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Archives for April 2020

The Importance of Meditation in These Trying Times

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It’s a scary time to be alive right now, as the coronavirus continues to spread across the globe. With bad news coming in almost on a regular basis (and with no way to release that frustration due to social distancing), it’s easy to let the stress and anxiety compound. This makes meditation all the more crucial in these trying times, particularly as a way to take care of your mental health and help you survive what is shaping up to be the new normal for the foreseeable future. 

Helping yourself to help others

While it’s important to be kind to one another and look out for our neighbors as much as possible, it’s equally important to extend that kindness to ourselves.

Meditation may seem like a small act in the face of everything else that’s going on, but taking care of yourself in this way can also provide you with a community of people who are also trying their best to keep calm amidst the chaos. This is why pop star Lizzo streamed a live meditation on Instagram a few days ago in lieu of her cancelled show. Her meditation session focused on helping people clear their minds in order to see the ways that they can help — “the one thing we will always have is togetherness,” she reminded her viewers. 

Indeed, clearing your mind through meditation is crucial to help you sift through all the noise and see how you can incite positive change into your community. At the very least, it’s a lot better than refreshing your phone every other minute or so out of fear. 

Making your practice sustainable

Since the madness won’t come to an end any time soon, it’s important to really make an effort to incorporate meditation as part of your daily routine. Our post entitled ‘4 Misconceptions About Meditation’ emphasizes that you can move around, sit comfortably, and even grab a drink of water while you meditate — what’s important is that you really focus on taking that time out for yourself. 

 If you’re someone who prefers to sweat it out when you’re stressed, meditation should be a very important part of recovery. While many people will turn to exercise as a way to de-stress, Parsley Health suggests that to beat brain fog exercise should also be accompanied with active tune-ins to provide your body that much-needed balance. Overworking your body may end up making you even more frazzled and exhausted in the long run. It’s especially important to listen to your body and give it the TLC it needs.

It’s also good to know that your body can benefit from a meditation break faster than you realize. As more and more people are looking to adopt remote work, business coach Shannon Houde highlights that sometimes having a three-minute reset is all you need to power through the rest of your day. 

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, stressing yourself out and panicking won’t do you and your community any favors. The chaos all around us is something we have to take as a given; the question is, how will we deal with it? While we’re all figuring out how to adjust to what might be the new normal (at least for now), meditation can help give you that clear headspace that you sorely need. 

woman meditating with eyes closed and hand over heart

Tune in, and listen…to podcasts.

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As of late, there are may of us finding some extra time on our hands. For some it is welcomed, for others it brings a whole new slew of problems and anxiety. The whole world is in unchartered territory right now. Many cities, states, and countries are calling for action they have never called on before. That leaves a lot of questions, little answers, and an overall state of confusion and uncertainty. We are being showered with new information nearly hour by hour it seems, on every platform. I receive phone calls from friends and family that all seem to begin with what the newest development is. It simply seems that we cannot get away from this right now. Though, I do not think we should turn a blind eye, or deaf ear, we do need to be able to disconnect from the fear and sadness that lurks on every screen.

Being newly unemployed, I have been taking this self-isolation to spend more time with myself, amongst my dogs and partner. I have been sitting in the silence and trying to enjoy that, reading, studying for CEUs, etc. But, being a highly social and active person, it can be hard not seeing and interacting with friends, and for the most part being stuck to the confines of your own home. I also teach group exercise classes and yoga. Showing up to those classes is what too keeps myself accountable and my body moving. I am used to having dozens of conversations a day with many different people. With that number being drastically cut down, I have turned to my podcasts to fill that void of conversation (yes, sometimes I talk back as if I am involved in the conversation). I have been into podcasts for years now, mostly on long drives, or, when I had solo jobs, such as house cleaning, however, now I am able to appreciate them in a different way, and fully listen to them as I sit in the space I have created for myself. I can be one hundred percent tuned in, not distracted by the work task at hand. No interruptions, just fully engaged listening. Being a personal trainer and yoga teacher, a majority of the podcasts I am attracted to are ones that revolve around health and wellness discussion. Some dive deep into the scientific realm of a topic, while others seem to simply be conversations between friends. They all leave me feeling as if I have learned something after I have listened. Whether it be a new term, new idea, or new way to look within myself. From doctors to enthusiasts, these hosts offer a myriad of episodes. You are sure to find one that speaks to you.

Suggested podcasts:

Meathead Hippie: Emily Schromm is a personal trainer, Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, entrepreneur and a meathead hippie. Emily has competed in and coached CrossFit, developed 5 companies, and many know her from her MTV days in the Real World and the Real World Challenge. Though Emily loves to go hard in the gym, in the recent years she began diving deeper into what was going on in her body from the inside out. Learning more about gut health with nutritional and herbal remedies, and slowing down due to adrenal dysfunction, Emily has gone on to teach others how to begin to heal themselves. This self proclaimed meathead still loves her deadlifts (she owns a gym in Denver), but she can also tell when her Chakras are unbalanced and how to tune in to her own body and realign. Her guests range from competitive powerlifters to shamanic practitioners. This podcast is the perfect mix of fitness and mindfulness.

