RuPaul
RuPaul Andre Charles, the world's most famous drag queen, discusses his meditation journey, starting at 28 during a dark period. He shares his morning routine of prayer and meditation, viewing drag as a spiritual exploration of identity and freedom from societal norms, emphasizing self-love and kindness.
Deep Dive Analysis
15 Topic Outline
Dan Harris's Introduction to RuPaul and Meditation
RuPaul's Early Life, Trauma, and Seeking Other Realms
Understanding the World as a Hoax and Finding His Tribe
Starting Formal Meditation at 28 and Developing His Practice
RuPaul's Morning Routine and Meditation Technique
The Role of Eckhart Tolle and Managing Intrusive Thoughts
Benefits of Meditation and Spiritual Clarity
Drag as an Exploration of Identity and Wholeness
Life as an Illusion and Freedom from Societal Rules
The Spiritual Gift of Being Cast Out by Society
Drag's Cultural Role: Reminding Not to Take Life Seriously
Kindness as a High Level of Consciousness
Squaring Optimism with the World's Duality
The Philosophy of Self-Love and 'Who You Really Are'
RuPaul's Break from Fame and Reconnecting with Self
6 Key Concepts
Other Realms
This concept refers to the understanding that the visible, physical world is not the only reality. RuPaul realized early on that what we perceive with our eyes is limited, and that even seemingly solid objects are energy vibrating at a high rate, leading him to seek deeper truths.
The World as a Hoax/Illusion
RuPaul describes society's rules, expectations, and the pressure to 'fit in' as superficial, hypocritical, and lacking genuine standards. This realization, stemming from personal trauma and observation, allowed him to free himself from conventional norms and create his own path.
Awareness of Thoughts
In meditation, this is the understanding that one's true self is not the thoughts themselves, but the conscious awareness observing them. Thoughts are likened to a river, and the meditator sits on the bank, watching them flow by without judgment, simply noticing their presence and letting them go.
Kindness as Conscious Choice
RuPaul defines kindness not as ignorance of life's difficulties, but as a deliberate act of optimism that acknowledges the illusory nature of the material world. It involves choosing to recognize the inherent beauty, innocence, and divine source within everyone, and persevering through darkness with strength.
Duality of Existence
This concept posits that life is fundamentally composed of polar opposites, such as yin and yang, love and hate, or right and wrong, which coexist simultaneously. True understanding involves acknowledging both aspects, and while both are correct, one can choose to focus on the light to experience joy.
Self-Love as a Practice
Self-love is described as a daily, ongoing effort to align with one's true, divine self by disengaging the ego through prayer and meditation. It involves remembering one's inherent worth as a gift and following one's internal guidance system, which then enables the sharing of love with others.
9 Questions Answered
RuPaul started formally meditating at 28 during a very dark, pre-fame period when he was broke and living on his sister's couch, seeking a way to cope and find deeper meaning.
RuPaul practices a form of mindfulness where he imagines himself sitting on a riverbank, watching his thoughts (the river) flow by without judgment, understanding that he is the awareness, not the thoughts themselves.
When thoughts catch him, he simply brings himself back to the awareness, acknowledging that it's fine to get caught up and that the voice in the head doesn't go away, but one can choose not to act on it, saying 'thanks for sharing.'
Meditation allows him to live, calm himself, avoid drastic reactions, and experience clarity and a sense of his body healing and aligning by removing the blockage of thoughts about the past or future.
RuPaul views drag as akin to shamans, witch doctors, and court jesters, serving to remind people not to take life, especially social and cultural constructs, too seriously.
He believes that existence is characterized by polar opposites (yin/yang, love/hate) that coexist. He acknowledges both but chooses to live in the light and focus on the innocence within, understanding that both are correct.
For RuPaul, 'God' refers to the indescribable 'thing' or 'being' that cannot be named or owned, representing the ultimate consciousness or source.
Self-love is a daily practice of 'faking it till you make it,' starting by disengaging the ego through prayer and meditation to align with one's true self, remembering one is a gift, and then following one's own heart's directive.
He felt the need to step away from the 'canvas' as an artist, especially during a hostile cultural period, to quit drinking and drugs, reconnect with himself and family, and understand his motivations beyond seeking his father's approval or filling a void with fame.
17 Actionable Insights
1. Cultivate Daily Self-Alignment
Start each day by disengaging your ego through prayer and meditation, aligning yourself with a higher consciousness or ‘being’ to remember your inherent worth as a gift to the world. This practice helps to foster self-love.
2. Practice Non-Judgmental Awareness
During meditation, imagine your thoughts as a river flowing by and you are sitting on the bank, observing them without judgment. If you get caught up in a thought, gently bring your awareness back to the observer position, as this is a natural part of the process.
