meditation

Cold Shower in Review

Okay—so maybe I’m not so good at sticking to my own challenges. There were a few days where I just totally skipped on the cold shower.

That being said, there is something I like about the frigid water after I’ve gone for a run. I think it helps cool me off. If you’ve ever seen me after running, my face is bright red and hot. It will stay that way and you can even sometimes see the red drain from my face over the next hour. The cold shower helps speed that process up.

Every day that I took a cold shower I liked the way it felt on my face. I recommend hitting your face with cold water near the end of your shower. I still don’t like the way it feels on the front of my body. It makes me think of everything I’ve learned about the body—how the front line is the protector—we […]

Cold Shower in ReviewMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:32-04:00

Two-Minute Meditation

Recently in my struggle to meditate, a client suggested that I try linking meditation with something I do every day like putting my shoes. That seemed like a brilliant idea, but the problem sort of was I don’t really want to meditate. I’m not motivated to do it. Her suggestion was that I try for five minutes. I suggested two minutes.

Honestly, I don’t think I really thought I would do it, but I surprised myself. Two days later I put on one shoe, remembered this should be a reminder to meditate, and so with one shoe on I sat down and began to breath and repeat two words over and over. When I opened my eyes, I had barely lasted two minutes. But I’d done it.

Five minutes later I tried again, frustrated that two minutes could seem so long. This time I focused more on breathing and lasted two-minutes, fifteen seconds. Hey it’s a start, right?

Although, I have to admit, the next day I forgot to do it entirely.

Personal Euphoria

Two-Minute MeditationMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:39-04:00

Labyrinth Can’t Help Me Meditate

I meant to post this video a few weeks ago. A friend took it when we were in Seattle. It’s nothing outstanding, just me being silly. You can’t hear what I say, but I believe I say something like, “This must be the fun forest,” in an oddly excited tone. We’d seen a sign for the “fun forest.” I never found out what that is, but in the bliss of racing around the labyrinth, I was pretty sure I had landed in the center of the fun forest.

The video reveals my inability to meditate. I’m pretty sure these labyrinths are designed for a meditative walk. I started slow and methodical, but just couldn’t continue like that. And I’m pretty sure I had more fun doing it my way.

I still haven’t started my quest to try mediation every day. Anyone have any helpful hints that will give me a real desire to try it?

Labyrinth Can’t Help Me MeditateMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:56-04:00

A Nurturing Thought

When I took the anti-gravity yoga class, I was really impressed by the instructor, Kevin. I like the way he worded his thoughts and I enjoyed one line in particular.

At the beginning of class he asked us to think about something that we’d put a lot of energy in or that had been taking a lot of energy from us that we did not want to continue having in our life. With each exhale we were supposed to blow this item/idea further away from us. Admittedly, the non-meditater in me thought this was a little cheesy, but I was willing to go with it.

Then he asked us to think of a thing or an idea that we wanted in our life. We went through the entire class before he brought it up again. While lying in corpse pose suspended in the hammock, he brought our attention back to the item we wanted in life. With each inhale we were supposed to draw that thing closer to us. Again, a little cheesy for me. But then […]

A Nurturing ThoughtMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:35:27-04:00