Dermot Whelan: ‘It's the lad driving the digger that I want to reach’
Dermot Whelan: comedian, writer, broadcaster... meditation teacher
The first thing I see when I open Zoom is Dermot Whelan twisting and turning his phone camera around, just enough for me to get a glimpse of what looks like a rooftop garden filled with luminous grass in early February.
The Today FM broadcaster and staple is ready for our chat in his usual cheerful and giddy form. Despite the conversation centred around his newfound meditation journey — a seemingly ‘serious’ subject — Whelan believes the wellness world is one that could do with a dose of humour.
But what led him on this new path?
Following a panic attack some years back, Whelan knew he had to slow down and change his ways. He started devoting his time to looking for tools necessary to kick his anxiety. He soon found meditation was the solution.
Upon putting this new tool into practice, people started asking him to give them tips on meditation. Whelan realised he wasn't sure how to teach people, so he took a trip to California to master the craft.
“It was never my plan to become a meditation teacher. I had never had any intention to tell anyone about this.
"I always felt like there were kind of two halves to me, the outwards comedian woohoo side and then there was the more private quiet meditating side, I never really thought that the two would ever blend.”
The Limerick native released his book in 2021 — an easy guide to meditation full of his quirky humour too — and then as a qualified teacher, decided to take his skills and innovative approach on a new tour called Mind Full in 2022, combining both comedy and meditation.
His latest venture might not be one that we expected but he said his family was not surprised. He said this path gave him an ability to bring more of himself and more depth to his work, which made it far more fulfilling.
Whelan became somewhat of an accidental teacher, simply because he wanted more people to learn about the benefits that came with embracing the mindful practice.
He remembers doing a comedy show with his Today FM co-host Dave Moore with a 10,000-strong audience and thinking it was fun but two days later, taught meditation to 30 people in an insurance company and was absolutely buzzing after it.
By nature, comedy keeps people entertained for the duration of the show, but when Whelan began blending comedy with meditation, "they're taking away more than just a belly laugh, they're taking away stuff that can really help them in their lives in terms of managing stress, managing sleep, dealing with challenges and anxiety”, he says.
“It feels like everything I've done in my life in work and out of work has come to allow me to do this now."
Like in every part of our lives, we want a bit of craic. At work, in our relationships, our hobbies, but when we think of mindfulness, it may be harder to link but Whelan thinks this is precisely where we need it.
“I do think that a lot of the wellness world can take itself so seriously, you have to talk in hushed tones and say namaste a lot and suddenly use language that you would never use.
“I want to take these useful tips and use my comedy and humour as a vehicle because humour is that magical tool for helping people to be at ease and when we’re laughing and open too, we learn,” he adds.
When we try meditation, we often think we’re doing it wrong. We think we can turn a magic switch and all of our thoughts will suddenly disappear and when that doesn’t happen on our first try, we tend to give up.
Being aware of this, Whelan advises that “just because you have thoughts and your mind is busy doesn't mean you're doing it wrong, failing and it doesn't mean that it's for other people, not you. Once people understand that your mind wandering is part of it, then they go, ah, okay!”
The science behind meditation shocked Whelan the most.
“When I heard that, when you sit down, even if you're a beginner, try some of the techniques that I teach, you can shrink the part of your brain that causes anxious thoughts and I was like, wow, that is if you, excuse the pun, a no-brainer.
“The monks have known this for years for thousands of years before and science is the language of today and that's what people are latching onto,” he adds.
When asked who inspires him, Whelan ponders for a while, but eventually firmly says Bono. He’s inspired by his courage of always reaching for the stars, even when people were sniggering at him. He finds he has always been acutely aware of the many stumbling blocks that we throw at ourselves.
“That's why meditation for me has been such an amazing help, it shines a light on the things that I'm putting in my own way and so I understand myself a little bit better”, he said.
Whelan also enjoys a good dollop of silence and tried many retreats around Ireland including a Buddhist one “in the back arse of Cavan”, he jokes. He said his co-host Dave laughs at him because he fantasises regularly about moving to an island and living in a cave.
If he’s looking for a cave like-town I suggest my hometown of Navan. I take it as a no, he laughs.
Having changed the likes of actor Cillian Murphy's perspective on meditation techniques, I was curious to know who exactly Whelan wants to target and why.
“It's normal to hear a celeb talking about something spiritual, but actually it's the lad driving the digger that I want to reach, it’s there, those guys, particularly man, who, who feel left out of that conversation a lot of the time and naturally may not gravitate towards this space”, he says.
During the pandemic, things shifted and made more people learn towards creating wellness routines and taking better care of their mental health. Whelan thinks this time has opened people's minds a bit more and increased their willingness to try new things and to make themselves feel a little bit happier.
Looking towards the future, he would love it if someday people treated looking after their minds, just like they look after their bodies.
“I want meditation to be as mainstream as going to the gym. I want to see people in their early 20s, sitting down for five minutes of silence to strengthen their brain and strengthen their resilience and not just crushing it in the gym and then doubting themselves in every decision they make.
“So, I guess the goal with what I'm doing is, if it can help people to really normalise looking after your mind, then the mission will be accomplished.”
- You can find Whelan’s full tour dates for Mind Full 2022 on dermotwhelan.com
- If you have thoughts, you're not doing it wrong, so the first step is not to give up — having thoughts is normal.
- If you're a beginner and you don't know where to start, try a guided meditation. That’s like being in a car, you don't know where you're going and you're able to slide into the passenger seat and let someone else do the driving.
- Whelan recommends his book , which is great for beginners as it breaks down complicated spirituality jargon you might encounter in others into simple language with some added humour.
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