When I learned that Namaste, a Sanskrit word that has made its way into our vernacular, literally translated into “I bow to you,” I thought I was way off the mark with my original impression. It was a salutation, a sort of greeting between people, but there is a wealth of history, and thus meanings, behind it. The mudra—a ritual gesture—of the palms touching is said to represent the spiritual in one hand and the physical in the opposite hand. When the hands touch, it is symbolic of one trying to rise above the physical and worldly aspect of himself—and to accept openly the person to whom the greeting is being given.

The Art of Namaste

The stalk on which a ripe fruit rests bends or bows in humility.
If the stalk has not learned the art of bowing, it breaks.

Today, offer your namaste not only to your Guru or teacher but also to your lover, your enemy, your waiter, your boss, your parents, the Self within the Self. Bow to the heart of every being you meet with with reverence. All are worthy. Each have something to reveal to you about Who You Are.

~ Leena Patel, founder of  Karuna Yoga – the Yoga of Compassion

There are many other interpretations of what each hand symbolizes, and given how far back the word Namaste dates, it’s not surprising. It is one of the greetings mentioned in the Hindu’s religious texts, the Vedas—arguably the oldest scriptures in the world. For some it is a greeting between people (or a yoga class) recognizing in each other peace, respect, and openness. It is a common greeting between friends and strangers alike amongst Hindus. For others, though, it is a gesture used while communing with a deity, or a sort of centering phrase to induce calm and preparation for yoga or meditation when alone. Aadil Palkhivala suggests using Namaste to meditate upon the heart chakra, since the hands are over the chest and that helps focus the attention to the heart.*

It appears to be agreed, though, that Namaste is a perfect gesture or mudra to begin a yoga session. I’m not sure how many people just say it in a gesundheit context, as I did, and how many realize how much history is behind the word. Namaste, according to Nitin Kumar, editor of Exotic India**, talks about how nama can be further broken down into na and ma, which would translate into “not mine.” He explains that this a fundament of Namaste, because it proclaims a rejection of all things selfish or detrimental to the soul, and it is an embrace of humility and selflessness. And if we truly mean this when we speak the word, it becomes an acknowledgment of kindred spirits—of recognizing in another person the same wish.

*www.yogajournal.com/basics/822
**www.exoticindiaart.com/article/namaste

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About Author

Maura Stackpoole is an advocate for yoga and other mindful practices, and is a graduate from Michigan State University. She is also the editor and publicist for Mindful Muscle (http://www.mindfulmuscle.com).

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Then one day, fate (intention?) brought meditation into my life… I was tasked with developing my own meditation practice for a psychology class I was taking at the University of Michigan. What was nice about this assignment was that we were encouraged to experiment with a variety of different practices, and then decide which one/s that we would explore further. Additionally, we had to journal our experiences over a period of two weeks.

“Man is very tiny if you look at his body, man is very foolish if you look at his mind, and man is tremendously vast if you look at his consciousness. Three things meet in man. The vast, the infinite, meet in his consciousness, in his awareness. That’s what you become aware of when you meditate: boundaries recede and disappear.” ~ Osho

As I sit here recalling my first dance with meditation, it was no easy task. Quieting the mind. The impossible task, right? Our ego is so used to running the show, we don’t become aware of how dominating it is until we actually try to calm and quiet our minds. Make no mistake, chances are the first few times you try to meditate will seem virtually impossible, frustrating, and even painful. No worries though, this is perfectly natural.

Below you will find some of my personal advice if you’re curious about giving meditation a try… Come on in, the water’s nice!

START SMALL AND EASE INTO IT

• Try to meditate for only 4-5 minutes at first.
• Add one minute every 1-2 days until you can meditate at least 15-20 minutes.
• The more you practice, the easier and more enjoyable it becomes. Give it a little time and persist.

DON’T “DO” ANYTHING

• Meditation isn’t something you actually do or accomplish, it’s the state of non-doing (our natural state).
• Don’t try to get it right, or have any expectations. What happens during your session – sleep, mind wandering, insight, deep relaxation, etc. – is exactly what was supposed to happen. Just allow and let go.
• When thoughts enter your mind, be mindful of them and acknowledge they’re there. Then, gently return your awareness to your breath or mantra.

