10 Ways to Meditate

I remember when I first started meditating. It was only a little over 2 months ago, so it isn't hard, but it feels like forever ago. I remember feeling as though I was attempting something foreign and completely unknown.

I told myself it would be easy. I mean, how hard could sitting still and thinking about nothing but breathing be?

Turns out, pretty hard.

In fact, I've never grown to like that particular meditation. But I quickly discovered there are many other meditations out there to try. Here's just a few to peak your interest:

1.) Body scan meditation.

This one is my favorite. I lay still with my eyes closed and simply concentrate on one body part at a time. I repeat phrases like "I am my feet (or whatever body part I'm concentrating on)." and explore the sensations there until I can feel everything there without having to try. Then I move on to the next part it's connected to.

I start at my feet and move my way up until I reach my head. Each part is given special attention and any thoughts that intrude are brushed away and my concentration returns to my immediate concern. At the end, I concentrate on feeling my body in its entirety, and see how it feels to inhabit my own skin in the present moment.

What I love about this meditation is how incredibly relaxing it is. Because you concentrate on each body part without judging, it relaxes automatically without any interference from your mind.

2.) Walking meditation.

You can do this meditation anywhere really. Just get up and walk. Think the word inhale as you inhale, then count how many steps it takes for you to exhale. Repeat this over and over again as you walk.

I was amazed by how helpful this was at work. It's more of a mini-meditation for me, as I use it at my job to break up the stress of the day, but you can use it as a larger meditation if you like long walks in the wilderness or the like. It really helps you deal with hard days.

3.) Observational meditation.

This one is a little harder to do than the others, so you may want to try something else first. But it's relatively simple in theory. You simply count 6 exhales, and then start watching your thoughts. Label each thought with a name. Then make each thought as vivid as possible, picturing the thought as a living thing outside your body. Watch it for a while and then decide if you want to keep this thought or not. If you decide it is doing you harm, picture yourself pushing it away from yourself, building a wall between you and it, or simply deleting it from existence. Whatever imagery works for you, get rid of the thought.

You may have to brush the thought aside multiple times at first. But eventually your control will improve and the push will come easier.

What's incredible about this meditation is how it allows you to control your thoughts much deeper in real life than you ever thought possible. Once your brain has been trained to get rid of thoughts you don't want to have, the means of doing so is surprisingly easy.

4.) Emotional exploration meditation.

This is the same as the previous exercise, except this time you should observe your emotions instead of your thoughts. Whether you believe that each thought provokes an emotion or that each emotion provokes a thought, this exercise will help you control and identify your emotions.

Count 6 exhales before you start. Then go into your thoughts, merely observing. Don't get too caught up in the thoughts, just watch them as they go. Now, go deeper and find your emotions behind the thoughts. Go through and label the emotions you are feeling, one by one. Identify where they come from and explore what each feels like in its entirety, without judgment or fear of reprisal. Don't try to brush emotions aside as you did the thoughts, but do control what thoughts spring from these emotions. Reject any thoughts you don't like, and throw yourself into the emotion as much as you can without actually feeling it.

A great accompaniment to this meditation is to be extra-conscious of your emotions throughout your day. Take time to label thoughts throughout your day with an emotion and take time to have periodic checks to see what you are feeling right then, in that moment.

This is great for those of us who are extra sensitive (like me!). It helps you see how your emotions work and what the process is that you're going through. Controlling your reactions to emotions, and embracing them for what they are, are the first steps to being free from the power they hold over you.

5.) Cleaning meditation.

If you're one of those people who simply doesn't have the time to just sit still and do nothing, then this meditation is for you! Just go about a normal daily chore, but do it with one slight difference: instead of trying to finish the chore quickly to move on, absorb yourself completely with the physicality of it. Feel the washcloth as it washes the dishes. Feel every moment as it happens, dismissing any thoughts of what you have to do later or what happened last night at your friend's party. Just feel the moment right now.

