Archive for the ‘Meditation’ Category

Zen Reflections

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

There’s a zen calender on the front desk at The Healing Sanctuary.  Most days I find the time to read these little quotations of enlightenment.  Some day’s they are too long or far out there to contemplate at work, but today’s sparked a moment and I feel it’s worth sharing.

zen calender

Right on Alan Watts!

Just yesterday I was describing how sometimes when I go to new places, I prefer to quietly soak in my surroundings instead of trying to figure out what century the architecture is from or what kind of mushroom I just stepped on. Not to say that education isn’t valuable, I love to learn. But sometimes I’d prefer to just be a part of it. This saying reminds me of that. I hope you all enjoy “feeling life” today!

When Life Kicks You Down, Double Up on the Good Stuff

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

When I have an injury, am feeling depressed, or even just having a really long day, my first instinct is to reach for the chip bag.  The baby Laura inside me says, “Forget this healthy nonsense and love me tenderly.”  The problem with this pathological coddling is that when you’re in a state of injury, fatigue, sadness, etc, your body more than even needs to be nourished with foods and activity that will help it recover.  Chips, and their evil counterparts cookies, are nowhere near the list of foods that make you big and strong.  They may give us some mental satisfaction but for me that’s usually followed by one of the following: guilt, more fatigue, a sour tummy, or, and I’m sad to say this is the most frequent “or”, another chip.

The easy downward spiral of this situation is that if your injury lasts several days or weeks, or your long day at work turns into a month long project, then you could find yourself sitting among a lot of empty chip bags and once the “toe” heals, do you think you’ll be running for the race gates to start day one all over again?  Maybe/hopefully/definitely! you will, but you may not have the same enthusiasm or strength that you started with the last time.

So what is the solution?  “Don’t eat chips!” Eureka! Thanks Dr. Know-it-all.  But seriously, more importantly would be to have more of the good stuff.  If you are taking a whole-food source supplement, double-up. Have a great breathing meditation you’ve been working on?  Add an extra ten minutes.  Don’t have much time to cook a healthy dinner? Throw a bunch of veggies in some broth and have a yummy soup.  It doesn’t have to be extra work.  It just needs to be extra goodness.  And don’t worry about Little “insert your name here.” When you are finally sitting back on the couch with your mind quiet and your tummy full, he or she will be fast asleep and your body will be on it’s way to it’s old healthy self.

Have a Happy, Healthy Day!

Refrigerator principle for this week…

Smile
Smiley Faces

Is it Day 11 already?

Friday, January 15th, 2010

Did you think I skipped day 10?  Nooo.  I skipped the run, and the blog, but I did do about an hour of pretty intense yoga last night.  Looooong stretching.  Negative: I got a headache during shavasana.  I think its because I did a headstand.  Bad yogi, that should not have happened.  Besides the one time I did yoga with The Kahuna on Day 4, my sessions during this challenge have been all self-led.  Though I have confidence in my yoga knowledge, I still think it would be better to follow an instructor.  Any DVD suggestions?  Anyway, I slept well.  I’ve been sleeping well every night actually.  Yesterday morning I woke up feeling like I had just slept a week.  A good feeling, let me tell you.

Other positives:

  • My friends and family think I’m super cool
  • I feel great
  • I’m accomplishing things I didn’t think I could
  • I always have something to do when there’s nothing to do (nothing to do, by the way, is a figment of our imagination, or lack there of)

Speaking of accomplishments, I added another .20 my run!  Total for today, 3.31.  Woohoo!  It wasn’t easy.  And I didn’t do it first thing in the morning which I think made it harder.  I woke up, did a few things, had some breakfast, did a few more things, and then took my run.  Once again, I got a right side cramp and was so much more out of breath than on my other runs.  I’m convinced the cramp is because I was still digesting solid food.  Not sure about the lung capacity.  Maybe the afternoon air quality is different, I don’t know.  But I did it, despite all the setbacks, and I feel good now that I’m resting.

