90 Days of Daily Meditation -check in -week 2

If you have not already joined our 90 day meditation adventure, I hope you will still do so. Here is how the last week went for me.

Experiences during the week: This week’s meditation has been a struggle for me. I am disappointed in my meditation performance. I allowed my business of life to get in the way of my daily practice and there were even several nights when I laid down at the end of the day just to realize I had not meditated. When I would attempt to do so, while laying there, I would drift off to sleep. Though I did have one very profound meditation during the week. It happened when I meditated first thing in the morning. During my meditation I received a couple of great inspirations. One, was to rename a class I’m offering with a catchier name, occurred to me during the time I quieted my brain.

What I have learned: I have learned I need to schedule a time to start my meditation or I will try to do it at the end of the day when I lay down before I fall asleep.

My weight: I am still on the road and have no mechanism to measure if my weight has changed. I do not sense a change in how my clothing is fitting me.

How I feel: I feel motivated to do better this next week. I feel a need to put myself first again. My travels this week brought me from the eastern time zone to the pacific. Which I will be reversing tomorrow and then back the following week. Because these switches can be a bit challenging I will need the meditation more than ever, to help keep myself calm and centered.

How it is affecting my life: On the days I meditated early in the day, I found the meditation profound and a blessing to start my day. On the days I did it at the end of the day while laying in bed, I found it induced good sleep. I was exceptionally tired this week due to a demanding schedule and travels that took me to or through 9 different states from Thursday to Monday. Even though I had high hopes for more profound meditation experiences, in reflecting, I see that the meditation experiences I had were the ones I needed.

Thank you for reading my blog today! I am proud of you for the things you are doing and/or wanting to do to take care of yourself. Even baby steps count! I wish you a lifetime of meditations that are exactly what you need. Blessings!

Previous meditation blogs by the Adventure Sisters: Join Us on This Adventure, Meditate the weight away?, 9 ways to improve meditation, Meditation contemplations, There’s an App for That: A review of meditation Apps, 7 Common Meditation Myths, 11 Types of Meditation

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7 Common Meditation Myths

When I was talking about the 90 day meditation to release weight challenge, people mentioned things to me that were just not true about meditation. So I thought maybe I should showcase some of the these myths to help dispel them. What is important to know is meditation is accessible to everyone of every fitness level, from the very young to the very old. Here are some of the myths that I have heard of.

1. You have to sit Criss Cross Apple Sauce! – Many people do meditate in the Lotus position or Easy Pose, but is is not necessary. You can meditate sitting in a chair or on the couch. Even while laying in the bed it is possible to meditate. I met a lovely woman in India who would meditate while she was doing the dishes.

2. You have to have a lot of free time – Meditation can be done in quick 3 minute intervals. There are longer meditations if you have time for it, but a quick 3 -5 minute meditation while you are in your car waiting to pick up your child or before a job interview, can be very beneficial. Just as people come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, so does meditation.

3. There is only one “right” way to meditate – There are many different ways and types of meditation. Some include chanting a mantra or phrase while some are silent. There are sitting mediations as well as walking meditations. You can meditate with your eyes open or closed. Watch for a upcoming blog, I intend to write, highlighting several different types of meditation.

4. You have to be able to quiet your mind – Our minds are not by nature quiet. Our monkey minds jump all around, from planning what we will eat for our next meal to thinking about what we still need to do at work. What meditation does is help you be more present and learn to bring the mind back when it wonders off.

5. It is religious – Mediation is not about any particular religion. It is about being in relationship with yourself.

6. It is something only “hippies” do – Anyone can meditate. Athletes, celebrities, spiritual leaders, children, and everyday people turn to mediation for stress relief and to improve their life.

7. It takes years to receive benefit – There are so many different ways to meditate. There is no one right or wrong way. There is better or more improved meditation, which comes with practice but even if you are new to meditation and your mind is very busy, you can still receive benefit from the practice of it.

You are the perfect person to receive benefit from meditation. Give it a try. Join us on our 90 days of daily meditation. We would be glad have you join us.

Thank you for reading my blog today. I love you. I wish you a lifetime of beneficial meditation to help you get to the next level with your goals.

There’s an App for That: A review of meditation Apps.

Since I ask you to join me in 90 days of daily meditation adventure, I though I would provide you with a review of some helpful tools. On my Join Us On This Adventure, I also included a link to my blog, 9 Ways to Improve Meditation. Today I am offering you my insight on 6 meditation Apps. There are many meditation Apps out there so I randomly selected 6 to try. Below is a brief look at what I learned about each one.

10% happier: The Facilitator suggests that you sit in a dignified posture. I really liked how that sounded. It gave you the option to choose meditation from 3 minutes to over 25 minutes. It is also very reassuring, that it is normal for the mind to wonder but when you notice it has, bring it back to the breath. This App is free, unless you choose to upgrade to premium which is $14.99/month or $99.99/year. Provides you a daily reminder.

