Meditative Ringo

Ringo's new book of photographs

I came upon a radio interview with Richard Starkey the other day, and even though I only heard a portion of it, I was intrigued. Richard is better known as Ringo Starr, the drummer for the Fab Four, the Beatles. Ringo was an excellent drummer and the other Beatles knew it. He wasn't flashy and the hairy drum solos were few and far between. Even though he literally not in the photos of gigs he was solidly there in the background for some of the greatest hits in the history of rock and roll. He's admitted that in some of the early massive concerts such as Shea Stadium he couldn't hear the other band members so he kept the beat by watching Paul McCartney's ass in motion -- his description. 

I was somewhat surprised to hear that Ringo began meditating in 1968, which once I thought about it made sense. The Beatles met the Maharisha Mahesh Yogi, and Indian mystic the year before and spent time with him in Wales, of all places. Then they famously went to India where they literally sat at the feet of the yogi and learned transcendental meditation as an alternative to LSD and other drugs as a form of mystical high. 



In the interview with Q's Tom Power Ringo offered that he meditates to "keep me from me." When asked to explain he responded with a question along the lines of "do you ever wake up and a Ferrari goes off in your head?' which I figure means that we are inclined to dive into our days at break-neck mental speed. Meditation and meditative prayer invites us to slow down, breathe in, and embrace the present. 

This can take many forms. I've spent time in Christian monastic settings through the years and the offices of the day, anywhere from three to seven, intentional break the patterns of earnest activity to invite God in. Many people have explored Buddhist meditation as well, or engaged in nature meditative practices such as Forest Bathing. 

Ringo mentioned that while he was sporadic in his meditation practice in the early years he has meditated every day since 1992, including the morning of his interview. That is an impressive discipline and "You Know it Don't Come Easy."

Any thoughts about meditative prayer and practice? Or an absence of thought, since it is meditation?