Today, I wanted to share an infographic explaining the 3 types of meditation. Click on the images below to visit the source site (Maharishi University of Management).
Next week we’ll wrap up this 3 part series on meditation with some good sources of meditations to try!
[ #GentleNudge ] 4Mar2015 ~ 37 Science Based Reasons to Meditate Today [ Infographic, Video ]
Here’s Your Weekly Wednesday #GentleNudge To Get You Over The Hump…
and into the weekend!
[ Meditation… Part 1 of 3 ]
Have you ever wondered this about meditation?
I’ve been reading a lot about it and
feel the benefits from it but what exactly does meditation do for the body?
I know it activates certain parts of the brain but I’m not clear on what exactly that means.
One of my clients asked me this in my inbox and I thought it would be a great series to dive into with you.
Sure, I’ve written about my personal experiences with meditation, like the time I I did a 10-day yoga challenge (starting at day 95). But you probably were wondering, “what does meditation do for the body?”
[ Meditation Does A Body Good! ]
According to SoundsTrue.Com, meditation on the body can help you:
Channel revitalizing energy throughout your body and
Uncover your body’s untapped powers of perception, intuition, and wisdom.
We live in an overly stimulated world, so when you can channel energy to make yourself feel good, your body can literally carry you longer and work more optimally!
Meditation can structurally change your brain… “thickening some areas, and making others less dense”…
Huffington Post Healthy Living Benefits of Meditation
Similarly, we are mammals, and meditation allows you to attune to the silent messages your body tells you to signal happiness, balance, and yes, even illness. Body Scanning Meditation awakens you to what your body needs and wants to tell you:
Meditation Coach Mp3 Download. Enjoy a 10 minute mindful meditation as Greg de Vries, the Meditation Coach, gently guides you to meditate with this guided body scan meditation. Download your free mp3 meditation audio at the link above.
[ Meditation: Good for Any Body! ]
Meditation is great for your heart and can “significantly help high blood pressure over the long-term”.
Plus, it is an excellent immune booster (illnesses and infectious bye-bye!), and meditation can help women reduce PMS, infertility and breastfeeding problems:
Science has shown that mindfulness meditation can affect gene expression, which means that not only your body changes, but your potential for illness such as diabetes, heart-attack and dementia are lessened, too!
Curious to learn more? Just check what Meditation can do for the Body, Mind and Spirit (courtesy of The Huffington Post):
She even goes over some Myths about Meditation and helps you breakthrough the “I can’t meditate” mentality:
Click to Read More from Emma Seppala
[ Still Need More Motivation To Meditate? ]
Alright, so you’ve come to a place where you’re saying, “Geez, I guess meditation couldn’t hurt!” Great! Let’s get started!
Try out the Headspace App program ( Free for the first 10 days ):
Or maybe you’re still on the fence?
Here are 10 Science-Based Reasons to Start Meditating Today!
Click to view Emma Seppala’s website!
The Takeaway
Meditation can change your life in so many ways. And you don’t need to sit for hours, wearing a white robe.
You can be yourself!
…A woman
…An elder
Meditation Reduces Loneliness, Boosts Immune System In Seniors (Huffington Post)
…And You can even be a punk rocker, tatooed meditation advocate:
As a youth, Levine was incarcerated several times. His first book, Dharma Punx, details teenage years filled with drugs, violence, and multiple suicide attempts—choices fuelled by disillusionment with American mainstream culture. His substance abuse started early in life—at age six he began smoking marijuana—and finally ended in a padded detoxification cell in juvenile prison 11 years later. It was in this cell where he hit “an emotional rock bottom” and began his vipassana practice “out of a place of extreme drug addiction and violence” While incarcerated, he saw for the first time how the practice his father taught him gave him the tools to relieve the fear and uncertainty that pervaded his life.