IT’S ALL ABOUT ROUTINE

• Build it into your schedule so that it’s automatic (like brushing your teeth, showering, etc.).
• Think of it as daily physical, mental, and spiritual nourishment—make it a MUST!

My challenge to you is the same one Dr. Mann (UofM Professor) gave me:

1. Experiment with a few different kinds of meditation (TM, mindfulness, guided, music, etc.)
2. Choose one or more practices that you would like to explore further.
3. Journal your experiences over a period of two weeks (3-4 sentences).
4. Craft your own customized meditation practice.

Enjoy the gift of meditating. Namaste.

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About Author

Chris Willitts is the founder of Mindful Muscle and a prominent advocate of mindful practices. He believes that meditation is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your overall state of well-being.

Chris is a new media entrepreneur, freelance web designer, and contributing writer for health & fitness at Ann Arbor.com (local news outlet). You could also say Chris is a “professional student” as his formal education is still being acquired from the University of Michigan with concentrations in psychology, creativity and consciousness studies, Asian studies (cultural), and business.

Be sure to check out Mindful Muscle’s philosophy about mindfulness and self-cultivation www.mindfulmuscle.com

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What is Flow?

In the field of Sports Psychology, the “zone” is synonymous with the term “flow” coined by world-renowned psychologist Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. “Flow” can be defined as a heightened state of consciousness in which one is completely focused on and absorbed in what one is doing to the point where mind and body seem to function in perfect harmony without conscious effort. As sports psychologist and former USOC committee chair Dr. Shane Murphy notes, this effortless yet completely focused and exceptional performance often leads to a blissful enjoyment of the activity. One of the best basketball players of all time, Boston Celtic legend Bill Russell, once described flow as beyond physical or mental into a magical state of bliss where pain would disappear and performance would be maximized.

It is our belief at Mindful Muscle that flow can also become an integral aspect of one’s strength training. Perhaps you can recall a moment of ecstasy during your own workout when bench-pressing a personal best. Or maybe during a run you felt you could continue going forever without the usual pain you normally experience. It was “flow” you were experiencing in those moments. Imagine being able to recreate that level of performance and connection in every workout.

Increasing the Chances of Experiencing Flow?

At Mindful Muscle we are working towards developing a process to help increase the likelihood of flow occurring during workouts and life. One obstacle to achieving that goal, however, is the consensus among researchers that “flow” seems to occur with some degree of grace. In other words, one does not induce flow, but flow seems to induce itself. Bill Russell noted that these moments of flow were spontaneous and often times “fragile.”  In other words, being able to fully induce flow on command seems unlikely.

But increasing the chances of one getting into a state of flow seems very possible. Many successful athletes seem to be able to experience flow more than others. Through the research and observations of Czikszentmihalyi and many other sports psychologists we now can start to elucidate some key qualities associated with flow.

12 Qualities of Flow

From our research thus far on scientific studies, case studies, and other athlete and researcher descriptions, we have found several nearly universal qualities of the state of flow and of the experiencer at the time of flow. We have found twelve in particular. It should be noted that you don’t need every quality to be in “flow,” these are just observations we have noticed from people’s recorded experiences.

1. Mentally relaxed/clear mind
2. Physically relaxed despite being in action
3. Positive thinking
4. Focus on the present moment/the NOW
5. High energy
6. Heightened awareness
7. Dr. Csikszentmihalyi’s labeled paradox of control (feeling in control while action seems automatic)
8. Mind-body connection
9. Feeling of effortlessness
10. Feeling of ecstasy
11. Detachment from the outcome
12. Connection to higher energy and possibly to others around

While several of these qualities such as the feeling of effortlessness, ecstasy, paradox of control, and the high energy of the state seem to be qualities that come as a result of entering flow, many of them can be cultivated.  A clear/relaxed mind can be developed through a consistent, daily meditation practice.  This can just be simple breathing meditation (described below). Meditation also can help one focus more on the present moment with an increased awareness of body, mind, and surroundings. Body Scan meditation can help physically relax the body as well as increase the mind-body connection. Maybe the most important of these qualities is positive thinking. Positive thinking can be cultivated by consciously making an effort to rid our mind of the negativity that often surrounds us in our society. Instead of complaining and finding fault with the weather, acknowledge that it has to rain sometimes and let yourself be at peace. Instead of complaining about work or a job remind yourself how grateful you are to have one while so many in these times are unemployed. All in all, come to peace with your living situation instead of filling it with negativity. Transmute negativity into positive thoughts and energy.

