Meditation & Breath

by Shanno Paul, Jo Hendrix, Angie Kiel (from our City Beat Mind.Body.Spirit Article)

QUOTE: “The most important thing about getting somewhere is starting right where we are.” Bruce Barton.

Many times we feel like we have to look outside of ourselves only to find that the solution already lies within us. We have the answers to what we need; however we can become so bogged down with all of the outside noise that we fail to realize it.

The body listens to what the mind tells it. Redirecting or quieting the mind can be beneficial for not only the mind, but also the body and ultimately our spirit. The answers, or clarity, can come from mediation. Finding a quiet or peaceful space away from all the stimuli of the world can help you find this clarity.

How can you find quite time in your day?

Driving in the car w/o music.
Finding a tree at lunch and sitting and relaxing.
After dropping the kids at school drive to a park and hang out for 5 – 15 min.

When you are given the opportunity to sit with yourself in a beautiful or peaceful place, you can allow your mind to come to conclusions without coercion or judgment. Thus you can find your own truth, what you really think and feel about different situations.

You don't need to start this process by creating an "official" mediation session; you can start this process quite simply. Start by sitting on the edge of the bed in the morning and asking yourself what you would like your day to look like. Ask yourself how you would like to feel about your day. Many people use a mantra to help guide them. For example a simple thought of, "I get through my work day with ease," can help lead you to a more peaceful day. What you focus on expands. You will start to notice that your day will actually go more smoothly based on your thoughts for the day.

What is another saying that resonates with you? Once we find our clarity, our paradigm can actually shift. We will live life more fulfilled, rather than living a life of lack, fear, or doubt. We all have the answers to what we want, we just have to allow ourselves space to see them.

Benefits of Meditation or Relaxation Techniques:

Slowing your heart rate (reducing anxiety)
Lowering blood pressure
Slowing your breathing rate Increasing blood flow to major muscles & brain
Reducing muscle tension and chronic pain
Improving concentration
Reducing anger, frustration & anxiety Boosting confidence to handle problems

Today’s Focus/This week’s focus:
Carve 5 – 15 minutes out of your day. Find a quiet space take 5 deep inhale breaths (filling your lungs completely) in and 5 long exhale breaths (empting your lungs completely). Sit with yourself and allow yourself to relax, without any distractions or work or life. Remember, no judgments.

Keep falling asleep during meditation? Maybe that is just what you need!

Sleep:
The Mayo Clinic recommends adults average 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night, but many of us aren’t coming close. The sheer lack of sleep can cause the obvious symptoms of fatigue, stress, disorientation and the less attractive and unwanted bags under the eyes. And I haven’t even started talking about the long-term health effects such as insulin resistance, obesity, diabetes, depression, substance abuse and increased risk of cancer. We know the body can endure almost anything we put it through and can adapt to any situation (even sleep deprivation). But sleep loss affects our hormones and when these hormones are not functioning properly, the results often include an increased appetite, a decreased ability to feel full, increased abdominal fat, less lean muscle and poor body fat regulation. We do all of this to ourselves just to do one more load of laundry, stalk our friends on Facebook or finish that deadline. To make sure your hormones are working for you!