Returning to Essence: The Daily Gift of Meditation
John Philip Newell (b. 1953) is an internationally renowned Celtic teacher, poet, scholar, and author who invites our modern world to reawaken to the sacredness of Earth and every human being. Canadian‑born and also Scottish, he earned his PhD at the University of Edinburgh and served as Warden of Iona Abbey. In 2016 he founded the Earth & Soul initiative and has written over fifteen books, including Sacred Earth Sacred Soul and The Great Search.
“I was omitting, in a sense, to remember and to be renewed in my essence.”
And for me, a very important part of the day is morning meditation. When I wake up, and I love the early mornings, when I wake up, my first thought is, oh yeah, I get to meditate for half an hour. And that's an essential part of my daily practice. And I think early on in my experience and discipline of meditation, I would sometimes be tempted to think, oh, I have so much on this morning. I'm so important. There's so many important things to do. I think I'll have to miss my meditation. But that was never a good decision. You know, the day sort of went downhill because I was omitting, in a sense, to remember and to be renewed in my essence. So I think that's one piece. And, of course, that takes different form at different times in our lives. I know that as a young father, it was much more difficult for me to have a half hour of silence in the morning with children. So, you know, we need to find our own rhythms, our own practices, and those unfold and change at different stages in our lives. but for me at the moment, that morning meditation is a reflection of my discipline, my responsibility, as well as my delight, my renewing.
Excerpt from “Pilgrimage in Our Modern World – John Philip Newell”, a live episode of the Dutch podcast Lyden af Areopagos, recorded at Heavenly Days with hosts Louise Højlund and Christoffer Engholm. Originally published on June 12, 2025. Listen to the full episode here.
