“I guess that’s typical of me. I talk about a lot of things,” says Gwyneth Paltrow, as we speak about the actress and business mogul’s recent opening up about her experience with menopause. But given the contrast between her uptight exterior and her willingness to be open throughout her life, what she’s referring to could be anything.
Today, Paltrow is here to talk about how meditation changed her life. She started meditating in the ’90s, around the time she finished her yoga practice. A few years later, she started learning Transcendental Meditation (TM), but she admits, “I didn’t meditate at all for many years. I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t have time.’ I think that’s something people say a lot, especially when you have little kids. It’s really hard.”
Paltrow started meditating again in the early days of the pandemic, when “everything slowed down a lot.” Her husband, screenwriter, director, and producer Brad Falchuk, also started studying with her TM teacher, and the couple began meditating together every morning, a habit they’ve continued ever since. “I feel like we’re going into a space that’s very personal but intimate, and the space that surrounds both of us is the same tone, but it’s very internal,” she says. “I don’t know if it strengthens our relationship, but I feel it does.”
Paltrow recently partnered with Moments of Space, a meditation app founded by Kim Little that blends ancient Dzogchen traditions with modern technology and focuses on open-eyed meditation techniques. (Paltrow is one of the app’s co-owners.) Even health guru Paltrow admits she had never heard of the concept before she got involved with the project. At first, she “thought, ‘If there’s a version of open-eyed meditation, does it really work?'” She thinks the approach is “easy for beginners and I can’t sit still, there’s a lot going on in my head. or, no time“It’s a great way to get all the scientific benefits of meditation, and it can be done in short bursts throughout the day and still have a huge impact.”
When I sheepishly confess that I don’t meditate, and that I’ve always been told I’m not mindful, Paltrow thoughtfully says, “I recommend you try it. It’s hard to fully explain, but it’s really simple. You just pick a dot and look at it, and it really calms your mind. It makes you aware of the space around you.” [you]And then you leave that space there and then you go inwards, all with your eyes open.”
The technique has proven a game-changer for her: Now she “can pull myself out of stressful situations or difficult conversations at work in real time.” She also likes the app’s walking meditations, which “allow for a connection with my inner self and the natural world around me.” [you].”
Paltrow has always been at the forefront of health trends, popularizing bone broth and jade eggs across the nation, so we’re curious to see what she predicts for the future. “I think personalized health is on the way,” she says, noting, “There’s all sorts of really interesting genetic tests you can do now that can help you understand what you’re susceptible to and what to avoid. And as these tests become more popular and more accessible, I think the cost will come down.” (Other words she mentions are, “Exosomes, stem cells, peptides. These are the ones you hear a lot about.”)
Social media may be the antithesis of mindfulness, but Paltrow has a knack for refreshingly unfiltered Instagram Story AMAs. (“Oh God,” she laughs when I bring it up.) “So, I have to start by saying, I’m super uncomfortable with the whole social media thing. My team asks me to do this every month, and I’m always like, ‘Oh man, now it’s Ask Me Anything time.’ But I feel like if you’re going to do it, you really should do it. Even if you’re doing an Ask Me Anything series, the worst thing you can do is to be super guarded and have a rehearsed answer ready. So I’m just me. I tend to get a lot of questions like, ‘How do I get through this?’ and ‘How do I get through that?’ People always ask me, ‘What’s your favorite Coldplay song?’ and I’ve answered that. I’m like, ‘No way.’ ‘How many times can you answer that question?’
Paltrow’s comments about menopause (she called her symptoms a “roller coaster”) have helped remove some of the stigma surrounding the subject. “A few years ago I started asking friends at the dinner table, ‘This is what’s happening to me. Does this happen to you guys? Here’s what I’m experiencing.’ It’s really helped spark conversations. I think it’s so important for us to have a community around these difficult issues. When you have little kids, there’s no shame in saying, ‘I’m having trouble with my toddler,’ or ‘How do I potty train him?’ But somehow at this stage in your life, it becomes weird, it’s bad.”
“It’s so crazy that women have been surrounded by silence and shame about menopause for so many years,” she adds. “It’s such a natural, wonderful, and unusual time in a woman’s life. We humans live long after menopause, which is unusual in the animal kingdom. Most animals die after they lose their reproductive potential, but we don’t. I always think of it as a magical time when we can fully express our power and wisdom. And I don’t know why menopause has become something shameful or embarrassing to talk about. It’s natural for all of us to go through it. If you’re lucky, you’ll survive perimenopause, and one day I’ll be in it too. I’m excited to understand what it means and the gifts that come with it.”
Now in her 50s, she says, “It’s weird, but I feel better than I did in my 40s. I have more strength and energy. I feel like I’ve spent more time taking care of myself. I’ve changed my diet a lot. I think I’m able to look after myself a little better than I ever did before. I feel like I’ve really become friends with myself and know myself better. I know my strengths and weaknesses and of course I’m always striving to learn and grow, but I also have a deep gratitude for all the experiences I’ve had and the close, deep relationships I’ve had in my life. Turning 50 is really liberating. Oprah said 60 will be even better!”
When interviewing Gwyneth Paltrow, it’s hard not to ask about the elephant in the room: quiet luxury in grey cashmere. Lately, she’s been held up as an icon of trends, both past and present. “I didn’t brand myself that way,” she says of the term. “But looking back, I feel like I’ve always dressed this way. For me, it’s about wearing better things. High-quality, beautifully tailored, timeless clothes. And that’s exactly what we do at G. Label. Lately, [people have] “I know people say this is a trend, but I feel like I’ve been dressing like this forever,” she says. Having a Gen Z daughter, she adds, “has changed my perspective on this… She’s so obsessed with the waste and environmental impact of the fast fashion industry. She prefers borrowing my vintage stuff rather than buying new.” And really, looking at Paltrow’s ’90s wardrobe, can you blame her?
You can download Gwyneth Paltrow’s “Moments of Space” meditation app here.
