The health and wellness bug is alive and well at Kensington Palace. We've heard Prince William speak out about the importance of mental health over the last few years. Now it seems like his brother, Prince Harry, is taking some steps of his own to work on his self-care.
During a recent outing to Birkenhead, Merseyside, Harry and a pregnant Meghan chatted with members of various organizations. One of the people Harry spoke to was a 69-year-old Buddhist monk named Kelsang Sonam. Harry revealed to the monk that he has taken up the practice of meditating daily. Upon learning this about the Duke of Sussex, Kelsang gifted him a book called Eight Steps to Happiness.
While some might be surprised to hear Harry enjoys meditation, it makes sense when you consider how important the practice has been to his wife. The Duchess of Sussex wrote extensively about the practice on her now-defunct lifestyle website, The TIG.
It's safe to say that a lot of big changes have come to Harry's and Meghan's lives since the two announced their engagement in November 2017. In a short amount of time, the two have completely transformed their lives.
Meghan had to give up all social media and her acting career to marry into the royal family. Despite the challenges, she undertook learning an entirely new lifestyle with grace and poise.
Harry has had to give a bit as well. He developed a reputation as a party animal during his 20s. Since making things official with Meghan, we've seen a more serious, thoughtful side to Harry.
It's also been reported that Harry gave up a hobby he once enjoyed. Harry used to go hunting, since the royal family has a tradition to hunt each Boxing Day. In solidarity with Meghan's animal advocacy, Harry no longer attends.
Meghan has also helped Harry get healthier. He's left behind some of his habits (like smoking) and has gotten more serious about being active and eating well.
Just as important as getting your body in shape is getting your mind in shape. The Duke of Sussex has opened up in the past about mental health struggles.
Prince Harry revealed that he felt a lot of his wilder behavior and inner anger were a product of his past. He felt he never properly processed the emotions that resulted from his mother's sudden death when he was 12 years old.
Recently, Harry revealed that he is putting some serious time into self-care. One of the practices he has taken up is daily meditation.
During a recent visit to Birkenhead with Meghan, Harry chatted with a Buddhist monk. He conversed with the monk, 69-year-old Kelsang Sonam, about how he's been practicing meditation. Kelsang then gifted Harry a copy of Eight Steps to Happiness.
It's likely that Harry tried meditation at the recommendation of his wife. Meghan has spoken at length about her positive experience with meditating.
Meghan once wrote about her journey to regular meditation on her lifestyle website, The TIG. She wrote, "Meditation was something I found endlessly daunting at first, but soon became the quietude that rocked my world. I can't put my finger on the why or the how, but I will tell you this much, for me… I am just happier."
Meghan understands why people are skeptical of practice, as she once was. She still wants people to give it a chance.
She explained, "I know you’ll think of a million excuses as to why this is silly or why you don’t have time for it; much like the day I told Light [Watkins, her meditation instructor] I didn’t have enough hours in the day to do it, and he told me that’s why I needed to mediate twice as much."
Practitioners meditate for different reasons. Some people want to relax, while others want to clear their minds or sharpen their focus. For Harry and Meghan, it's a practice they can use to deal with the chaos of their first year of marriage with a baby on the way.
We're eager to see how their mindfulness and dedication to self-care, coupled with their desire to avoid the spotlight, will shape their little one's life. Kudos to Harry and Meghan for not letting royal life get in the way of their individual and shared happiness.
