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Almost every successful woman Mamamia met this year meditates. Here's why.

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That Rachael Finch, she’s so unoriginal.

The model, author, mum, TV presenter and health coach is sitting across from me in a black, padded room, and she’s telling me something I’ve heard many, many times before.

It’s not that she starts her day with a glass of warm water and a teaspoon of granulated bee-pollen.

Nope, no-one’s ever told me that before.

It’s not that she and her husband Michael Miziner do not have a nanny and are keeping daughter Violet out of child care until she goes to school, either. I don’t hear that much.

And it’s not that she’s learned to live with the bile from the snipers who, earlier this year, decided she’s a terrible parent because her mother-in-law has Violet for sleep-overs most weekends – that’s something not everyone has to deal with.

You can listen to Rachael talk about that, here:

Nope, the part that is all too familiar to me, as someone who talks to fabulously successful and busy women every week, is the part where she tells me she meditates.

Because they all do.

If I’ve learned one thing from the women who have sat in the seat where Rachael is sitting right now, glowing and pregnant and exuding positive energy, it’s that they all take a little bit of time every day to do absolutely nothing.

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Meshel Laurie. Robin Bailey. Megan Morton. Nikki McWatters. Jane Martino, who actually started an app – Smiling Mind – to pass along the wisdom of meditation to others.

All of them are meditators.

Rachael says, “I meditate most days. If I don’t, I feel it. I start to get jittery and my mind starts to get negative… I like to do it when Violet’s sleeping, when she goes down for a nap. Or, if I’m sitting in a room full of people and we all know that in five minutes we’re about to start a job… I’m just like “Guys, I’m tuning out for a bit’. I can meditate any time, anywhere.”

Rachael Finch in the Mamamia offices with Holly.

REALLY? In a crowded room? In the car? When the TV's on?

Yup.

"You don't need to be that whole 'Om' meditation. You can just 'tune in', focus in on your breathing... You're not anywhere else, you're right here. It just helps with (exhales) aaaah, 'Things are not as bad as I thought they were'."

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These women's zen sisters taking over my work place, too.

I'm always busting people in our podcast cave at odd times of the day because they've nipped in there to recharge.

One colleague - who has the bounciest of springs in her step - tells me that it's down to something called 'alternate nostril breathing', part of her meditation practice.

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So here's my question: As a scattered working parent who constantly feels like my mental to-do list is leaking out of my ears, can I become one of these people?

One of these calm, controlled nostril-breathing meditators? (Post continues after gallery.)

Is adding meditation to my (currently very short) "self-care" regimen something that will greatly enhance my life? My six-year-old daughter thinks so. She meditates at school, after lunch.

At first I thought it was a ploy by her clever teacher to buy himself five minutes of peace but apparently, no, it helps "reset the class's intention" for the afternoon.

So, my thumb is poised over the mediation app to download. 2017 is going to be the year of Zen.

And any tips on how to stop my mind from going where it will  - "What's that smell? My toes are kind of gross. What's that on the floor? I wonder if that will come up? What should I have for lunch? Have I paid for the swimming lessons? Sure that was due this week... What's that smell? What should I have for lunch... Oh, Gorman's on sale today..."  - are very welcome.

Ohm.

PS: Another great take-away from this interview with Rachael? She eats carbs.

I know. You're welcome.

You can listen to the whole interview, here:

Subscribe to Mamamia podcasts, and buy any books mentioned on our shows - including Rachael's - here

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