I was going to take this down-time to complain about something that keeps happening to me this week.  I had this whole rant planned and I was gonna ask why and make accusations and all this other unnecessary diatribe.  But I’m not gonna do it and I’ll tell you why.  A patient of The Healing Sanctuary, who is always sharing with me the most fascinating information, made me some flashcards of the principles made in How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.  I’m taking on one each week in hopes that I will be one day be the most popular person in the world.  Not really, but I’m definitely hoping to improve my social skills.  This week’s flashcard…Never condemn, criticize or complain.  So…no rant.  We’ll all better off.  I’ll leave you with that as today’s meditation.  I’m off to make sense of the boxes we STILL haven’t unpacked.  We are terrible movers.  Happy Friday!

Day 9 and 3.11…

Wednesday, January 13th, 2010

…Miles that is.  A new personal best for me as of late and taking it to the next challenge level.  I was apprehensive at first but I mapped out MyRoute and hit the pavement running.  Today was a little different from other days.  It was raining this morning and I had an early commute so the a.m. run just wasn’t happening.  Fortunately, by the time I returned from work it was sunny and I was ready to keep up my successful pace.  After about a mile my side started to cramp, a first for this challenge.  I breathed it out for a few blocks and it felt fine for the rest of the distance.  My next obstacle was the wind.  As I rounded the final mile, it was really blowing and head-on, which was hard on my lungs, but stuck it out and finished my route!  Feeling tired but accomplished, I did my stretches and am now taking advantage of some alone time while The All-Star gets artsy. I think I’ll read.  Haven’t done that in a while.

After my run, I grabbed a piece of cheese.  This was not a good idea.  The fat made my stomach uneasy.  As much as I think I know about food, and I still make bad choices.  It happens, I’m weak and human.  Next time I’ll opt for some fruit, a healthier decision.  Self forgiven.

Total miles run since day one…12.63.  Not bad.  I’m excited to see what the end number will be.

Today’s inspiration was shared with me by my lovely Aunt Retta who has a heart of gold and the strength of steel…

“The woman came out of man’s rib, not from his feet to be walked on, not from his head to be superior, but from his side to be equal.  Under the arm to be protected, and next to the heart to be loved.”

Thanks Aunt Retta, I love you!

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Great Start for Week 2 and Day 8

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

Last night’s recharge meditation was just what I needed.  Today I feel great and this morning I woke up ready to start a new day and a new Challenge week.  Today’s fitness activity was a 2 1/2 mile run to the beach and back.  My new neighborhood is so cool.  I love jogging past all the little beach houses and the closer I get to the coast, the more beach bungalo-ey they get.  I finally feel like I’m living “California.”  It only took 2 years.

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I’m continuing to feel really good on my runs.  No aches or cramps.  Feet feel good and breathing is steady.  I’m certainly getting the hang of it.  After my run today I did some good stretching, which I have been forgetting to do.  The pre-run stretch I remember, but when I return I’m all about getting out of my sweaty clothes and tracking MyRoute, that I forget to make sure my body is where it needs to be.  Note to self…REMEMBER TO STRETCH!  So I did today, and had some lunch and got myself ready for work.  On the car ride in, I felt soooo good.  It was a combination of adrenaline and euphoria.  I was calm, awake, and happy to be alive.  How’s that for a new drug?!

So enough about me.  I’d like to give a High Five shout out to The All-Star who’s starting his first day at The Art Institute today.  This is just another reason why we call him The All-Star.  He knows what he wants and how to go out and get it, and of course, can succeed in whatever he sets his mind to.

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Way to go baby!  Totally proud of you, (and you’re super cute)!  And I’m a little jealous, I wanna take art classes.  Maybe I’ll find a pottery class.  I still have my tools from moons ago.  Ahh, the power of inspiration.

Speaking of inspiration… Here’s yesterday’s Zen calender meditation.  I think it was more appropriate for yesterday but we can continue to think about it today.  Aloha!

“Sit silently for ten years, then for ten more years, and then for another ten years.”

And on the 7th Day She Rested…In a Final Pose

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

To balance the hardcore workout that took place yesterday, The Kahuna wisely advised me to challenge myself in a different way today.  While it is important for me to be successful in this fitness endeavor and continue to be active each day, it is also important to allow my body to recover and for my mind to prepare for the tasks ahead.

