligence, a pervasive sense of well-being, enhanced intuition, creativity, and more.
John: Wait, is sitting meditation required? How about prayer, nature, or art? Aren’t those just as good?
Nathan: Haha, I think we’re back to the beginning. I would say no, sitting meditation is not required. All those things are great. However, I highly recommend including a practice of sitting meditation—or even slouching meditation.
John: Are you saying that meditation brings a little extra, like icing on the cake, so to speak?
Nathan: Perfect. Only I’d say it brings a helluva lot of extra icing. And it’ll always be there in your cupboard.
John: So, anything else they say meditation brings might just be mystical mumbo jumbo?
Nathan: Okay, in my semi-humble opinion at this point, I’d say, for our purposes, ‘yes.’ But that’s a whole other discussion, bud. And I need a cup of coffee—and maybe a piece of cake with some extra icing 😂.”
In summary, this conversation highlighted that meditation can take various forms, including sitting, prayer, nature immersion, art, and the thoughtful use of psychedelics—all of which promote relaxation, at least. When practiced consistently as part of a healthy and ethical lifestyle, these methods can foster sustained calm, energy, well-being, intelligence, and creativity. Sitting meditation (similar to connecting with nature) offers the advantage of being accessible in any circumstance.
To me, we are only halfway there. In our conversations, Nathan prefers to avoid terms like spirituality and enlightenment, tentatively agreeing that these concepts are, as I put it, ‘mystical mumbo jumbo.’ I would like to discuss how this view squares with his statement that with sustained practice, ‘you are meditation.’ I suspect there may be a whole other cake in the cupboard. But coffee called. To be continued.
Bio. Nathan Vanek has a long history as a student and teacher of meditation and eastern philosophies. He was a Vipassana Monk, Bramachari Yogi and lived in India for twenty-five years. In 1989 Nathan was awarded the honorary degree, Doctor of Meditation, by the Unnyayan Samsaad (World Development Parliament) sanctioned by the Government of West Bengal. He has published four books and taught meditation in several countries. He has lived and taught in the Gatineau hills since returning to Canada in 1998. Most recently, Nathan has turned his attention to creating art.
His most recent book, Unprotected Sects: The Secret Life of a Celibate Monk, is available from Amazon.