Meditation and exercise

[enviroTodd]

On the day you rest from exercise every week, don’t go without actually improving your fitness. Try meditation. It helps to improve both physical and mental health. In fact, studies are showing that after the age of 40, it reduces the shrinking of the brain and can help with memory and emotional health. I’m not at that age, yet, but I don’t think it hurts that I’ve started early. Plus, meditation reduces stress levels, which decreases cortisol levels. Cortisol is a hormone that makes weight loss harder and can lead to weight gain. Allow your positive energy to flow and give this a try.

[TracyK]

That sounds like a good idea, but how long would a person have to meditate for?

[ChristySmiles]

I think that you're right, enviroTodd. The trouble for me is that I can't get into meditation. I find it really boring and my mind waders way too much. I can't focus my thinking and eventually I start to feel really stressed. I don't relax when I meditate, I feel like I'm wasting my time. I'd love to be someone who benefits from it, but I just don't think I can. Do you have any recommendations for someone like me?

[BabyButtons]

I think that you're right, enviroTodd. The trouble for me is that I can't get into meditation. I find it really boring and my mind waders way too much. I can't focus my thinking and eventually I start to feel really stressed. I don't relax when I meditate, I feel like I'm wasting my time. I'd love to be someone who benefits from it, but I just don't think I can. Do you have any recommendations for someone like me?

I know that enviroTodd will likely provide you with a better answer than I will, ChristySmiles, but I would recommend that you look into different meditation techniques. There's actually different forms of meditation and you might find that while some don't work for you, others will. Often, I think many of us think of meditation in a stereotypical way; we imagine sitting cross-legged on the floor with our eyes shut and focusing on clearing our mind. While this may work for some, I personally find that the best meditation for me is by shutting my eyes and listening to someone else talk, so I can focus on their voice and what they're asking me to do. It still take concentration, but I find it easier then trying to find my focus in silence alone. I hope that helps

[Speeddemon]

I gotta say, I can really picture you meditating eT. You seem like you'd be a zen kind of guy. I was also curious about something. I know you're into all that healthy, good-for-you, all-natural, altnerative, get-in-touch-with-your-spirit stuff. I was wondering what your thoughts were on using colors and light therapy for weight loss. Have any success with that?

[Bethie]

I think that you're right, enviroTodd. The trouble for me is that I can't get into meditation. I find it really boring and my mind waders way too much. I can't focus my thinking and eventually I start to feel really stressed. I don't relax when I meditate, I feel like I'm wasting my time. I'd love to be someone who benefits from it, but I just don't think I can. Do you have any recommendations for someone like me?

I used to have that problem, too. I learned that I was trying the wrong kind of meditation. INstead of trying to do one that makes you clear your mind, instead do one that has you focus on something. I find the guided ones are the best for me, as a beginner. There are a lot of great ones that are recorded. Even some on Youtube. To me, it works best with headphones but I know that's not for everyone. Just listen to it and they'll give you the images you need to imagine. They tell you about a lot of sensory experiences and you just keep paying attention to them. Before you know it, you've done it!