Giving the gift of Reiki to my meditating yogis in Costa Rica
I know, you are already thinking that this is weird, that I am going to tell you to burn incense and sit on the floor in a pretzel position and chant Om. While you can if you want, you don’t need to do any of that to realize the many benefits of meditation.
There are so many reasons to meditate, and no reasons not to do it, except that you think you don’t like it. But listen to these scientifically-proven benefits – meditation reduces stress, relieves anxiety, can prevent brain aging and memory loss, can help ease addictions, lengthens attention span, improves emotional health, can decrease blood pressure, improve sleep, and help control pain. Yes, research has shown that the simple act of tuning in and turning off your thoughts can pretty much change your whole life for the better.
The endless beauty of Costa Rica, a place to relax and find peace
I was watching a video the other day about managing time. Someone said that Elon Musk and Bill Gates block out their days in five-minute increments to organize themselves. Whether that is true or not I have no idea, but if it is and it works for them then that’s great.
It just isn’t how I want to live.
Some of my favourite memories are from times when I wasn’t doing anything.
When I lived in Mexico, there was a guy there who could play the flute. One night we were on the beach and the sound of the melodic notes still ring through my mind even now, so many years later. In Puerto Rico I met a professional trumpet player. I would hear him practicing when I was on the beach walking. It was something I looked forward to every day.
The best memories are the ones when something happened that wasn’t expected or planned.
Big-picture thinking seems like a good thing to do, but I’m not sure that it has been the most important factor in getting me from one place to the next. When I look back at how I thought my life would unfold, it never really did the way I thought it would.
We watched in silence that day as the sun slipped into the sea – Costa Rica was a delight in so many ways
There is so much noise in the world right now. It seems almost impossible to find moments when you aren’t bombarded by advertising, propaganda, or just complete nonsense.
Sometimes you need to talk out loud just to hear yourself think.
It is very difficult to have moments of clarity and spiritual breakthroughs when the mind can never be silenced. We are so used to the continual noise that even when we are alone, we feel the need to turn on the television or a podcast or music.
It is almost as though we become insecure when the world around us is too quiet.
Luxury enjoyed after three weeks in the jungle of Costa Rica living in a hostel
You don’t have to go on a seven-day spa retreat in order to give yourself some much deserved self-care. Although that would be nice of course!
There are many things you can do from the comfort of your own home that will go a long way towards ensuring that you are taking care of yourself when you need it most.
Here are five easy ways to add a little self-care into your busy life..
Tell a busy mother with three young kids, a full-time job, and friends and family who demand her time that she needs to add more self-care to her life.
She might throw something at you.
Or the busy executive who is putting in 70-hour work weeks, trying to get ahead, get that promotion or land the next big deal – tell him to slow down and take a moment to see how he is doing inside.
That will get a laugh for sure.
As the pace of the world continues to quicken, the last thing we have time for is ourselves. Until something goes wrong.
Breathing fully is much easier when you are outside with fresh air everywhere
It’s something we rarely think about, because the body does it on its own. If we had to remember to do it, we would probably be in big trouble.
It’s like beating our heart. It’s an amazing muscle, the heart; it pumps faster or slower as needed by the body without us having to figure out how to do it.
The breath is the same. If we exert ourselves in any way, the lungs respond by deepening the inhales and exhales as necessary to supply enough oxygen to the muscles.
There’s more that we can do with the breath though than to just take it for granted. When used correctly, the breath can anchor us to the present moment, can steady an anxious mind, and can even help us lose weight.
Wait – something as simple as breathing can help us to lose weight?
Absolutely! By using enhanced breathing, we can encourage the flow of oxygen through the system, enabling the body to better use fat for fuel. It is an amazingly easy process that can be done anytime, anywhere.
Remember, fat is basically stored energy. To shrink fat cells, your body will convert fat to energy for the muscles and other tissues using metabolic processes. The waste products from the metabolic processes are water and carbon dioxide, which are excreted in sweat and urine and exhaled from the lungs.
When you lose fat, you literally exhale it.
How to Breathe the Fat Off of Your Body
Do Yoga – Yoga, which translates to “union”, is all about connecting breath to movement. You are encouraged to anchor to the breath as you move through various poses. The very nature of yoga encourages deep breathing, and can encourage fat loss.
Meditate – As you ride the breath into quieter states of mind, you are allowing the muscles of the belly and diaphragm to relax, encouraging a deeper, more calming type of breath.
Reduce Stress – Stress causes us to tense the body, causing more rapid, shallow breathing, tight muscles and a quicker heartbeat. This can lead to anxiety and an inability to resist food cravings that often leads to poor choices and weight gain.
To practice a fat-burning type of breath, breathe through the nose fully and allow the belly to relax. Relax the shoulders and close your eyes if it is practical to do so. Count a slow five as you inhale, and then allow the exhale to be as long or longer. Repeat this at least five times, working up to ten slow breaths each session.
The biggest challenge is keeping the mind from wandering during the breath, as invariably the breath will shorten as the mind disengages. Start slowly and build up the ability to stay focused and centred.
Not only will this help you lose weight, it will soothe your frayed nerves and allow you to relax. Remember, your health should always be your number one priority because without that, life becomes much more difficult to navigate.