One notable aspect of Buddhist Dharma is the path of our choices, the actions past and present and the intention for future action (Buddhist Law of Karma). Levine’s past—addiction, incarceration, violence, initial rejection of Buddhism and meditation—are all defining characteristics of his writings and teachings. “We all sort of have a different doorway to dharma or spiritual practice. Suffering is a doorway. For me it was the suffering of addiction, violence and crime which opened me at a young age, 17 years old. I was incarcerated, looking at the rest of my life in prison and thought, ‘Maybe I will try dad’s hippie meditation bullshit.’ Suffering opened me to the possibility of trying meditation.”
He currently leads Dharma and vipassana meditation retreats and workshops across the United States and teaches weekly meditation classes in Los Angeles. A member of the Prison Dharma Network, Levine works with juvenile and adult prison inmates, combining meditation techniques with psychotherapy. He “explores how they can have a deeper understanding of what has happened and what they need to do in order to be free, on many levels—free from prison, free from the trauma of the past.”
He has helped found several groups and projects including the Mind Body Awareness Project, a non-profit organization that serves incarcerated youths. Introducing them to the Buddha’s teachings. He lists the 14th Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Ram Dass, Joseph Goldstein, Sharon Salzberg, Norman Fischer, and Sylvia Boorstein as his teachers.
Here’s Your Weekly Wednesday #GentleNudge To Get You Over The Hump…
and into the weekend!
[ Part 3 of 3 ]
Over the last few weeks, I have presented you with some steps and insight to help you continue to shine in your confidence. Here are the links, in case you’d like a refresher:
This is part 3 of 3 of my series on confidence, and I wanted to go out with one of my favorite types of posts, the Quote Post. I find (and some of you have told me), that these are the post you enjoy the most because they are “inspiring”…
SO, without further ado, here are 27 Confidence Boosting Quotes to Inspire Success in your Life and Business, featuring quotes from:
Beyonce, Marilyn Monroe, Winston Churchill, Eleanor Roosevelt, Nelson Mandela, a confidence-inspiring kid, and more…
PS: Originally, I was going to post 18, but when the inspiration flows, I go with it! 🙂
On the front of my Fall 2014 Class Schedule reads:
Fall in LOVE with Yoga
When I got the schedule upon getting my gift of 30 Days of Unlimited Yoga, I definitely didn’t notice this written on the trifold, nor do I think that I would have believed its message even if I had noticed it…
But on this 30th day of my 30 Day Yoga Challenge, I can truly say that I fell in love with Yoga.
[ The Experience ]
This entire experience has been so lovely. I can’t believe I am saying that! I mean, 30 days ago, I thought yoga people were weird (and I still kinda do); and now, I am one of them weird folk! Gladly!
Yoga has helped me to stay chill within chaos, it has allowed me to open up and be more heart-centered. Yoga has really been a great addition in my life.
Like, today, I went to work for my friend at her “local foods” restaurant/ corner grocery store. It was ridiculously busy, yet I wasn’t phased by the non-stop influx of customers and their need of me to give them the best service possible. At one point, one of the regulars even said, “wow, it’s so busy here, and this is your first day. But you seem so chill about it.”
Though I think it went over her head, I simply replied,
I do yoga.
[ The Takeaway ]
Today is my 30th day of consecutive yoga practice.
It is also my 107th consecutive day of chanting and meditation.
I’m not sure which of the two practices have influenced my well-being the most, but all I can say is that something is working. So, I’ll just keep on doing what I’m doing.
Winter Solstice 2014
The shortest day will come in 17 hours of this final journal entry. It will welcome the Winter Solstice, and simultaneously welcome longer days. I may have completed this 30 Day Challenge, but as every end begins, I look forward to continuing this “weird yoga stuff”, as the days and season change henceforth, and new beginnings spring forth.
I am grateful I got this gift of 30 Days of Unlimited Yoga. I am grateful for the teachers who have taught me. But, more than anything, I am grateful for myself for doing this challenge for my SELF. It has truly been a priceless gift.
Oh, and thank YOU for sharing in the experience!
PS: Yin and Kundalini Yoga are my favorites I think.
Have YOU fallen in love with Yoga yet? 🙂
[ Top 7 30 Day Challenge Entries ]
Here are the top 7 “30 Day Challenge” Entries for the last 30 Days (as of the time of this writing):
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Music. Wellness. Inspiration.