This one is pretty simple and can have as meaningful an effect on your life as though you did carve out the time to meditate each day!

6.) Mantra meditation.

This is the one most of us see in the movies. In this meditation, you sit still and chant a mantra over and over again. It doesn't have to be out loud, but it does need to be simple and meaningful to you. Many people choose the word omm, for it's traditional purposes, but you can repeat any phrase or sound that appeals to you to repeat.

A great part of this meditation is repeating a positive affirmation in it. It's funny how much your brain begins to believe something if you say it enough times. So, you can kill two birds with one stone with this meditation and increase your positive thinking, too!

7.) Compassion meditation.

I've never tried this one myself, as I feel I suffer from too much compassion at the moment, but I feel it will definitely be added to my repertoir at some point in the future. There are several different kinds of compassion meditations, but here's the one I liked the most:

First, you call to mind your own self and say silently “May I be happy, may I be peaceful, may I be healthy, may I be free.” Next, call to mind someone you love, and say the same, but replace the Is with yous, obviously. Next, call to mind someone who is pissing you off or making you sad, and do it for them. From there, you can extend this meditation out to the entire world (“may all beings everywhere be happy” etc.). This part loses some people. If you’re one of them, then when you’re done with the person who you’re upset with, do someone else you love so you end on a good note.

This meditation is said to give people a more understanding and compassionate outlook on life and the people they deal with each day. It can definitely be a useful exercise when you're angry with one of your loved ones, or just upset in general.

8.) 100 Breaths meditation.

Okay, so this is just the breathing meditation we talked about not having to do, right? Except it isn't. In this meditation, you count each breath (that is, an inhale AND an exhale) until you reach the number 100. It sounds a LOT easier than it is because it's so simple to lose count due to thoughts coming along and distracting you from the numbers.

This is a great exercise if you want to learn how to control your concentration and focus for long periods of time. I hate it, myself, but I think it benefits my mind and so I stretch it with a few applications of it regularly.

9.) Focus meditation.

In this meditation, you sit and focus intently on an object outside of yourself. So, instead of observing your thoughts or feelings, you observe an object. Very popular objects to observe are flames and water.

This is a great meditation to stretch your focus. It keeps you thinking on something monotonous and mundane rather than the constant flow of life we get so used to.

10.) Spiritual meditation.

Meditation doesn't have to be spiritual, but it can be. You can experience it in the form of prayer if you so desire. Just pray as usual and concentrate on your words.


Meditation isn't always easy, but everyone can do it. It just takes practice and determination. And don't worry if your thoughts don't stay where you want them. Most people's don't. Even very experienced meditators suffer from that problem. Just remember that it's better to spend 10 minutes of your time redirecting your thoughts than it is allowing them to do whatever they want when you aren't looking.

Well, that's all the motivational speaking I have in me tonight. Good luck to everyone on learning meditation. I hope it proves as incredible an experience for you as it has been for me!

Daily Stats:

 

1. Stretched, meditated, and worked on my writing twice today, but only exercised tonight.
2. Wrote in my journal, kept to my budget, and wrote a poem today.
3. Posted on my blog.
4. Made my bed.
5. Stayed on my diet.
6. Made my lunch. 

Sick and Tired

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:

 

1. Exercise, stretched, meditated, and worked on writing twice today.
2. Wrote in my journal, didn't stay on budget today, and wrote my poem.
3.  Posted on blog.
4. Made bed.

10 Ways To Exercise

So, if you read yesterday's post, you're probably convinced that exercise is a worthwhile use of your time. But how do you exercise? There's literally hundreds of ways, but here are some good places to start:

1.) Walking.

Sure, it's pretty anticlimactic, but walking is honestly one of the greatest exercises we have available to us. It's easy on the knees, and if you power walk over long distances, you'll be amazed by the calorie burn you're capable of just by this simple exercise.

It's also dirt cheap. An important consideration if you're as broke as I am.

2.) Jogging or Running.

