I never really thought of meditation as an exercise, but it is. It’s not your common exercise where you’re moving about, but more for the mind. We all go through a bunch of things throughout our day, and usually we turn to exercise to get frustrations out. Meditation is another way to exercise too. The idea at first to me was kind of silly, but after doing it for the first time, it really made me feel relaxed and more focused. Meditation is the idea that you focus on your breath and nothing else, or focus on certain things as someone guides you through. I was first introduced to meditation through the online course that I am working on (and still in the process of working on – I’ve been pretty bad at making time for it, I admit).
After that first mediation, I found myself able to focus on the course’s weekly activity. When I went through anything else that required me to focus or relax, I usually thought about meditation, and how I could incorporate it in towards that activity or point in time. When times really get tough, it is important to just step away from it for a few minutes and just focus on your breath and relax. Meditation is something we should all incorporate into our routine of exercise on a weekly basis!
When you do meditate, make sure you keep the following in mind:
- Make sure you’re in a quiet room, with no distractions. The best time to meditate is when you’re alone.
- Allow time for meditation. 3-10 minutes is all you need.
- When listening to guided meditation, picturing what you are hearing helps you focus.
- Be open to the meditation. Remember, it’s just you, so don’t worry if you feel silly. You’re doing this for you.
Below is a pretty good example of the guided meditation I’ve done before. It’s also a good affirmation about love and self esteem!
Have you ever meditated before? If so, how has it helped you? If you never tried meditation before, would you try it?
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There was this show called Food Revolution a while back, and celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver went to a town in West Virginia to change the way the kids ate at school. They ate mostly processed foods that were already cooked and then frozen. The kids also drank flavored milk that had tons of sugar in it! Jamie wanted to introduce foods that weren’t preserved, such as vegetables, and encouraged cooking fresh food on premises. It definitely posed a challenge to the cooks in the schools as they were cooking for hundreds of kids. Cooking food from scratch for that many people was definitely difficult. But it was done. When the kids tried the food, they were really skeptical, so Jamie decided that he would make it fun and anytime someone tried something new, he would give them a sticker saying, “I Tried Something New.” It seemed to really encourage the kids to try new foods, and maybe even really like it!
My name is Susan, and I blog here. This blog is my personal journey to living a healthy and happy life. When you think 'fitness' you think exercise and sweating. But there is more to life than that. Eating mindfully and being happy is also important. That is what this blog is all about. 