Flow in Life

These are all very tangible ways we can increase our chances of entering flow not only in workouts, but also in day-to-day life. Dr. Csikszentmihalyi has written a number of books on how flow can increase our happiness in day-to-day life even beyond workouts and performance. In one speech, Dr. Csikszentmihalyi showed how flow is the source of much happiness for us in all walks of life from creativity, to business, to sports, and even relationships.  Csikzentmihalyi challenges the audience at the end to find a way to get more “flow” in our everyday lives in order to increase our happiness and purpose.

Challenge-Skills Balance

The reason strength training workouts can be a great tool to induce flow is because of what Dr. Csikzentmihalyi calls the Challenge-Skills balance. Through his forty years of research, he has found that flow is most likely to occur when we have the combination of highly developed skills and an extraordinary challenge. In order to have the most productive workouts we have to constantly play with and optimize this challenge-skills balance. If you set the challenge too high for your skills, you likely will be discouraged and fail to stay on a routine. If you set a challenge too low, you probably will not make much progress and see a workout as a boring means to an end instead of an end in and of itself. We believe it is crucial to find the best possible balance in every workout where we challenge our skills to the highest challenge they can handle. Yes, it can be a very delicate boundary, but that is what we are seeking to do.

Journal Exercise: Think back to your past experiences of extreme joy in athletic competition, training, hobbies, profession, and relationships. Pick one that really stands out as a moment where you were fully absorbed in the moment and joy. Describe that joy and how you felt during it.

• Does that joy you felt fit some of the qualities listed and described above?
• Do you think that flow was possibly at play in that moment of bliss?
• Would it be nice to experience that joy more often?

6 Week Personal Trial:

Combine that desire to recreate the transcendent feeling of being in flow with your desire to make great strides with your exercise and strength training practice.

1. Challenge-Skills Balance:
Try and pay more attention to the design of your workouts. If you are not pushing your muscles to exhaustion and therefore find yourself somewhat bored, try upping the resistance or reps. If you have been pushing yourself too hard lately and find yourself discouraged, tone down your workouts a little bit. Try to find that optimal balance between your current skills and the challenge and goals you set for yourself. It is crucial to set goals for yourself. Just make sure they are goals that challenge your current ability. Give yourself a big push, but at the same time you are not going to make a hundred pound increase in bench press over a few weeks.

TRUST YOUR INTUITION. There is a part of you that knows what a doable challenge would be. You know yourself better than anyone else does. Hold yourself accountable and go for it.

2. Clearing the mind and increasing your present awareness:
Perhaps start a meditation routine of sitting for just five to ten minutes per day where you try to only witness your breath. Do not try and control your breath, just calmly watch and observe every in-breath and out-breath. Notice if and how it changes in depth and rate. Do not attempt to change it any way, just observe it. Any time your mind wanders to other thoughts, slowly bring your attention back to observing your breath. It’s ok if your mind wanders, because IT WILL! It is all part of the practice. The important thing is that when you do notice your mind has wandered, gently bring your attention back to the breath. Don’t beat yourself up about it. Again, it happens to everyone. Your thoughts will wander, but the more you practice the easier it will be to keep your mind quiet and focused.

Through this practice we begin to fully appreciate each and every moment/breath of our life. Each moment, now, is not a means to an end, but an end in and of itself.

As Hall of Fame Basketball Coach and Zen Buddhist Phil Jackson says, “In basketball—as in life—true joy comes from being fully present in each and every moment, not just when things are going your way… The trick is to experience each moment with a clear mind and open heart. When you do that, the game—and life—will take care of itself.”

Sometimes we may feel that our mind takes control of us in life. But Olympic gold-medalist sprinter Michael Johnson reminds us: “The first thing an athlete has to realize is that you are always in control. And you need to maintain that control of both the body and the mind.”

