Coaching Classes: Two coaches who I take continuing education classes from registered MSU®, Making Shit/Stuff Up. Take notice to the shit you make up each day. For example,
The reasons people do the things they do that trigger you;
The reasons you cannot do the things you want to;
All the little judgments on thoughts and actions that are really neutral, but you MSU® about.
It really is eye-opening to see MSU® in action and what type of impact it has on your life.
Reading Corner: “I crave a meaningful life, but I don’t want to be so busy that I miss out on living. A meaningful life, it seems, isn’t meant to be busy. Perhaps a meaningful life can be full? There’s a difference. I believe. Perhaps I can have a full life, without being busy? Yes, I believe I can.” This is How We Grow by Christine G. Hibbert
Living Environmentally Friendly: I recently received a package through the mail and was surprised to see packing peanuts. I contacted the company to see if they were biodegradable. Happily, I read their response that I can add the peanuts to my compost pile or dissolve them in water. The packing peanuts are made from natural, nontoxic sources such as wheat and corn starch.
Making Me Healthier:
I am still enjoying the benefits of meditating. Many struggle with slowing down and sitting still. Here are five meditation techniques from BeBrainFit.com. I use the first three regularly.
Technique 1: Breathing Meditation
Breathing meditation is the most simple, basic form of meditation. Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and breathe naturally, preferably through your nose. Focus your attention on your breath, but do not try to change or control it. When a random thought barges into your head, simply label it as “a thought” and bring your attention back to your breath. This meditation actually trains your brain to stop jumping around and stay focused on the present.
Technique 2: Mantra Meditation
Mantra meditation involves sitting quietly while silently repeating a word or phrase called a mantra to yourself. If you say it out loud, it becomes a chanting meditation. A traditional mantra is “so, hum.” Think to yourself “so” as you inhale and “hum” as you exhale.
But you can simply say “in, out” to yourself if you’d prefer. At first, thoughts will pop into your head constantly. That’s expected and normal. The important thing is to not get discouraged, but just notice that your mind has drifted and gently bring yourself back to the present.
Technique 3: Walking Meditation
Movement meditations are great for those who have trouble sitting still. You may want to consider a moving meditation if you have anxiety, since some people find meditation makes their anxiety worse. The simplest moving meditation is a walking meditation which can be done anywhere, anytime. A walking meditation is not the same thing as simply taking a walk. The difference is both your attention and intention. Walking while listening to an audio book or talking on the phone doesn’t count! Consciously putting one foot in front of the other while concentrating on the sounds of nature, the feeling of the ground under your feet, and the sensation of the weather on your skin — that’s a walking meditation.
As you walk, just as when you sit and meditate, unwanted thoughts will pop into your mind.
Gently remove them. As long as you are mindful, you can turn any activity into a meditation.
Technique 4: Kirtan Kriya Meditation
Kirtan Kriya is a type of meditation from the Kundalini yoga tradition. This meditation is simple and has science to back it up. During this meditation, sit comfortably and repeat the sounds “sa, ta, na, ma.” You can say the sounds out loud or to yourself. As you say the sounds, move your fingers in succession like this:
On “sa,” touch the index fingers of each hand to your thumbs.
On “ta,” touch your middle fingers to your thumbs.
On “na,” touch your ring fingers to your thumbs.
On “ma,” touch your little fingers to your thumbs.
Research has confirmed that doing this meditation for 12 minutes per day increases blood flow to two parts of the brain involved in retrieving memories. It can improve memory in otherwise healthy people and has proved useful even for those with Alzheimer’s. Other proven benefits include improvements in mood and sleep.
Technique 5: Binaural Beats Meditation
In recent years, sound technologies have been created that induce the same brainwave state of consciousness as traditional meditation. Binaural beats meditation programs are one widely used technology. The major advantages of this high-tech approach over traditional meditation are that it is super-easy and results come quickly. All you need to do is listen to sound files on headphones to bring about a meditative brainwave state.
Zen 12 is a binaural beats meditation that offers a free download so that you can give it a try.
Discovering: Mushroom soup by Auga and organic mushrooms from Costco. http://augaorganics.com/na/en/product/organic-mushroom-soup-with-coconut-milk/
Mushrooms are 90% water and contain no fat. They contain 18 vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants phytonutrients, including vitamin D and four different B vitamins. They are high in potassium and selenium. Homeguides.sfgare.com
Cooking: I attempted veggie burgers for the very first time. Of course, my husband is on to me already, suspiciously analyzing each meal I place on the table. However, my son ate the veggie burger (with cheese and ketchup) and never said a word. If you’re a burger connoisseur, these wouldn’t fool you, but I enjoyed them! https://www.inspiredtaste.net/36554/veggie-burger-recipe/