3. Acknowledge & Release Thoughts
When the ‘voice in your head’ or egoic thoughts arise, acknowledge their presence by mentally saying ‘Thanks for sharing,’ but do not act on them. Allow them to exist without engagement, understanding that the voice doesn’t go away, but you don’t have to be controlled by it.
4. Embrace Life’s Duality
Recognize that polar opposites (love/hate, light/dark, joy/pain) coexist simultaneously in life. Acknowledge both sides, but deliberately choose to focus on the positive aspects and live in the light, as this choice brings joy.
5. Prioritize Self-Love
Understand that loving yourself is a fundamental practice, essential for being able to love others. This self-love is cultivated by following your heart and your own inner GPS system, doing what genuinely brings you joy.
6. Seek Beyond the Obvious
If you experience trauma or perceive the world as a ‘hoax’ or ‘illusion,’ become a seeker of deeper understanding. Look for information and experiences that reveal realms beyond what is immediately apparent, as this can lead to profound personal breakthroughs.
7. Don’t Take Life Seriously
Adopt the perspective that life, especially social and cultural constructs, should not be taken too seriously. This mindset grants you the freedom to ‘play with all the colors,’ ignore restrictive rules, and have fun, knowing your true self remains unchanged.
8. Cultivate Kindness Deliberately
Practice kindness as a conscious choice, recognizing it as a high level of consciousness and deliberate optimism. This means choosing to see the beauty, innocence, and source in everyone, even while being aware of life’s darkness.
9. Persevere Through Dark Times
When facing a ‘dark night of the soul’ or difficult periods, persevere and stand strong on a foundation of resilience. Understand that these dark clouds will eventually pass, and your steadfastness will help you overcome them.
10. Embrace All Aspects of Self
Explore all the ‘colors in the rainbow’ within yourself, including aspects of your personality you may not know about. Don’t let fear of others’ opinions restrict your self-expression, as this exploration is a gift and crucial for a full life.
11. Take Breaks for Reconnection
Periodically step away from your work or public life, like an artist stepping away from a canvas, to reconnect with yourself. Use this time to quit unhelpful habits, understand your motivations, and realign with core values like love, music, and laughter.
12. Protect Your Energy
If you are a sensitive person who takes on the energy of others, be very careful about who you allow into your intimate space. Use a persona or boundaries to protect your true, sensitive self from overwhelming external influences.
13. Join a Meditation Group
Consider joining a meditation group to support your practice, as RuPaul attends one five days a week at 6:30 AM.
14. Avoid Traffic if Stressful
If traffic significantly triggers negative emotions or your ‘devil on the shoulder,’ implement a strategy to avoid it as a practical solution to reduce stress.
15. Incorporate Daily Stretching
Integrate daily stretching into your morning routine, especially as you age, to maintain physical well-being.
16. Support the Podcast
If you enjoy the 10% Happier podcast, subscribe, rate it (preferably five stars), and tell friends about it to support the show.
17. Avoid Heels in Soggy Grass
Do not wear high heels in soggy grass, as it is a bad idea and can lead to problems.
7 Key Quotes
If you can't love yourself, how are you going to love somebody else?
RuPaul
Being kind illustrates the highest level of consciousness and deliberate optimism. Being kind says, I know the material world is an illusion and I choose to recognize the beauty, innocence, and the source in everyone.
RuPaul
You are the awareness of your thoughts. You are not your thoughts.
RuPaul
Life is not to be taken serious.
RuPaul
The biggest hurdle I had to overcome at that age was understanding that the world was hypocritical. ... It's all an illusion. It's hypocritical. It doesn't have, um, there isn't a standard. It's all superficial. So no, thank you, ma'am. I want nothing to do with your fitting in.
RuPaul
You are God having an excursion in the human body, uh, experiencing life on this planet.
RuPaul
When you don't care what other people think of you, that frees you so much because, you know, being that kid who was set aside by society, if they don't care about me, I don't have to care about what they think of me. So I'm free to do whatever I want.
RuPaul
3 Protocols
RuPaul's Morning Routine for Self-Alignment
RuPaul- Wake up very early (4 AM).
- Stretch.
- Pray (to deconstruct and overrun the ego system by physically acknowledging something other than self).
- Meditate (by imagining yourself sitting on the bank of a river, watching thoughts flow by without judgment, as the awareness of thoughts).
Managing Intrusive Thoughts During Meditation
RuPaul- Allow the voice in your head to exist, knowing it doesn't go away.
- Don't act on the thoughts.
- Acknowledge the thought by saying, 'Thanks for sharing. Keep coming back.'
Practice for Loving Yourself
RuPaul- Disengage your ego in the morning through prayer and meditation.
- Align yourself with 'that thing which cannot be described' (God/being).
- Remember who you really are: 'God's gift to this world.'
- Go about life following your heart, which acts as your own GPS system, enjoying what you like.