Recipe of the Week!
- At January 23, 2017
- By Michelle Struckholz
- In News, Recipes
- 0
Check out our latest recipe….Get your eggs at www.apponagansettfarm.com
Meditation
Meditation. An activity that conjures up images of a bunch of heavily cloaked men sitting cross-legged on the floor with their eyes closed. The kind of activity suggested to you by women named River who only wear natural fibers because anything else throws their nose chakra out of whack. At least, these are things I think of when I think of the act of meditation. I’m anxious and somewhat hyperactive—fortunately, I’ve been able to channel most of my nervous energy into sports. Unfortunately, when sports became a competitive endeavor instead of just a pleasurable activity, the same anxiousness that was assuaged by athletics then became the very thing my athletic pursuits generated. In search of a way to break out of the catch-22, I began doing some research in the realm of sports psychology. Meditation, or “mindfulness practices” were words that I saw mentioned again and again as techniques world-class athletes would use to manage stress and increase self-awareness. Recently, reading Tim Ferriss’ new book, “Tools of Titans,” in which he delves into the details and habits of wildly successful individuals, he draws an important parallel, making a point to mention that that about 80% of the 200-some-odd superhumans he has used as fodder for the book practice meditation in some form every day. These are not just athletes, but successful businesspeople, authors, artists, and public speakers. So, if the most successful people in the world are doing it, maybe it’s worth investigating.
Certainly, meditation has its merit as a stress-management tool. This explains why many athletes employ some form of meditation at some point in their training. I’ve mentioned in a past blog that stress is the enemy of proper recovery. We as functioning human beings endure some kind of stress every day, whether it’s a product of our environment or controlled. The interesting thing is that your body does not differentiate between the stress produced by a work deadline and the stress produced by a well-executed workout—but both can sap your energy and impair your recovery.
According to psychotherapist Dr. Ron Alexander, meditation works by allowing us to harness the power of different types of brain wavelengths, each of which type corresponds to a different type of thinking or activity. High frequency brain wavelengths help us process information quickly, but are often associated with anxiety. Low frequency wavelengths, where meditative states take place, are associated with visual thinking and creative problem solving. Practicing meditation over time allows us to shift from higher frequency brain wavelengths to lower frequency more efficiently—this lower frequency allows us to take the time to choose the thoughts and ideas we want at the forefront of our minds when we are not meditating.
Meditation, like fitness, has fascinated me for a long time as a subject I could read about endlessly, but reap no benefits without practicing consistently. But as someone who is constantly moving around and onto the next thing (like I’m sure most of you are), how do you integrate a meditative practice into your life? Here are a few strategies I’ve found effective:
Breathing: Even taking just a few moments out of each day (or even a few times a day) to focus on your breath is a step in the direction of meditation. This takes the least amount of commitment and can be done during virtually any activity (though preferably not one that involves the use of technology or other distractions). Do not try to change your breath, just acknowledge it.
Combine it with a workout: I work out almost every day, so it makes sense to chain any meditation/mindfulness practice to the end of my workout, or after a stretching routine. I take anywhere from two to ten minutes (depending on what my scheduling allows) to lie down, process the work I did, and decompress from it. It leaves me feeling a little less harried if I have to get back to work right after my workout.
Remember this: You should be relaxed when you meditate. You can meditate on a specific thought, idea, or event. But there is no “wrong” way to meditate (i.e., you don’t have to be seated in a certain position or have your eyes closed, although these things can help). Provided you are not endangering yourself or others while you meditate (don’t meditate and drive!), you are on the right track.
Don’t know where to start? Ideally, meditation is done in a relaxed state AWAY from technology, but phone apps like Headspace can help get you on track and feeling like your meditation practice is going somewhere. If you feel you need more guidance or are unsure if you’re “meditating,” there are a number of free apps available that can help.
~Maria Capuano, CPT NASM
Recipe of the Week: Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Buy your beef at the Farmers Market: www.patspasturized.com