Blog 46 – 2021… New Year, Same Chaos
Well folks, “guess who’s back, back again, (Dylan’s) back, tell a friend.” After a little break for the holidays your favorite weekly blog, or at least the weekly blog that regularly gets posted on your social media, IS BACK.
But we’re gonna hold back our excitement this blog to talk a little bit about something more soothing. MEDITATION. (And to be clear, if your first reaction included “PFFT” or “I don’t have time to meditate” or “It doesn’t work for me” or anything in between, you DEFINITELY need to meditate.)
This blog won’t be a lecture, though. Nor will it be the science of neuroplasticity (sorry, not my wheelhouse) or my rant about which form of meditation is the best or some soapbox about how meditating (or actively trying to change our neurological state) increases DEM GAINZ by aiding your bodies’ transition into recovery. I’d rather share my experience and give you a few resources to broaden your experience with said practice, after all this is only beneficial if it’s highly personal.
I’ve practiced some form of meditation for a number of years (as a recall to a previous thought in a blog I still wake up, and try to do absolutely nothing before my morning starts). Usually that meant waking up, making coffee, sitting on the patio in the summer or the couch when it’s cold, and waiting for Kimmy to finish working out so we could eat breakfast together. Recently, we’ve switched that routine up a bit. Now, I wake up and workout with her, SHE makes the coffee (such a treat), we feed the dogs, and then follow the Headspace and Netflix collaboration series called “Headspace Guide to Meditation.” (I’d link it here, but can’t directly share from app to blog.) It’s been a great little addition to our routine. For those new to meditation it’s a great resource.
Understanding that not all of us have Netflix, and like a little bit more tactile work/homework/journaling another resource I have used in the past is called Palouse Mindfulness (https://palousemindfulness.com/ – Disclaimer: the website is awful and hard to navigate.) This is a free resource that guides you through an 8-week workshop that covers a range of methods. (Pro-tip: If you are a Kaiser member, they often have an in-person, 8-week workshop that follows this program.)
And if you just aren’t into the learning part of this, there’s roughly a billion guided meditations available on YouTube – don’t forget your headphones.
So while we can’t promise you a calmer, quieter, or kinder 2021, we CAN find new seats on the GAINZ TRAIN.
D