The Natural State: Dr. Anthony Gustin is the founder and CEO of Perfect Keto and Equip foods. With a doctorate in Chiropractic and a MS in Exercise and Sport Science, Dr. Anthony took research into his own hands by applying all his fundamental science education to the food he was eating and the way he was exercising to discover what finally worked for him. In this podcast he interviews health and nutrition influencers and industry experts covering an array of complex ideas and topics, put in easy to understand terms.    

Listen to Your Body Podcast (previously Harder to Kill Radio): Steph Gaudreau is a certified strength coach, intuitive eating counselor, and Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. This is weekly podcast with a mix of industry expert interviews and solo podcasts exploring mind, body, and soul health to help you learn to LISTEN to your body and move more intuitively.

The NASM-CPT Podcast: Rick Richey hosts this podcast through the National Academy of Sports Medicine talking all things personal trainer related. The most recent episode offers insight onto how to bring your business online.

This is Joy & Claire (previously Girls Gone WOD): Joy Parrish and Claire Koch started Girls Gone WOD in 2013 and in 2020 rebranded to This Is Joy & Claire. While they still may talk about WOD’s, this podcast brings lightness, humor, and honesty in topics from mental health to overall wellness, marriage, and parenting. This podcast is like sitting with your friends having a conversation about whatever you may be feeling!

Higher Conversations Podcast: Kellee Rich – The Yogi Poet, explores the different states of mind and being with guest interviews, solo-casts, and storytelling. Kellee is a Tahoe local teaching at a handful of studios in the Truckee/Tahoe area, and now bringing us her insight for tapping into the subtle and physical bodies and layers of consciousness. Kellee’s love and light radiates as she invites to listen to, and have, Higher Conversations, with others and ourselves.

A couple of other podcasts I like to listen to are: Broken Brain Podcast with Dhru Purohit, Found My Fitness with Dr. Rhona Patrick, and the famous, Joe Rogan Experience with Joe Rogan. Some of these shows take a little sifting to find an episode that can keep your attention as they can tend to be longer or more scientific, but I recommend looking through the archives and starting with one that really screams “you need to hear this”.  Find the time and place to let yourself simply listen and, hopefully, learn.

All of these podcasts can be found on iTunes and other podcast platforms such as Stitcher and Spotify.

Childs pose on standup paddle board in a lake with island in the background
Away from all of the noise to listen.

Conquering The Obstacles To Success!

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man jumping up crumbling steps

As we migrate on our voyage to tackling our goals and life accomplishments–it’s only normal that fear arises in the midst of an unforeseen obstacles. Anyone that is on a mission can testify just how crippling fear can be; which can damper our progress and bring our momentum to a halt–resulting in destitution and lack of confidence. Most of us can attest to fearing the unknown the ramifications of the possible failure we’re almost guaranteed to experience. But, let’s take a moment to understand what we’re actually fearing, and what if I were to tell you that there a way to conquer the obstacles to your success?  

In the beginning, we come up with our ideas and visions for the week, month, year, and from there we determine if our goals are short term or long term, high or low priority. The truth of the matter is, we all go about accomplishing our goals differently. Some of us research every aspect and understand the many components of our goal–this is to familiarize ourselves with the mission. Meanwhile, others of us may write it down or create vision boards, etc. With all of our plans and ideas we forget to become specific with how we achieve those goals.  

For instance, when a runner decides that they want to run a marathon, they don’t just show up to the marathon and run. To complete a marathon successfully, one must first condition themselves. Specifically, they work out every day, train their body to endure the distance, learn how to work through pain, learn how to listen to the body, and when to slow down. Thus, marathon runners make it look easy, and that’s only because they’ve done their homework and prepared.  

How do I create a solid strategy?  

“Willpower by itself is not enough. If we want to achieve lasting change, we must have an effective strategy.” – Tony Robbins 

When executing any plan it’s helpful to plan all the way until the end. As we’re planning it’s important to take our time, because this gives us time to truly contemplate every move and countermove. Therefore, every countermove prepares us for possible failure (outcomes).  

Why do I need to prepare for failure?  

Understand me when I say this: desiring to achieve your goals with optimism and positivity is very noble, but every plan has set backs and parts of your plan will fail. Let’s get comfortable with that idea now, because the sooner we can come to terms with this–the sooner we can have a strategy for any and all outcomes. As a result, when we fail, we won’t fear it, we’ll be prepared for whatever comes our way, and this is how we learn to expand ourselves.  

Why would Anyone expect failure? Shouldn’t I expect success?  

I would like to dispel a myth about failure–It’s not negative in nature. Failure is a learning opportunity to gauge to see where your strategy is measuring up or not. Of course, it’s healthy to expect success. However, we must always be ready and open for our plans to hit the wall and fall apart. Any successful person will gladly admit that it typically doesn’t work the first go around and that’s where we define our character.  