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So, I made it to a Yin class today, and to my surprise (and great fortune), my favorite Yoga Basics teacher was filling in!
I firmly believe everything happens for a reason, and there’s definitely a reason why she seems to always be teaching the classes I attend, even when I don’t expect it.
[ The Experience ]
I got to class around 5 minutes before it was starting. As I scanned the room for the “perfect spot”, I realized that the only place that felt right (and that was left) was the one that was front and center.
Literally, in the center of the class.
Mind you, when I started this 30 Day Yoga Challenge, I would sit in the back of my classes.
Slowly I would rotate to mats more forward in the room, either to the right or the left of the class, alternating. Tonight, being in the center was a lil’ awkward and intimidating at first, since you literally are right in front of the yoga teacher. But, it took only the first 3 opening AUMs to let it go, relax and just be in the space as if I were not front and center.
[ The Takeaway ]
I left the class feeling so centered.
I felt so light and like I really went inward. Methinks it is because in order to not feel so awkward where I was sitting, I had to rely on closing my eyes and making the practice as personal as I could, given my situation. Somehow, I made it work.
In the center of the room, I went inward and became centered.
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The other day I was in Yoga Basics and our teacher had us do a pose that took me to new heights.
We were asked to stand with feet in line with each other, heel to toe, and balance. First with eyes open, then with eyes slightly open.
Finally, we were doing a tightrope, eyes closed.
[ The Experience ]
Today, I did my yoga practice at home, integrating the tightrope into my experience. Though it was nothing like this,
allowing myself to find balance with my eyes closed felt as liberating as this:
[ The Takeaway ]
I feel strong, clear and I trust myself and my body more than ever. This 30 Day Yoga Challenge has really awakened me to my SELF, my essence and the power I have within me.
I enjoy yoga. I love it. 15-minutes lifts me up just as much as 75-minutes. Yoga brings me to appreciate life. I feel energized. I feel alive.
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Music. Wellness. Inspiration.
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[ #GentleNudge ] 17Dec2014 ~ The Best Gentle Nudge List 2014
Here’s Your Weekly Wednesday #GentleNudge To Get You Over The Hump…
and into the weekend!
Happy Holidays!
It’s been a great year and I’m so thankful you have joined me in the journey. Your health, happiness and success means a lot to me, so I’ve decided to give you the Best Gentle Nudge List of 2014.
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Music. Wellness. Inspiration.
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The teacher that I take Yoga Basics class with, which is in the style of Hatha Yoga, also teaches a Yin class ( aka: “more relaxed and zen” yoga). I was feeling a lil’ tight in the side of my back earlier today and I almost stayed home.
But, alas, the studio is only 2 minutes from my front door, and Yin is zen, so I went.
I’ll just start with the end by saying, “I needed that.”
[ The Experience ]
I took my partner along and we were both curious to note that we used the wall as support the entire class. It was a way of doing Yoga that neither of us had done before.
In using the wall as support (and gravity as our helper), we were able to go deeper into the poses we held, which meant we were able to target the fascia more intentionally. Through this, we were able to open up more meaningfully.
My two favorite poses of the evening were the frog pose:
Click image to learn about the Yin Frog Pose
And King Arthur pose, which apparently is a good pose for runners:
Click image to learn more yoga poses for runners
Mind you, I am not a runner. My partner is. But, nope, I am not a fan of running. Though, ironically before class yesterday, a gentleman asked me if I was. We ended our short chat with me saying, “I guess sometimes people see things in us that we don’t.”
Any rate, the King Arthur’s pose is intense. I actually kept my leg that wasn’t on the wall bent and lowered to the ground, using a yoga block to gently lift that leg a bit so as to still feel the stretch in my wall-supported leg.
Did you get all that? lol
[ The Takeaway ]
Now that I know I can use walls to do yoga, I really feel like there’s no excuse.
“I can do anything.”
[ Question For You ]
What can you do when you use your immediate resources?
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104 days ago, I challenged myself to meditate and chant for 40 consecutive days.
I did it!
