Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Monahan.
Megan, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I found meditation as a means of surviving stress in my early twenties. I was working in the music industry and externally seemed to be on the path that I had always strived for.
Internally though, there was a well of undigested emotional toxicity wreaking havoc on my physical health and an inability to navigate the present moment stress I found myself in, both in my personal life and in my chosen industry of work.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My path leading to meditation was incredibly bumpy. I tend to believe that it is in the pain or discomfort that we find our growth. We don’t generally pay attention or go mining for deeply seeded truths in the areas of our life where there are balance and joy. I was faced with my father’s mortality in my early twenties and the underlying issues that that knowingness unearthed spurred deep internal reflection and work around acceptance and forgiveness.
Neither of those roads with smooth! There were new wounds and old wounds that I had to reopen in order to heal them properly. I also made a choice, after learning to meditate, to leave my job and embarked on a deep and immersive inner journey to discover who I was and ultimately awaken a deep sense of purpose.
That road was also bumpy, but because I was navigating that road as a different version of myself, I didn’t feel the turbulence in the same way. And I think that’s the key to it all. Life never reaches a point where externally we’re coasting, and it’s smooth sailing. But internally you can cultivate equanimity and a sense of safety so that when life’s uncertainty flexes itself in a way that doesn’t line up with what you wanted, you’re still ok.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I am a certified meditation teacher- meaning a did a whole lot of work to understand and be initiated into a lineage of meditation. My favorite thing in the world is to talk about meditation and help others to experience the benefits of that practice which has literally transformed my life materially, physically, emotionally and spiritually.
I am fortunate to have a few different ways that I get to share my passion. Most exciting at the moment is that my first book is being published in June! I can only reach so many people in person so having a book filled with my translation of the timeless teachings I live by is a dream come true.
I also teach weekly public classes in Los Angeles and see clients privately (both locally and remotely). I also love being able to travel to teach, so I make an effort to create space in my schedule to share meditation and various festivals and events throughout the year. I’ve also started recording weekly meditations that I email out.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I try to ground my deepest intentions for the future in how I want to feel in myself and my life. The times in my life when I’ve been deeply connected to the seed of my desires, been in integrity with what the requires of me in my life and been detached (aka gotten out of the way) to the specifics is when I’ve manifested the most expansive tangible things in my life.
I find that it’s the best way to get out of the way of the Universe, who I am very sure knows better than me what the greatest expression of my desires are. It also is a good safeguard against limiting my dreams to my current state of reality-something I’m committed to not doing! So right now, my ego would really love romantic partnership, time and money to travel, opportunities to teach as many people I can.
And so I’ll anchor into the deepest desired feelings that sponsored those: connection, inspiration, freedom, and deep self-worth — also, Oprah. Being interviewed by Oprah, I think gets to count as a desire in both categories. Because of Oprah. 🙂
Contact Info:
- Website: meganmonahan.com
- Email: megan@meganmonahan.com
- Instagram: @megmonahan
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
