Can meditation change your life?

Alright, it’s Thursday and time for another GreenNote Fitness newsletter. I’m fired up today; ready for a great workout; ready to train some more awesome clients; and ready to share and hopefully inspire you to take action in your lives. If it’s not obvious, I love what I do and feel very fortunate and privileged to be writing this for you. Are you with me? Let’s begin!

Almost two years ago I began a meditation practice after reading an article. It discussed how easy it was to start and the many benefits of meditation. Some of which include:

Improved cognitive and creative thinking
Gaining a new perspective on stressful situations
Building skills to manage your stress
Increasing self-awareness
Focusing on the present
Reducing negative emotions
The article started my path in this realm and I quickly noticed a difference in how I felt, how I interacted with others, and just being more mindful. I could just be and not take things personally. I could just be and really listen to what people were actually saying. I could just be and more fully understand others’ point of view. That’s pretty powerful stuff!

I was reminded of how important meditation is after reading an excerpt from Eknath Easwaran’s, Your Life Is Your Message (did you read the Wisdom Wednesday’s quote yesterday on GreenNote Fitness?)

He tells us: “You will be able to listen to another’s point of view with such concentration and detachment — even when your opinions are being torn to shreds — that sometimes you will say to yourself, “Hey, he is right. I am wrong. I can learn from him.” That attitude of open-mindedness, of having a slow-going mind which listens very carefully to opposing points of view and is prepared to learn from them, is the beginning of kindness, and kindness is the foundation of a harmonious world. Hurry is unkindness.”

“A great bonus that comes when the mind slows down over a longer period is that you become a stranger to insecurity and depression. When the mind is going fast, depression is always with you, riding along in the back seat. Where the mind is going slow, enabling you to choose freely which thoughts you think, depression is outside, hitchhiking. You just say, “Sorry, no room,” and drive right by.”

Wow!

This is a good time to take inventory of your life. Evaluate the levels of stress you have on a daily, weekly, monthly basis. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to “just be”, to have an open mind, and to learn without rushing through your life?

Here are a few apps/resources to help you get started:

Calm (app)

Headspace (app) (I use this one)

Tara Brach (meditation podcast)

Omvana (app)

This could become part of your daily morning ritual to begin your day positively.

To lower your stress levels.

To slow your mind.

To focus on the present.

To change your life.

To your journey,

Lisa Schaffer