Are you interested in meditation? I've found it is the most useful technique in dealing with your problems, and even in discovering problems you never even realized you had.
Here's why I think you should try it:
1.) Meditation reduces stress.
Meditation has been shown in scientific studies to reduce our reactions to stress. And who doesn't have a stressful life, nowadays? If you ever feel a little overwhelmed by work, family, and your goals, meditation is a great way to unwind and get back on track.
2.) Meditation is good for your mental health.
I've found that my meditation has helped me explore reaches of my mind I didn't even know existed. By sitting and observing my thoughts, making them as vivid and detailed as possible so I can truly see all sides of them, I've found a lot of the problems I've had in pursuing my dreams were really all in my head.
And simply by dealing with those mental issues, I've been able to grow past them and pursue my dreams.
3.) Meditation can improve your physical health.
Meditation will improve your health by strengthening
your immune system, reducing your blood pressure and lowering
cholesterol levels.
If you're someone like me, who comes from a family of "sickies", this can be a life-saver. I also have extremely difficult health issues and meditation has been proven to reduce inflammation - a problem I have troubles with in my psoriasis and lupus.
4.) Meditation improves your sleep.
It's been shown that meditation can actually improve your insomnia and help you feel more rested after sleeping. However, in scientific studies, it has also been shown to make you a lighter sleeper, as the mind is more active.
5.) Meditation can slow aging.
Studies into the effects of meditation have shown
that the regular practice of meditation can slow the aging process. The
biological age of long term meditators is thought to be less than those of
people who have never meditated. They think this is caused by the fact that meditation helps to reduce the
body’s production of free radicals. Free radicals are organic molecules
that are responsible for aging, tissue damage, and possibly some
diseases.
Do you want to stay younger for a longer period of time? Then meditation is for you!
6.) Meditation promotes positive thinking.
You may think this is just an extension of good mental health, but I think this deserves a number all its own. Because how many negative thoughts have you had today? A hundred? A thousand? More? Did you get angry at someone in traffic? Frustrated with a coworker? Complain about your job (again)? Upset with your spouse or child? Now, track how many negative thoughts you had over the course of these emotions...
If you're anything like most people, you've had a lot of negative thoughts. Some of them are so bad, you'd never voice them aloud even if absolutely enraged. But meditation can help you control your thoughts much better, and thus promote positive thoughts over these negative voices we see so much of every day.
7.) Meditation improves concentration.
You're sitting in absolute quiet. You are focusing on one piece of your body or mind and everything else ceases to exist. If your mind wanders, you gently guide it back to the matter at hand without judgment or anger.
This is the very definition of the term 'concentration'. If you have trouble concentrating (and who doesn't in our modern world), then meditation may be the solution for you. And we all know that I prescribe to the belief that focus is one of the key factors to a successful life.
8.) Meditation makes you less bothered by the little things.
Remember yesterday's post? Well, meditation encourages you to look at the big picture more, without becoming overly concerned with the small details. Messing up and eating a small piece of cake on a rare occasion doesn't hurt your overall health -- consistent choices are what influences your health. So, if you are eating that cake every day, chances are you're hurting the overall picture. But an occasional slip-up?
That barely affects the big picture and meditation helps you see that. Connections begin to make more and more sense in your mind. And as I believe the ability to see the big picture and how it all connects is the greatest gift mankind has, I think it's well-worth encouraging!
9.) Meditation can improve your ability to connect with other people.
While meditation can seem like the ultimate form of self-absorption, at least one kind of meditation can improve your compassion (and thus your connection) with other people. It's known as loving-kindness meditation.
And who doesn't need a good boost to their social life?
10.) Meditation helps you feel more grounded.
Meditation brings you into the moment of now. It's a very different feeling, especially if you're like me and constantly dreaming of a possible future. Bringing you more into this moment right here is an excellent way to help you get more done, as you can't act in any other moment but right now.
I encourage everyone to meditate for at least 10 minutes every day. It's a great way to get your life and mind under control, and to learn more about yourself than you ever realized was available to know. If you're interested, check out Headspace or Calm.com. They can get you started towards a more relaxing and fulfilling life.
That's what they've done for me!
Daily Stats:
- Exercised, stretched, meditated, and worked on my writing twice today.
- Wrote in my journal, stayed on budget, and wrote a poem today.
- Posted on my blog.
- Made my bed and did a load of dishes.
- Started my diet change and bought groceries for my next week.
- Didn't cook anything yet (got home from work with my groceries at midnight).
I'm so sick and tired of feeling like crap. I'm so sick of my life and feelings being dependent on other people. I'm so sick of being the way I've been for so long.
I want to change. I want to be different.
And that's why I'm here. I might indulge in my need to encourage others to change, too. After all, I want everyone to feel as good as I'm feeling right now. But I hope everyone will always know that this blog is about one thing:
Change.
