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U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan was featured on a “60 Minutes” segment on mindfulness
YOUNGSTOWN
Featured on “60 Minutes” as part of a segment on mindfulness, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan said he was “honored” to have the opportunity to show how the meditative practice “has helped me personally and professionally.”
The 12-minute piece by Anderson Cooper that aired Sunday on CBS focused mostly on Cooper’s own experiences learning mindfulness but included an interview with Ryan, of Howland, D-13th. The congressman published a book in 2012 about his experiences with the practice, “A Mindful Nation: How a Simple Practice Can Help Us Reduce Stress, Improve Performance, and Recapture the American Spirit.”
Mindfulness focuses on “the present moment” instead of worrying about the past or the future, Ryan said.
Ryan, a former high-school football quarterback standout, said if he saw people involved in mindfulness in those days, he would have thought to “stay away from those guys,” he told Cooper.
But after seeing the success the practice has had with professional sports teams, the Marines and students, Ryan said, “I am convinced that we can shift the current state of our country if we start developing the fundamentals necessary for success: mental discipline, resiliency, grit and high levels of awareness of ourselves and others. Mindful practice cultivates all of these qualities.”
One part of the report showed Cooper at a three-day mindfulness retreat with Ryan and others. Those at the retreat must turn in their cellphones and other communication devices.
After a number of hours, Cooper said meditation became easier for him.
Cooper talked about eating food in complete silence, and because of that “you taste more and eat less.”
Ryan said he hosts weekly mindfulness get-togethers on Capitol Hill to which members of Congress and staffers are welcome.
When asked by Cooper if any Republicans attend, Ryan laughed and said, “No, we’re working on it.”
Ryan said that the practice “can transform our country into a calmer and kinder place for our children and all of our citizens.”
Ryan first became interested in mindfulness after the historic 2008 election of President Barack Obama — Anderson erroneously said it was after Ryan’s “grueling victory” for his House seat.