Meditation: A Powerful Workout

Feeling compassion for those who are feeling broken…Hang on, reach out, reach-in, we are stronger together.

I have found myself in tears over the past few weeks. This quarantine has been been a bittersweet journey for many. We are now faced with coming out of it financially and emotionally, Sadly many have been knocked to their knees with the burden of paying bills and managing the aftershock. It can and will feel overwhelming at times.

Be extra kind today, because we are in this together, even if we are all in different boats.

I was shopping at our local Target the other day, full mask on of course. I noticed there were more people out and the store was busy, As I was searching for some Lysol wipes (still in demand), I felt a woman zooming up behind me. There was not a lot of room to maneuver so I abandoned my cart and moved to avoid her brushing against me as she tried to go by. As I turned to get out of her way, she turned too. I felt momentarily trapped (one-way isles are the answer). I pulled my cart as far to the right as I could to let her by and stepped back. Our eyes meet. The anger I saw coming out through her eyes was palatable. At this point, I’m not gonna lie, I was getting agitated.

I am thankful for the skills I practice with yoga. Just take a breath I told myself. Don’t get me wrong. there are times to speak up and times to just breathe. Something told me to breathe my way through it.

My body language told her to go, as I stepped out of the way for her obvious urgency. Blowing off the chart of rude.

There was this split second of breathing in.. a quote I read in yoga took hold in me…

“The breath flows in and just before it turns to flow out, there is a flash of pure joy-life is renewed.”

She looked me through her facemask, eyes overflowing with anger, hate, and yelled at me: “You don’t have to give me a dirty look.”

What? Typically, knowing me, I would have said something. Are we in middle school? A dirty look? Not this time. I felt her anger, and I immediately decided at that moment to show compassion. I did not say a word which irritated her even more.

I don’t know her story, but I gave her the benefit of the doubt and chose to show kindness.

You never know who is feeling broken, hurt, and overwhelmed. Anger is a secondary emotion and it stands out in front of feelings of hurt and fear. Anger manifests when we are feeling the most vulnerable or feeling the need to protect ourselves.
What are your beliefs? Do you honor them not only on your mat or while doing church, but in your everyday life? While at Target, driving, or at your own dinner table? My time on the mat has really helped me to focus and continually define my beliefs. Consistently refining and bringing awareness to honoring those beliefs in my life. To act them out when my feet hit the floor.

A Beginner’s Guide to Meditation

I have to say, during some of the hardest times in my life, I have always found exercise, meditation, and prayer to be my anchor ⚓ in the storm.

I invite you to take a step in the direction of personal development. Times like these call for cultivating healthy habits, and new ways to happiness. I have never heard anyone say, “I should have skipped meditating or that yoga class.”

You will get something out of every day of our FREE 7-Day Meditation Challenge on our YouTube channel. Even if at first it’s just a glimpse or a few minutes to experience deep peace, serenity, and clarity. It will keep you returning to practice as you work to improve your meditation and mindset skills.

Have you ever heard the saying “our issues are stored in our tissues”? You don’t want to store the immediate, highly charged emotions of the quarantine. They will show up sooner if not later in your overall health and well being.

What can you expect when you start meditating? If you are brand new to meditating, I can tell you that you should expect your mind to be loud, busy, and restless. It may be hard to sit still and focus, but no worries. Don’t expect to sit down on your first session and experience uninterrupted calm and zen. Yet in the same way, you’d never expect to build abs on your first workout or run a marathon your first day out running.

Many forms of meditation exist, but for our challenge, find a quiet setting indoors or out. Sit in a comfortable position (cushions are optional). Do your best to focus your attention and keep an open attitude.

What are the benefits of meditating? Meditation is often described as “mind-body medicine” that can make a huge impact on your health and wellness. With regular practice, you will learn all the tools to develop intentional focus and a new mindset of minimizing random thoughts about the past or future.

Some of the many benefits that meditation has on physical and emotional health are:

•improved concentration

•relaxation

•inner peace

Meditation is also known to lower:

•anxiety

•stress

•fatigue

•blood pressure

•cortisol

A regular practice will help increase hormones such as:

•serotonin

•DHEA

•GABA

•growth hormones for cell repair

•renewal of every system in the body

•stimulating the immune system

“Research has found that meditation may help reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. When combined with conventional medicine, meditation may improve physical health. For example, some research suggests meditation can help manage symptoms of conditions such as insomnia, heart disease, pain, cancer, and digestive problems.”
–Mayo Clinic