Anyone who’s a fan of the Marvel Comic series “X-Men” knows that Wolverine — one of the primary protagonists of the franchise — is not the most Zen of characters. His fits of anger and deep trauma from his past, which reads like a horror movie, are a staple in the series. Hugh Jackman has portrayed Wolverine in various films since 2009’s “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”.
Hugh seems to have an uncanny connection to Wolverine’s story. As a child, Hugh suffered from an almost debilitating fear. He has spoken frequently about this, and how he has learned that facing fear is necessary to living a good life. “If I feel frightened of it, I have to attack it, I have to go in. Because I’m terrified that it will creep into other areas of my life,” he said, in an interview with Oprah in 2013.
“I’ve always felt that if you back down from a fear, the ghost of that fear never goes away. It diminishes people.” — Hugh Jackman
Among other benefits, meditation has helped him be less anxious. In a video, published by the YouTube channel “TM Videos”, he says “I meditate before I go on stage, I meditate in the morning and lunch time when I am on a film set. The energy is finer and the decisions you make are more authentic and you’re more able to listen to other people.”
I appreciate Hugh Jackman talking openly about his experiences with meditation because it is often stigmatized. For me, meditation is my (not so) secret weapon. It has carried me through some tough times and helped me to approach life from a place of empowerment instead of a place of fear.
For more about how I see meditation and its benefits, check out this post.
Featured photo credit: © Gage Skidmore | “Hugh Jackman” | Source
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