Russell Brand on Meditation, Prayer, and Intention [Excerpt]

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Excerpt: In this excerpt from: Recovery, Russell Brand talks about the power of meditation, what prayer is for him, and details how he prays. Enjoy!

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Introduction: What this excerpt is and what it isn’t

The following is an excerpt from Russell Brand’s book Recovery: Freedom From Our Addictions. In it, he discusses the importance of meditation, what prayer is for him, and how he prays. It’s a piece that takes an intimate look at a practice that is intensely private, and should be read with that in mind.

This is not prescriptive nor is it shared with the intention of even being a recommendation. It’s simply a transparent, authentic look at a practice that has worked for him. And that, at the end of the day, is what’s most important—finding a practice that works for the individual—for you.

A practice that can help you clear your mind; find your center; reconnect to your Higher Power; thoughtfully express gratitude; relax your body; break free from the material world; etc. Hopefully, this piece can help guide you in the right direction. Emphasis added is my own. Enjoy.

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Enter Russell Brand:

For me it is vital that twice a day for around half an hour, I am not totally immersed in the outside world, whether that’s my relationship with my girlfriend or my relationship with my phone.

I have always lived in my mind. We all live in our minds and we have allowed them to become poorly tended. Meditation is a way of cultivating the environment in which I spend all my time.

When I am on a run with my dog I often totally ignore the beautiful views and the charming antics of my dog in favour of an inner drama of my own contrivance: ‘What if this happens?’ ‘Why did that happen?’ I could be anywhere because I am not present.

The state of mind we nurture in meditation begins to inform our whole lives, indeed that is the point. There’s little value in Om-ing away at a candle for ten minutes then getting up and bawling out a wayward bin man.

Meditation is the cultivation of an ignored and latent aspect of yourself that will cradle you as you re-enter the world of material affairs.

Prayer is, for me, a setting of intention.

‘Praying only for God’s will for us and the power to carry it out’ — this I feel is to guard against the temptation to regard your Higher Power as a cosmic Father Christmas, with nothing better to do than conjure you up a new girlfriend.

It also is the acknowledgement that in our former state, prior to reprogramming our mind, the needs of the ego were paramount. The ego tells me I need a new, better girlfriend; I, its ever-willing lackey, go out and get one. The ego tells me I need to pursue fame and fortune; I go tripping out the door in a top hat and spats.

This reminds us that the demands of the ego will never lead to anything other than suffering. Desire is suffering. We are free though to relinquish these petty, trivial desires and attune to a new frequency where our life has greater purpose than ‘I wonder how I’d look in a new hat?’

This is how I pray.

I sit quietly for a moment, I read a few short passages from whatever spiritual book I’m into at the time—at the moment it’s Patanjali’s yoga aphorisms.

I think about how the writing is applicable to my own life, then I silently pray firstly for gratitude. This means I look at myself as a supremely lucky person, to be born in the place, time, health and circumstances I have been, how lucky I have been to have avoided serious injury to myself or others through my past conduct, how fortunate I am to have life so full of beautiful people.

I actually light four candles (!) one representing my personal connection to a high consciousness as experienced through meditation and dreams, one for my connection to my girlfriend, one for my connection to my work, may it be inspired by high motivation and one for a true connection to all people I encounter.

I am reluctant to mention this because it feels both intensely private and also ritualistic and it is both, but I am hopeful that honesty and transparency will connect me to my purpose.

Having prayed for gratitude, I pray for courage, a willingness to no longer inhabit my old ways of thinking, not to see the world as a resource for my pleasure but instead the environment in which I can be of use.

Then I ask to be healing to people I encounter, that my every interaction is held by a higher intention, when I buy fuel for my car, I talk to the person who serves me in a spirit of unity and love, not as could easily be my unconsidered manner—‘You are here to serve me petrol, that’s all I care about.’

Finally and perhaps most kookily of all I ask to be shown signs, to be attuned to the world around me, knowing my reality is a dance between the apparent material world and my own consciousness. I ask to be shown the things I need to see, to receive the messages that will help me in my journey.

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If you enjoyed this excerpt from Recovery: Freedom From Our Addictions, then you should consider reading Brand’s book in full. It comes highly recommended.