3. Positive Thinking:
Anytime a negative thought arises regarding your exercise routine or any aspect of life, step back and let go of that negative thought and think of the things that you have to be grateful for in your life. Trust me, there are many if you really think about it. Many world-class athletes have spoken about positive thinking as being the most important aspect of maintaining high performance and flow.

Olympic Gold Medalist Sprinter Michael Johnson’s Quotes from Time Magazine:
“If you have a disappointment, you need to ask yourself, ‘Why didn’t I perform well today?’ Then you need to get yourself at peace with the situation.”
“You can’t stop those negative thoughts from coming. The only way to stop those thoughts is to replace them with something else. If you’re going to replace them, you might as well replace them with something that’s going to help you.” Johnson used to visualize himself in the upcoming race pushing through his weakest part of the race successfully.

Michael Jordan (arguably the greatest basketball player of all time):
“Always turn a negative situation into a positive situation.”

World Champion Boxer George Foreman:
“That’s my gift. I let that negativity roll off me like water off a duck’s back. If it’s not positive, I didn’t hear it. If you can overcome that, fights are easy.”

Thinking positive starts in everyday life. Make a commitment to speaking and thinking more positively. This will make you better able to handle the days that don’t go as planned in the weight room, the boardroom, or in any facet of life.

Try paying attention to these three practices for the next six weeks and see if you notice an increase in what is described as ‘flow’ above. In other words, have your workouts become more enjoyable and ecstatic.

• Have you made progress as far as the amount of weight you can lift or reps you can do?
  
• Have you broken through any barriers you may have previously had?

Just Try It!

You’ll never know if you don’t try. At Mindful Muscle we are trying to see how much our minds can help us if we let them. Chris (the founder of Mindful Muscle) and many others have already noticed a significant elevation in their workouts by incorporating meditation and positive thinking into their lives.  Working out can become a deeply enjoyable experience, instead of only a means to better physical and better health. If you’re intrigued, give it a try.

Flow is something that can increase our happiness in daily life. Mindful strength training is an ideal opportunity to experience flow. We are going to continually research and experiment on our own to try and come up with a pre-workout process to maximize our chances of getting into flow. Those updates will come, but in the meantime we would appreciate your help and feedback. Let us know about your experiences with flow, and our challenge if you are up for it.

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About Author

Rushi Vyas is an advocate for the integration of alternative medical therapies in the world of Western medicine, and is a research assistant for Mindful Muscle (http://www.mindfulmuscle.com). He is also a pre-med student at the University of Michigan exploring the diversity and similarities of various religious traditions around the world.

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Upon further research, what I found was contradictory. There were those who lauded fasting and those who emphatically denounced it. One aspect that appears to be universal—at least universal in the articles I delved through—is that no one actually prescribes it as a weight-loss method. Those who recommend fasting usually do so because of its supposed cleansing benefits, not because it was a guaranteed pound-shedder. To be honest, I find that a relief; the idea of not eating for a long period of time to lose weight just sounds too much like anorexia or starvation to me.

The Spiritual Side of Fasting

With the intent of centering oneself through fasting in a spiritual context, however, I can understand and appreciate the testimonies of practitioners. Depending on one’s religious or spiritual knowledge, many people have some familiarity of when fasting occurs today. Be it the fasting on Good Friday for many Christians, or the month of Ramadan for Muslims, it is still a prevalent practice in the religious realm. Its history is far reaching; ancient tribes, including Native Americans, would fast for a number of reasons, including penitence, fertility, and protection. (…fasting.html)

I read of one Christian man’s personal account of prayer and fasting as a means to finding answers from God. My first reaction, since the man also mentioned how historically fasting was often employed by Christians for answers, was that fasting for answers sounded a lot like a magic eight ball—hope you like the answer you get … and that it makes sense… But after thinking about it for awhile, and reading more and more how fasting is used a tool for centering oneself, I realized fasting and praying were more like remembering one’s goals, ethics, or hopes. It was a way to connect to higher thoughts and beliefs. As a Catholic, I practice fasting before mass and on days like Good Friday as a method to reflect upon Christ’s sacrifices and cleanse the soul, so to speak. I’d never thought to use fasting to find answers within myself, though I’m sure it isn’t just Christians who employ it for such purposes; there are also the accounts of less religious, more spiritually-oriented people using fasting as a means of centering themselves and focusing on higher thoughts.

