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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

Major challenge accomplishment for me today.  The alarm went off at 6:23.  I hit the snooze once but by 6:45 I was in sneakers and on the move.  I went the same route as on Day 1.  It was not my intention but I even shaved a few minutes off my time.  The temperature was cooler and there was less traffic which helped.  The beach was beautiful and the air fresh.  It reminded me that I do love the morning. 

Last night, after some delicious lentil soup and a glass of red wine, we watched the movie Seven Pounds. It was a decent story with a predictable plot but Will Smith is a pretty good actor and I remained entertained throughout.  There was one line that stayed with me till the morning and I meditated on it during my run.  One of the characters, played by Rosario Dawson, says she wishes she had more time to learn who she is and what she likes.  Often I find myself lost on my journey and I now believe it is because my idea of what I seek is unclear.  It is not the unfamiliarity of the path that causes me to lose my way, but an unfamiliarity with myself that leads to confusion.  How do I know that I want to be on this path?  Will I be happy where I end up?  Am I strong enough to make it?  One of the greatest parts of the path to wellness is the self-discovery that occurs along the way.  My goal is practice being more aware of it. 

This morning I discovered that I really like jogging in the morning, while in the past it was something I said I could never do.  The truth is my body is fully capable, my mind just didn’t want to do it.   

Zen Calender Meditation for January 7, 2010

“We shape clay into a pot, but it is the emptiness inside that holds whatever we want.”  – Tao Te Ching

Meditation: what does this word mean to you? Is it a way to relieve stress, find peace, reach enlightenment? For some, it may sound like something only for yogi masters or monks in the Himalayas. For me, meditation is about finding a quiet place and resting there a while, not asleep, just silent.

I have heard time and time again from patients that they try to meditate but find it too difficult. They can’t relax enough, their minds wander, they just can’t do it right! I say that meditation doesn’t have to be this way. It can be easy, and enjoyable, and you don’t have to kayak to Peru to do it. It starts with something each and every one of us do all day, everyday: Breathing, but maybe not quite the way that you’re used to.

What many of us don’t realize is that our breathing may actually be contributing to our stress, anxiety and even muscle tension. We first need to learn how to breathe properly in order to begin our journey of health and meditation.

Exercise:
Sit up straight with your feet flat on the floor and your eyes closed.
Relax your shoulders and place your hands on your lap.
Inhale slowly through your nose for a count of 5, drawing your breath into your abdomen to fill and expand it.
Hold for a count of 2.
Exhale slowly through your nose for a count of 5.
Hold for 3 counts.
Repeat for one minute or about 8 breathes.
Make sure that your shoulders remain relaxed throughout the exercise. If your mind wanders, bring your focus back to your counting.

Practice this every day. Do it in the morning when you first wake up to get an energetic boost that will help you start your day, at work to help you destress before a meeting with your boss, or before bedtime to help you wind down and forget about the day.

As you start to become more comfortable with the exercise, add another minute or two. Try to work your way up to at least five minutes daily. Sound like a lot? That’s just slightly longer than the average commercial break and less than the time it takes to boil water.

Before long you may find yourself wanting to sit longer, or maybe adding a mental image or mantra to your breathing. However you do it, remember that there is no right or wrong way. Don’t be hard on yourself if you find your mind wandering. This time is for you and for whatever you want it to be. Whether you’re striving to find your own inner nirvana or wish simply to have a minute to yourself each day, this exercise can help meditation become an easy and enjoyable part of your every day.