Is walking too tame for you? Then maybe you should try jogging. You'll burn more calories, and feel amazing to boot! Another interesting plus: if you're ever attacked by a knife-wielding madman, you might be able to outrun him.

This is another dirt cheap option on your exercise list.

3.) Strength exercises at home.

Push ups, pull ups, crunches, planks, etc. The list of potential strength exercises you can do from the comfort of your own bedroom is practically endless. Each one is a great way to build strength, and many sustained reps of them are a great means of creating muscular endurance.

This option can get expensive if you decide to use more than your own body as your exercise machine. Pull up bars, dumbbells, and even private bench presses can be purchased to make this option even easier if you want. This can literally be as cheap or as expensive an exercise as you want.

4.) Yoga.

An amazing exercise that improves flexibility and breathing. While I recommend the flexibility, and even recommend that you should use meditation, some warnings: a lot is said of the weight loss and strength training capabilities of yoga. While yoga is truly very healthy for you, less evidence has been found for these effects beyond flexibility and general well-being.

This one isn't as cheap  as the other options. While you can study and train yourself to do yoga with library books, it's a lot easier to sign up for a class or get a DVD. Which involves spending money.

5.) Join a gym.

This one is obvious. You can join a gym and use the facilities there, all dedicated to the very subject you're interested in: exercise! I have a lot of friends who have jumped on this means of exercise.

There is no cheap option for this one. If you want to join a gym, you're going to have to fork over some dough. Sorry.

6.) Swim.

If you have access to a pool, this can be an amazing means of exercise. The risk of injury in the pool is much less than running, cycling, or sports. And it works the muscles of the body to an amazingly thorough degree.

If you already have a pool, this is another free means of exercise. However, if you don't, you'll have to buy one, get a membership to a gym or public pool, or schmooze over someone to let you access one regularly.

7.) Skiing/snowboarding, surfing, or skateboarding.

Wherever you live, there is probably snow, waves, or pavement to shred. These can be a really fun way to get active, and may even make you feel like a kid again!

Not too expensive an option. Unless you feel the need to move somewhere you can catch waves or snow drifts, that is. In which  case, this option might just break your bank.

8.) Playing a sport.

Basketball, baseball, football, tennis, whatever. Any sport that makes you get up and move is a means of exercise and it's well worth the effort. Plus, it can be really fun!

This will be more expensive than just walking, but not quite as expensive as joining a gym...unless you have to join the gym to get regular access to these kinds of facilities. But usually a local park can do just as well.

9.) Bicycling.

As the days get warmer, we're all going to see more people out on the road with their bicycles. And why not? It's a fantastic way to kill two birds with one stone. You're getting to places you want to go, AND burning calories as you get there. What's there to lose in that scenario?

This is one option that is going to cost money. And it can get VERY expensive the deeper you get into it. A good bicycle can cost you close to $1000! But you can buy cheaper ones at your local Walmart to start for around $100. 

10.) Dancing.

Going to your local club, while bad on the calorie intake (beer is a heavy hitter), can be a great way to exercise. The constant movements and sustained exercise you do while dancing is a real calorie eater, and you can have a LOT of fun with this one.

This can be as cheap as listening to your radio from the comfort of your own home to as expensive as signing up for professional training. And there are a lot of things in-between there. Usually there are a few cheap dancing classes at your local community center or gym, and DVDs are prolific. But if you want a free demonstration, you can always google it and watch the YouTube videos.


Whatever way you exercise, it's important that you do it often and safely. Listen to your body as you go, and don't overdo it just to impress anyone or in the name of "health". Injuries are never good for your health, and improper exercising is an accident waiting to happen! Research the safest way to do whatever activity you choose before you do it, and you can minimize these risks.

But, most of all, have fun!

Daily Stats:

 

1. Exercise, stretched, meditated, and worked on writing twice today.
2. Wrote in journal, kept to my budget, and wrote a poem today.
3. Posted on my blog.
4. Made my bed and picked up around my room.