So, for today’s fitness, a sun salutation for each of the 6 days I worked hard this week, and a 7th final pose of Legs-up-the-wall for 15 minutes.  The challenge was both to find the pose, and to find a quiet place of stillness in my body and my mind.   This did not happen instantly, nor did it remain constant throughout the stretch, but I allowed myself to simply be and I committed to the meditation.

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For an athlete, this is an excellent pose to do, especially within 24 to 48 hours of an intense workout.  Besides the deep stretch it provides for the legs, back, front torso and neck, it also improves blood flow to and from the heart and refreshes and rejuvenates the entire body.  For the mind, it improves clarity while also creating a calming affect.  For the spirit, it brings emotional balance.

For me, a perfect way to end a great Week One.

Inspiration for the moment…

Allow yourself to be.

Day 6 Over Already?

Monday, January 11th, 2010

What a day.  I am exhausted.  We were on the slopes snowboarding for at least 6 hours today plus another 2 miles or so of walking, all with about ten pounds of gear on and a snowboard in tow.  If that doesn’t make up for a day without a run then forget screw this challenge.  Just kidding, the challenge will continue.  I actually like it.  In fact, I do believe it gave me the strength to take on my first blue diamond today!  Can’t beat that!  And even better than taking on that scary mountain… I finally got a board all of my own. No more rentals for me! Thanks All-Star.

I’d like to write more.  I could tell you about how beautiful the weather was, and the snow conditions, and the bruises I’ll have for the next week, but I’m too tired to think and my fingers will start typing all sorts of nonsense and no one really needs to read nonsense at this hour, am I right?  So instead, here are some pictures of our fun in the sun at Snow Summit.  Enjoy.

LAURA

john

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johnsideways

topofsnowsummit

aboutotjump

laurainair

Daily inspirational mention…

No Fear!

Day 4 – Facing the Challenge

Friday, January 8th, 2010

I woke up this morning with a sore throat and burning sinuses.  It was 7:45 and I had a 9am date to do Yoga with The Kahuna.  My intention was to ride my bike the 2.7 miles to the beach apartment but that was just not happening.  I danced with the idea of staying in bed until it was time to go to work but that is not what this challenge is all about.  So at 8:30 I pulled myself together, had a protein shake, took some ColdQuell, and drove my car instead.  We used a yoga class  recorded off the Oxygen channel.  It was no easy breathin’ yoga class and perfect for today’s challenge.  Also, it was nice to have a friend join in and support my quest.  Health wise, I felt good during the class.  At present, my throat no longer hurts but my sinuses are still congested and I have a chill.

For my post-workout meal, I had an egg, mushroom and onion scramble, wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla with tomato and hot sauce.  I’m being mindful of calorie intake during this challenge.  It is not my goal to lose pounds so I need to make sure that I’m consuming enough calories to maintain a healthy weight.  Last night was a delicious dinner of baked chicken tenders, zucchini, mushroom and tomato.  It was so good and so easy to make.  I just threw it all in a pan with some breadcrumbs and seasoning and 350ºed it until it was done (about 30 minutes).

Other cool challenge additions…

Thanks to my personalized Google page, I happened upon LifeMojo, a neat website that lets me track my challenge and fitness goals.  I found it last night. There are no gimmicks or hidden agendas that I can see.  All I had to do was create the typical username, email, password for my profile and I was signed on and ready to track MyMojo.  You can add your daily activities, diet, glasses of water drank, even waist measurements if that’s included in your goals.  You can choose to have it posted to the public or not.  One feature, that I absolutely love, is they are hooked up with Googlemaps which I can use to create My Routes, and as well as see what other running/walking/cycling routes are being created in my area.  Thanks LifeMojo for keeping me motivated!  I set a goal to run 20 times before February 5.  I’ve got two in the bag! Eighteen more to go!

Today’s meditation: From the words of the tv yoga instructor…

When the mind is silent, happiness bubbles up.

Namaste

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