SOW #12 The Power of a Regular Meditation Practice with Special Guest Nita Sweeney

Hello Seeds of Wisdom followers. 2023 is a new year, and I wanted to do something special to celebrate. In 2023 you will be able to go Beyond the Seed on YouTube. Beyond the Seed is an extended version of the Seeds of Wisdom where we go deeper into the topic matter. You will still be able to watch the short versions on Facebook and Spotify, and listen on your preferred podcast platform.

Nita Sweeney and I talked a lot about mental health challenges and trauma in regards to meditation. This is a very personal conversation, and if you have ever struggled with meditation, you will definitely want to watch this episode.

We speak specifically about mental health challenges around bipolar disorder, PTSD, and OCD with our related experience to meditation. I can tell you that I definitely feel inspired after this conversation! Nita shares about her moving meditation practice and so much more.

Who is Nita Sweeney?

Nita Sweeney is the award-winning wellness author of three books, a certified meditation leader and mindfulness teacher, mental health advocate, ultramarathoner, and dog-mom with more than twenty-five years of writing experience. After a decade of legal practice (and a major depressive episode), Nita turned in her shingle for a fast writing pen. People still ask legal questions, but she’s done her best to forget the answers. Instead of negotiating labor contracts for public agencies, she writes, and shares what she’s learned.

Nita’s articles, essays, and poems have appeared in Buddhist America, Dog World, Dog Fancy, Writer’s Journal, Country Living, Pitkin Review, Spring Street, The Taos News, WNBA-SF blog, Pencil Storm, The Writing Cooperative, It’s Not Your Journey, Wide Open Writing, and other newspapers and newsletters. She blogs and publishes the monthly email, Write Now Columbus.

Nita’s poem “Memorial” won the Dublin Arts Council’s Poet’s Choice Award and an early draft of her memoir, Depression Hates a Moving Target: How Running with My Dog Brought Me Back from the Brink, (previously titled Twenty-Six Point Freaking Two) was short-listed for the William Faulkner – William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition Award. The book was awarded a Maxwell Medal in the Human Animal Bond category by the Dog Writers Association of America writing competition. It is a #1 Amazon Bestseller in the “mood disorders,” “bipolar disorder,” “depression,” and “running & jogging” categories. The book was selected by Ohioana Library to be included in the 2020 Ohioana Festival. Nita has received grant awards from the Greater Columbus Arts Council and the Ohio Arts Council for her work.

Nita’s third book, Make Every Move a Meditation was featured in the Wall Street Journal, short-listed for the International Book Awards, and has been a #1 New Release in seven categories including yoga, running & jogging, Theravada Buddhism, and more.

Nita co-authored the popular writing journal, You Should Be Writing: A Journal of Inspiration and Instruction to Keep Your Pen Moving, with Brenda Knight (Women of the Beat Generation.) The Ohioana Library selected it to be included in the 2021 Ohioana Festival.

She has been featured on AARP.com, Health.com, Healthline.com, Livestrong.com, Fupping.com, PsychCentral.com, bpHope.com, Bustle.com, NextAvenue.com, UpJourney.com, Medium.com, Pawstruck.com, Thrive Global, WGRN, Sweatpants & Coffee, Authority Magazine, Intergenerational Inspiration, 2014 and Beyond, and Pretty Progressive, and in Women’s Day, First for Women, bp Magazine, and Epoch Times, on the Prognosis Ohio, Word Carver, Running Dad, My Brain on Endorphins, Ten Junk Miles, Diz Runs, and numerous other podcasts, and nominated for the Ohio Arts Council Governor’s Award.

Nita earned a journalism degree from The E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University with a certificate in women’s studies, a law degree from The Ohio State University, a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from Goddard College, certification to lead Buddhist meditation from Sage Institute for Creativity and Consciousness, and certification to teach mindfulness meditation from the International Mindfulness Teachers Association.

She serves on the boards of the Women’s National Book Association of San Francisco and of Still I Run: Runners for Mental Health Awareness where she is the editor of the Still I Run blog.

For ten years, Nita studied with and assisted best-selling author Natalie Goldberg (Writing Down the Bones) at week-long writing workshops teaching the “rules of writing practice” and leading participants in sitting and walking meditation. Goldberg authorized Nita to teach “writing practice” and Nita has taught for nearly twenty years. When she’s not writing and teaching, Nita runs. She has completed two ultramarathons, three full marathons, thirty-six half marathons (in twenty-three states), and more than one hundred shorter races. Nita lives in central Ohio with her husband and biggest fan, Ed, and her yellow Labrador running partner, Scarlet, the #ninetyninepercentgooddog.