Stella McCartney has built an empire with a very sensible approach to the environment. When I wear her fashions, I don’t feel guilty and I’ve learned about lots of things that I didn’t know. She has worked for years to protect women of domestic violence through the support of the White Ribbon Campaign. She is a firm believer in preserving our planet, and protecting all of us who inhabit it. And now she’s teaming up with the David Lynch Foundation on a very special program to teach others the importance of transcendental meditation. She’s a true visionary.
—Isabella Rossellini
The David Lynch Foundation is an extraordinary foundation. I think Bob Roth is amazing. I’m so honored to know him; I’m so honored to have had him teach my children how to meditate. I was born into meditation. I can’t take credit for anything. I knew about it at a very early age, but I think on a personal level for me, I came to meditation through trauma and through loss. When my mother passed away 20 years ago, I went to meet the Maharishi. I said, “Dad, this is the time to get back into the meditation mode.” I’ve only started talking about it very recently through Bob’s magnificent book, Strength in Stillness. I feel a little unsettled talking about it still, but I had a lot of panic attacks when my mum passed away and I didn’t really know how to deal with it. I began to meditate and it saved me. It really helped me and the funny thing is, I kept saying to Bob, “I’m a terrible, terrible student.” I’m not religious about it, I just do it when I feel the need. The great thing about Bob is he’s always made me feel like that’s allowed, which is an expression my mum always used to say: “It’s allowed.”
Bob taught my kids to meditate and I was in the room because they were little. He’d say, “Here is your mantra word that you repeat.” And the next kid comes in—I have four kids—“And this is your word.” By child four, we’re all on the same mantra. A couple years in—because my kids are pretty savvy—they said to each other, “Is this your word? That’s mine. Do we all have that?” They’ve grown obviously and escalated to second-stage meditation and they all have different mantras. The thing about you not being able to tell anyone or share your mantra is… my mum and dad actually told each other their mantras, which I feel is extremely romantic. I haven’t even told my husband my mantra.
The David Lynch Foundation’s work for women’s initiatives is really magnificent. They’re giving meditation to people for free, which is probably one of the best gifts I think you can give anyone.
It is something you can take everywhere. We carry a lot of baggage around in our lives. Meditation is something that I just carry around in my back pocket and in my heart with me for free. It’s weightless and effortless and it’s a real gift.