A little more research revealed some nuances of spiritual fasting. For example, while Catholics may employ fasting as a reflective tool or to better empathize with the impoverished, the Eastern Orthodox may use fasting as a way to fight gluttony. Likewise, while the Jewish may use fasting as penance, Mormons may use it to pray for a special request. Buddhists and Hindus use fasting as a spiritual renewal of the mind—but this isn’t to say these benefits or tools don’t or can’t cross over into other religions. It was eye-opening, though, to see which religions emphasize what through fasting.

Fasting for Good Health

And while some would use the word “purification” to describe fasting, in terms of the mind and soul, it’s also the word used to describe the physical benefits of fasting—at least, if you’re a believer in the benefits of fasting. There is evidence that it can be both harmful and beneficial, depending on its length.

According to the studies I’ve read through, short-term fasting poses little threat unless one is already emaciated, on drugs, or pregnant. Short-term fasting is between twenty-four and thirty-six hours of abstaining from food. It seems that longer fasting (over several days) helps the body to cleanse itself of toxins. What I’ve gathered, however, is that there seems to be more advantage to shorter fasting periods with periods of caloric restriction; the lab results of Roy Walford and Richard Weindruch’s* studies point to this.

They performed tests on rodents, giving one group the all-access-buffet pass, the other group a restricted but still nutritive diet after hours of fasting. I think you can guess where this might be headed.

The rodents that fasted and were then given smaller portions of food than those rodents that ate whatever, whenever, had longer lives and less ailments. The researchers also had a group where adult rodents’ diets were changed from the unhealthy variety to the restricted and fasting diet. Problems like tumors or disease began to clear up and they, too, had longer lives than those that indulged their appetites.

If the improved longevity of rats’ lives doesn’t justify cutting out unnecessary treats in your life, there was another study, this time on humans, that shows how the food people eat can affect life expectancy.

In the late 19th century Sir Robert McCarrison** observed northern and southern Indians  and their eating habits. He found the northern Indians looked healthier than the southern Indians and discovered the diet of the northerners was richer in vegetables and fruits, with less intake of meat, than the southerners.

Okay, I’m not done spouting rat studies just yet because McCarrison took what he saw in his human observations and put them to the test. He fed one group of rats the exact same diet of the northerners, the other the diet of the southerners. The “northern” rats were healthy, happy little rodents with low mortality. The southern rats? They developed diseases … and they turned on each other. Perhaps the key to peace among men—and rats—is more vegetables.

McCarrison even did a study comparing an Indian diet to a British diet (you know, tea, biscuits and marmalade, meat, that sort of thing). According to the results, the British will soon eat each other.

All joking aside, though, this study certainly is fascinating and is convincing if one wants proof that a more balanced and restricted (this is where the fasting comes into play) diet correlates to a longer life with less health problems. There are numerous other studies that prove fasting is healthy and leads to a longer life with less problems (for a good summary of these studies, go here: http://www.systemanorway.com/default.asp?iId=JLHLK).

On the flip side, however, there are those that believe by fasting, especially for too long, the body is being deprived of nutrients. This leaves the body vulnerable and susceptible to illness.

Fasting as a Diet Fad

There’s also the danger of doing it for the wrong reason. There are celebrities out there who have had fasting-diets and there are people who try it for themselves, hoping to end up with the same results. This is starvation, not fasting, because the incentive is to lose weight and lose it fast—fasting for more than three days will definitely lead to problems, including liver damage, anemia, and muscle breakdown to name just a few.

Conclusion

The incentive of the person fasting makes all the difference. When one’s goal is not to lose weight, but to gain clarity of mind or to improve the quality of one’s life, there are definitely going to be advantages. For the person whose incentive is, let’s say, shallow, though, I think the fasting-diet would be yet another disappointing fad.

Bearing this in mind, it’s hard for me to enthusiastically recommend fasting, despite being convinced that the studies on longevity and better quality of life are proof that what we eat and how often we eat affect us. If a person truly employs fasting in combination with healthy caloric restriction, I can find no fault. With our culture’s obsessive dieting trend, though, I would rather recommend fasting for its mental merits. But at least we know, while we fast, there are physical benefits being gained in addition to our spiritual cleansing!