Another 10 days of intentional mindfulness for my well-being through meditation. I am so happy and I feel like I am truly at a place of understanding how to flow with life more efficiently, simply because every day I have devoted time to become a better Observer.
[ My thoughts about Headspace ]
Headspace is quite easy-to-use and interactive. The use of videos to present value alongside the meditations are great tools to help you understand the practice of meditation:
I definitely enjoy the premise of using the Headspace App to Meditate; however, at the end of the day, I’m fine keeping my meditation a free service, personally. Plus, I do have a lovely guided meditation that I enjoy using when I need to get some teaching to recenter my practice.
I encourage you to do the 10-days of Headspace, though. Try it out and see for yourself!
[ The Takeaway ]
10-minutes a day goes a long way.
Before Headspace, I would do 30 minutes a day of meditation, even an hour a day sometimes, thinking those were the “right” units of time to see results. But, that often left me feeling stressed. As I wracked my brain trying to find the time to fit in my meditation, it would often feel like a chore, rather than a relaxing point in my day.
After Headspace, however, I see that there is value in taking 10-minutes a day.
The key is the intention, and taking the time to do it for yourself. 10-minutes is also more doable and accessible, and therefore makes it more fun. Plus, there is science behind 10-minutes a day being beneficial unit of time to see results
Click to learn more about the science behind meditation!
Though I believe I will continue my meditation sans-Headspace, at least I know that I will at least be continuing with my daily practice. ONWARD!
[ Question For You ]
How has being flexible allowed you to achieve your goals?
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Music. Wellness. Inspiration.
I went to my weekly Yoga Basics class today. I really enjoy the teacher and I appreciate the way she explains everything. Even though my 30 Day Unlimited Pass expires in 5 days, I’m thinking I’ll still head to her class next week to finish off the year in a big way.
Through her class, I’ve been able to say YES to opening up myself to the experience of yoga; I am more full and relaxed in my practice than I was before I started attending her sessions.
[ The Experience ]
At the top of the hour in today’s class as she requested me to do so, I reminded my teacher to repeat the answer to my question I asked privately in last week’s session about why we breathe the way we do in Ocean Breathing. Click here to learn about it and you can also view a video below:
I was always told to breath through my nose, and it is also the natural way we breathe as infants. So when our teacher encouraged us to breathe through our mouths last week, I had to question the philosophy behind it.
Though shy to speak up last week, I am glad I did.
Last week, she answered me, saying that (in a nutshell), open-mouth Ocean Breathing allows you to get the mechanics down until you are comfortable and able to do it with closed mouth. Then she said, “that’s a real good question. In fact, the whole class should hear the answer. Remind me next week.”
So, I did.
[ The Takeaway ]
This week, we began the class and she asked me to repeat my question to the entire class before she got into her explanation. She then said, that just because a teacher is a teacher, doesn’t mean you have to just trust everything without asking questions, or making it work for your body. It felt as though she was giving me a nod for speaking up and questioning, so that I could make my practice more personal and meaningful for myself.
It was liberating. Freeing, even.
This set the tone for me to add a lil’ more fire into my poses tonight. I did things that I had not attempted in this 30 Day Yoga Challenge, simply because my mind told me I wouldn’t be able to do it.
But, I did them anyway.
As I allowed myself to speak, I added more fire to my practice.
I breathed more expansively tonight, and the tiredness I felt when I arrived to class, after an hour of kickboxing, had turned into a peacefulness of
“I can do anything.”
[ Question For You ]
How do you feel when you stretch your comfort zone?
THANK YOU FOR READING MY BLOG! If this is your first time, make sure to Follow me! Oh, and Please share! You never know who you will inspire and motivate by simply passing the info along as I have for you! 🙂
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Tim Ferriss's 4-Hour Workweek and Lifestyle Design Blog. Tim is an author of 5 #1 NYT/WSJ bestsellers, investor (FB, Uber, Twitter, 50+ more), and host of The Tim Ferriss Show podcast (400M+ downloads)
Meditation is great for your heart and can “significantly help high blood pressure over the long-term”.
Tera Greene, The Life REmix Expert 