And, in the spirit of that, I'd like to announce several of my intentions. Starting next week, I'm going to make it a goal to post 1 video blog entry per week, as well as post at least one top 10 reasons and one top 10 ways to do something on my own to do list. Why? Because I'm finding out that what I'm doing is incredibly important and freeing. And I want you to find that out, too.
This is my change. I want to do it to the best of my ability, and I want to take anyone and everyone I can along for the ride.
I hope you don't get car sick.
Daily Stats:
- Exercise, stretched, meditated, and worked on writing twice today.
- Wrote in my journal, didn't stay on budget today, and wrote my poem.
- Posted on blog.
- Made bed.
We all know we should exercise. But why should we exercise? Knowing that, and keeping it in mind each day when it's time to sweat through your clothes, makes you that much more likely to do it.
1.) Exercise combats health conditions and diseases.
If there was a pill we could take that could magically reduce our risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, metabolic syndrome, depression, certain types of cancers, arthritis, and falls, we'd all take it, right? Well, that pill exists. It just isn't a pill. All it takes is a little exercise each day to prevent major health conditions that could permanently alter your world as you know it.
Isn't that worth a little sweat and burn?
2.) Exercise improves mood.
Exercise sends off all those nice endorphins in the brain, making you feel good. Plus, regular exercise has been shown to improve your self-image and confidence.
Having troubles with self-esteem? Maybe you should just take a walk...every day for a month. See how you feel.
3.) Exercise boosts energy.
This one is a deal-breaker for me. I have struggled with meeting goals and making things happen in my life for years. Exercise has helped me push through on my goals and start making things happen in my life.
It's really no mystery. Regular physical activity delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. If your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you're going to have more energy for the other activities in your day.
4.) Exercise promotes better sleep.
As long as you don't exercise too close to sleep, you'll find that you'll fall asleep faster and sleep deeper if you exercise often. And of course, the more deep sleep you get, the more energy you'll have the next day.
Deeper sleep has also been shown to combat health problems. Want better health overall? Exercise is the magic pill!
You just have to take it.
5.) Exercise controls weight.
Well, most of us know that. But have you ever REALLY thought about it? Each day, you ingest copious amounts of fat, cholesterol, carbohydrates, as well as a host of other chemical compounds. And you have to do that, just to survive. But what happens if you do nothing to offset this intake? If you take in more than you work off, you're going to gain weight until you're the size of a whale.
Or just dead.
But regular exercise means that you're subtracting as much (or more) as you're adding in. It's simple math. If you want to change your size, you have to make the numbers work in your favor. Exercise is the only reasonable means you have of subtracting more than you take in. There is no other way (diet is reducing the amount you add; but it doesn't really subtract anything).
6.) Exercise makes you smarter.
Or, at least, it makes you more capable of applying your intelligence. Studies have shown people who exercise are more able to focus, are faster at reacting to problems, have better memories, and better cognitive function in general.
So, exercise really is a no-brainer.
7.) Exercise reduces stress.
Had a hard day at work? Try a quick run. A little exercise can help you unwind from that confrontation you had with a coworker or the mean customer you faced today.
And everyone knows that stress today is killing us. The more you reduce your stress, the better you're going to feel.
8.) Exercise improves your sex life.
Well, of course. Sex is a physical effort in and of itself. So improving your, erm, performance will improve your sex life. Not to mention, self-esteem and confidence are great at improving anyone's sex life, and we've already mentioned how exercise improves you there!
But there's more to it than that. According to MayoClinic.com, regular exercise leads to enhanced arousal in women. And men who exercise are less likely to have problems like erectile dysfunction. (Check out the article here)
9.) Exercise keeps your bones strong.
As you get older, osteoporosis is a real danger. You could lose the ability to run, walk, even stand! But with a little exercise each day, you could keep all of that from happening, increasing your chances of independence into your old age.
And how many of us actually want to live in a retirement home if we can help it?
10.) Exercise is actually fun!
It's true! Exercise can be a source of enjoyment in and of itself. And not just for health nuts (no offense). So-called "normal" people can enjoy exercise, too.
The key is finding an exercise you actually like doing. Swimming, kayaking, skiing, there are a lot of options out there. And anything that gets you moving is worth it. Heck, they even have Wii games that get you going, if you don't want to experience the real thing. Just find something that fits your likes and dislikes, and get going! You might be surprised by how much you like it (I certainly have been).
Does anyone else have any other reasons to exercise? What motivators have you found that work for you?
Daily Stats:
- Exercised, stretched, meditated, and worked on my writing twice today.
- Wrote in my journal, stayed on budget, and wrote a poem today.
- Posted on blog.
- Made bed, picked up in my room, and organized my desk.