* For more on Weindruch and Walford’s research, go here: http://www.healthy.net/scr/article.asp?ID=496
** For more on McCarrison’s research, go here: http://180degreehealth.blogspot.com/2008/02/robert-mccarrison-straight-nutrition.html

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About Author

Maura Stackpoole is an advocate for yoga and other mindful practices, and is a graduate from Michigan State University. She is also the editor and publicist for Mindful Muscle (http://www.mindfulmuscle.com).

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In Theravada Buddhism, the term satipatthana is used in reference to setting a foundation or presence of mindfulness. The term offers several ways in which this base of mindfulness can be attained through meditation.  Scholars have debated over the interpretation and translation of this term; however, two interpretations offer a wealth of information for beginning or re-configuring a meditation routine. The first interpretation refers to the foundation of mindfulness, and the second interpretation refers to the establishing of mindfulness. The former outlines focuses on the meditation practice and the latter refers to the process of the meditation practice. Both of these interpretations are helpful in understanding the logistics of a meditation routine, as well as what is important to remember during the meditation practice.

In regards to the first interpretation, foundation of mindfulness, Theravada Buddhism prescribes four focal points. These four focal points are the frames of reference for the foundation of one’s mindfulness:

“…the body in and of itself; feelings in and of themselves; mind in and of itself; and mental qualities in and of themselves. The ‘in and of itself’ here is crucial. In the case of the body, for instance, it means viewing the body on its own terms rather than in terms of its function in the context of the world (for in that case the world would be the frame of reference). Dropping any concern for how the body’s beauty, agility, or strength fits into the world, the meditator simply stays with the direct experience of its breathing, its movements, its postures, its elementary properties, and its inevitable decay.”

The second interpretation, establishment of mindfulness, offers three stages for establishing each frame of reference.  The three stages are used in the process of establishing any one of the four frames of reference that is chosen by the meditator.

The first stage is the establishment of concentration on one of the frames of reference, where the meditator is ardent, alert, and mindful. This is a preparation stage.

” ‘Ardent’ refers to the effort put into the practice, trying to abandon unskillful states of mind and develop skillful ones in their stead, all the while trying to discern the difference between the two. ‘Alert’ means being clearly aware of what is happening in the present. ‘Mindful’ … means being able to keep the frame of reference continually in mind. As these qualities work together, they bring the mind to a solid state of concentration.”

The second stage refers to the focus on the phenomena of origination and passing away. This means that the meditator focuses on the direct and/or indirect occurrences that relate to the individual’s chosen frame of reference, where the “indirect” occurrences are ones that occur in any of the other three frames of reference (i.e., if an individual is using the body as a frame of reference, the indirect events would be ones that occur in the feelings, mind, and/or mental qualities frames of reference).

“As this process leads to stronger and more refined states of concentration, it makes one sensitive to the fact that the grosser one’s participation in the process of origination and passing away in the mind, the grosser the level of stress that results.”

This stage aids the meditator in detaching the mind from the personal reality, to get in touch with the larger reality.

Going through the process of establishing the second stage leads to the third and final stage of the satipatthana practice: the meditator’s mindfulness of the chosen frame of reference (body, feelings, mind, mental quality) “…is maintained [simply] to the extent of knowledge & recollection. And he remains independent, unsustained by (not clinging to) anything in the world.” This is the point of simplicity and pureness of the meditator’s mindset, where they have “swept out” the mind clutter that is often the source of stress, anxiety, and other undesired feelings. Thus, the individual has a clear mind, where future tasks and/or responsibilities are met with better focus and concentration, and the individual’s level of awareness and mindfulness have increased. By focusing on one part of the self, or one area of stress, all the other indirect events are cleared away, so as not to clutter the focus on the specified area.  Examples that can be meditative, but are not defined as such, would be drawing, or even coloring in a coloring book. Although these may seem like a waste of time or energy when suggested, they are examples of focusing the mind on one frame of reference, where all other thoughts, worries, stressors, and so on, are pushed away because the focus is on the precision of the drawing, or on coloring inside the lines.

