McCartney, Jr.: Meditation from father, vegetarianism from mother

Meet James McCartney, a musician. He is the only son of The Beatles member Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney — and that celebrity background could be a burden.

Yet it seems that James has managed to keep feet firmly on the ground.

Mom who was passionate about  vegetarian food

James McCartney’s mother Linda was a well-known animal rights activist.

She even founded a company which is still operational today in marketing vegetarian meals. (You can actually check out many delicious vegetarian recipes a la Linda McCartney on the company’s site!)

In honour of his mother’s sentiment, James is also a firm vegetarian.

In a recent interview, James explained his dietary principles: “I am very keen to always eat well — I have a vegetarian diet leaning towards veganism.

“My parents taught me from a very young age to be compassionate towards all sentient beings. I know that this may sound very Buddhist, but that’s what I really do believe.”

In the footsteps of a meditating father

Another thing which keeps James going through all the gruelling days of a touring musician is the practice of Transcendental Meditation. Where eating habits came from his mother, the technique for mental balance comes from his father, Paul McCartney.

“To support me in my daily life, I have already developed a solid self-care routine which involves healthy eating, regular exercise and of course meditation,” says James.

“Transcendental Meditation (TM) plays a big role in my life as it has done for my father and the other Beatles. I meditate regularly — twice a day — and I have learnt 4 advanced TM techniques. I find that just 30 minutes of Transcendental Meditation refreshes me as if I had slept a few hours!”

James stresses the importance of regularity in practice. As a musician, he knows fully well that any form of human activity has to be sustained from moment to moment.

With regular meditation practice, McCartney Jr. has witnessed increasing calm and happiness in his existence: “You’ll snap out of situations in which previously you might have stressed yourself out.”

Despite seeing huge benefits in Transcendental Meditation, James McCartney remains very tolerant and non-sectarian in his encouragement for a basic spiritual orientation.

He says that if you practice Transcendental Meditation daily, you’ll soon find out why it is different from other spiritual techniques.

Nevertheless, people are different and have to find a path which suits their particular human condition.

“It’s more important to choose a method that resonates with you, and follow it every day,” McCartney Jr. wisely says.