I implore you to observe billionaire, tv show host, producer, and actress Oprah Winfrey. When Winfrey created the OWN network the ratings were terrible–in the beginning. The media dragged her name through the mud, and she ended up having to restructure the television programming and go back to the drawing board several times–until she found the correct formula.  

The correct formula ended up being drama series specifically for African American audiences–thanks to the help of Tyler Perry. Winfrey did however keep her original “Super Soul Sundays” which is aimed at the spiritual seeker who enjoyed her interviews about spirituality and enlightenment. 

As a result, the Oprah Winfrey Network has made serious strides since its inception and continues to go above and beyond the media speculation and gossip. Failure has been a major part of Oprah Winfrey’s network, but she has proven that failure happens and when it does, we can pick ourselves up.  

What Can I expect After I create a solid Strategy?  

After we’ve created and begin to execute a solid strategy, we can now take BOLD action with confidence and strong will power. We will be more assured of our actions, because we’ve already done the ground work. Naturally we’ll follow our instinct and we’ll see the holes in our plans early on, and this is solely due to you being highly critical of our strategy.  

As expressed, overcoming the challenges and road blocks to our success can create uncertainty. We’ve established that creating plans without a strong strategy won’t garner the best results of our effort, and if we’re willing to have the courage to brave our failures and learn from them–our lives can ultimately be transformed. 

The Aftermath…  

In an article from Psychology Today written by Dr. Theo Tsaousides, PH.D. concludes that never pursuing our goals means not giving them a chance to materialize. The fear of failure keeps you safe, but it keeps you small. Tsaousides states that avoiding the pursuit doesn’t allow you to try new things, expose you to different scenarios, and it doesn’t expand you–allowing you to see what you’re capable of. Tsaousides believes that we if we’re able to identify our fears to failure–we can most definitely overcome them. It’s far better to fail miserably than hiding from the possibilities.  

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Three ways to be more mindful during the day

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Most of us are running around every day – some even literally. One of the hardest parts of being mindful is not that just our mind is full of thoughts, racing up and down a mental to do list, bringing up worries (that most of the time we don’t know where they came from) and sometimes really random thoughts (so random we don’t know what to do with them). But also life seems to be getting more and more hectic. Not just internal thoughts and feelings can get too much, but also external triggers. Work, phone, email, cars – the pace gets faster and faster and we are expected to change along with it. Finding time to meditate even once a day is a real achievement.

The faster everything is around us and inside of us, the better it is for us to be more mindful so we can see and hear through all the noise and actually get clarity on what’s really important. So how do we do that without it being just another task on our to-do list? How do we become mindful without it even becoming too much?

Here are three tips I have to slip in some mindfulness during the day:

  1. Washing Your Hands

It’s generally something you should do a couple of times a day so might as well use the occasion to be a little mindful. For example – and easy way is just to ask yourself: How does the water feel? Or you can walk yourself through the process – talk about each thing you are doing. For example “Now I turn on the tap – the water feels cool – my hands are wet, it feels nice”. The goal is just to spend a moment in the moment. It will stop your mind from racing, force you to take a break from all the running thoughts. It will calm the mind even for just a second.

  1. Waiting for Transport

If you are a public commuter – there is bound to be a time where you will wait. If it’s to cross the road, or waiting for the bus, while you wait stop and ask yourself “How am I?”. And then ask yourself: “But really, how am I?”. Get to the core – don’t stop at “fine” or “good”, force yourself to actually say a full sentence. “I am good because I slept well” or “I feel fine but I seem a little anxious”. You don’t have to explain why you feel a certain way. The goal is to touch base with your feelings. Even if you aren’t a public commuter – I bet there are times where you wait for the elevator, or people to enter in the building before you, any chance you notice yourself reaching for your phone – just check in. It will literally take you a bare millisecond and cost you nothing. The gains though, are getting in touch with your current state so you can function better.

  1. While Walking

At least once a day, when walking to the fridge or walking to the bathroom, you will find yourself in some sort of motion. Tell yourself every time you find yourself going somewhere, to count your breaths in and out till you get to 6. If you want, take it to 8 or 10. Whichever works best for you. Take a deep breath in count 1, take a breath out count 2, and so on. You’ll notice yourself become more conscious of your breathing but also instantly become more calm. Side effect may be your shoulders dropping, and tension leaving your body. It’s a simple trick to get an aligned mind and body.

You don’t have to do the items in that combination. You can ask yourself how are you while washing your hands, or be more mindful of what it is like to sip a cup of coffee. Goal is to find what works for you, so these strategies become a part of your unique routine. It should come easy. Do what you can and it doesn’t have to be every day or every time you do it. Just once is better than never. The bare minimum is already a huge step in the right direction.

For more tips – follow my blog nikafiguringitout.wordpress.com

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woman walking in green countryside