Meditation

The previous practice, along with the general use of the term “meditation,” instills a sense of spirituality and extreme forms of sacrifice in the everyday person’s mind. However, it is truly a flexible form of stress management, preparing one’s mind for the day, a presentation, or a stressful event. Meditation can even be a great practice to incorporate to energize prior to a workout, or to cool down from one. Meditation, historically, began as a religious practice used in many Indian religions to detach the mind from the physical body in order to become closer to enlightenment. Today meditation is practiced in many wellness based therapies and exercises, and has grown more culturally mainstream alongside yoga’s growth.

Stress does not have to be an accepted component in one’s daily life.  In fact, stress can easily create health risks and make an individual vulnerable to mental and physical breakdowns, especially if the stress is chronic. Meditation aids in clearing the mind so that stress and worry can be decreased, and the beauty of life can be enjoyed.

Meditation does take practice, so it’s good to begin with a five to ten minute meditation. You may sit or lie down in a comfortable position, and without music or background noise. Try to let all muscles relax; count your breaths and possibly meditate on a simple mantra. It is important to recognize any thoughts that may come into the mind, but try not to dwell on them—acknowledge the thoughts, and then let them go, as if you were sweeping them away from the mind.  Remind yourself that this meditation time in silence is your time, and that it is benefitting your health and mindset.

“The practical effort to focus completely on our breathing takes our minds away from the “mind clutter” that constantly tries to invade our mind and eliminate feelings that will lead to a time of calm. With repeated effort the goal of clearing your mind – to think of nothing, does occur and the process of meditation takes on its own energy. The result is, and I guarantee this, peace, serenity, calmness, eventually opening yourself to new insights.”

Walking Meditation

This form of meditation is ideal for beginning a meditation practice, or for times when anxiety and worry are causing a lack of focus or concentration. All meditation should be done where you can be alone with yourself, your breath, and your thoughts. To begin, it is best to find a time of day and place in which you will be able to be with your thoughts and breath without being fully distracted. As a side note, if you desire music to accompany you, make sure it is instrumental music–it is preferable to not have stimulating music.

When beginning the walking meditation, focus on the nature around you; the temperature and weather against your skin; the smells and sounds around you. Next begin to focus on how your feet feel on the ground; your arms’ natural sway when you walk; the muscles and joints in your legs and hips. Once you feel conscious of your body, begin to match the pace of your inhales and exhales with the pace of your walking.  For example, inhale for four steps, and exhale for four steps. This concentration on the breath being in synch with your body movement allows for a focus that is not distracted by worries, stressors, tension, and so on. This type of meditation can be paralleled to that of yoga, where an individual breathes through the poses in synchronicity During the walking meditation, it would be easy to utilize the body frame of reference or the feelings frame of reference as discussed above. When moving the body, the frame of reference most directly related would be the body, where the other three frames would be indirect. This frame of reference will also aid in alleviating any soreness or stiffness from previous workouts. Furthermore, it can be used to warm-up the body and focus the mind on the body for a workout.

To find guided meditation, YouTube offers many 8-12 minute ones, just type in “Guided Meditation” in their search bar (shop around, some tend to be a little eccentric, while others are more practical). Here’s one we like:

It may be easier to begin a meditation routine with the assistance of an audio-guided meditation, which keeps you even more focused on the practice.  In our current state of society and humanity, it is imperative to take care of yourself and your mind first, so that the simple pleasures of life will not pass you by. It is easy to get caught up in work, social activities, and obligations; however, the efficiency and mindfulness that you put into each area of your life will only increase if your self and mind are clear and open.

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About Author

Samantha Kolkey is an advocate of meditation and yoga, and is a research assistant for Mindful Muscle (http://www.mindfulmuscle.com). She has a double major in psychology and women’s studies at the University of Michigan. Sam plans to start a holistic therapy practice that will offer meditation, yoga, nutrition, massage, in addition to talk therapy.

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References

Maha-satipatthana Sutta: Great Discourse on the Four Frames of Reference/Foundations of Mindfulness (DN 22) [Thanissaro] 2000. See also Satipatthana Sutta (MN 10)

www.learningmeditation.com

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