Headspace: It compared your thoughts to cars in traffic. A very interesting analogy. With this App you can chose 5 or 10 minutes for meditation. There is a little lesson before each meditation. The Facilitator has a loverly accent. After the introductory 10 sessions, it is $12.99/month or $94.99/year. Provides a daily reminder.

Breathe: This App lets you rate how you are feeling and then gives you a few meditations to choose from. You can choose a woman’s or man’s voice to guide you through the experience. The one I tried was a “5 senses” meditation, Here they talked you through your 5 senses, one at a time and help you focus in the here and now. This App is free, unless you choose to upgrade to premium which is $9.99/month or 58.99/year. Provides a daily reminder.

Simple Habit: This one allows you to pick a topic for your meditation from a pretty impressive list. I chose weight loss. This App is free for a month and then $7.99/month. It tracks your meditations for you and lets you choose between 5,10, or 20 minute meditations. It connects you with your Facebook friends and can create a community. Provides a daily reminder. This one was my least favorite because I felt it was too pushy about signing you up for a subscription to the App.

Insight Timer: This one also has a wide variety of meditations to choose from. There are very short meditations (3 minutes) to longer meditations (1 hour). I chose a 5 minute meditation called Weight Loss and Your Beautiful Body. I was shocked when the Facilitator used a cuss word. Not that it offended me but just because it surprised me. Even with that it was still a very positive and uplifting meditation. I did not see any cost on this App. Provides a daily reminder.

Meditation Studio: This one has a free starter series for beginners. I like their analogy of the mind as a puppy, because it will wonder off, just bring it back with a smile. The beginner meditation was a bit longer than 10% happier or Headspace but was very supportive and relaxing. After the starter series this App is $7.99 month or $49.99/year. I didn’t see an option to set up a daily reminder.

These Apps are not necessary to use but they maybe a helpful tool for you. Especially if you are new to meditation, They provide some instruction and insight into the practice of meditation. I do like that most offer a reminder to help you remember to make your meditation a part of your self care priorities. Along with these Apps, there are also many YouTube videos that offer various levels of meditation, from beginning to experienced. As we start on this journey together, I think it is best to go out an experiment and find the technique and meditation type that are most helpful for you.

Thank you for reading my blog today. I wish you a transformative and effortless meditation practice.

Join Us On This Adventure!

There has been a lot, in a news lately, about the stress hormone; cortisol. People are talking about how you can gain weight around your middle due to its effects. There are many companies out there peddling pills to help you reduce the weight gain from cortisol. But what if there was something more natural that could be done? What if there was a simple, beneficial thing that could decrease the cortisol as well as benefit your life in other ways and didn’t need to cost you anything but a little of your time. Well, there is such a thing! Meditation.

I have decided to challenge myself to 90 days of daily meditation to see how it may or may not affect my weight. I love my body as is, but after my winter of hibernation and decreased mobility, I have noticed my clothes are a little tighter. I sat down this morning and the back tore out of my shorts. I’m sure this was related to the fabric being old and not my expanding size; I hope, anyway. I decided to weigh myself, something I seldom do. I hesitated whether or not to share my weight in this blog. In the end I decided it is just a number and not a reflection of my value as a person. So why not share it? I weighed myself midday, fully clothed and was surprised to see my weight has jumped up to 207.4lbs. Okay, I really do need to do something about my weight. It seems to have snuck up about 30lbs from where I used to maintain it.

My plan is to meditate daily as a way to manage my stress an hopefully decrease cortisone and then see a decrease in my size so that my clothes fit better. I was sharing my idea with my Adventure Sister, Emy, who liked the idea of a healthy stress management process so much so she decided to join me also.

What a great idea! What if we did this as a community? What if we all supported each other through this and shared our successes, what we learned, and our experiences? For the next 90 days Emy and I will commit to meditation daily. Once a week we will each write a blog to share how it is changing and enhancing our lives. We invite and encourage, all of you, to join us on this adventure. Give meditation a try; whether you are an experienced meditator or new to the practice. I have meditated a fair amount over my life but never been great about maintaining daily practice. I feel that by committing 90 days to ourselves, it gives us a good amount of time for it to become a routine to both our conscious and subconscious minds. We welcome your comments on our blogs and social media sites. Your experiences maybe just what someone else, someone who maybe struggling, needs to hear that others are too. Trust that guidance to share your journey with us on this adventure.

I am currently experimenting with several meditation Apps. Stay tuned for a future blog that will share which apps I tried and what my thoughts were on these helpful guides. For a jumpstart; please see my earlier blog: 9 Ways to Improve Meditation. Additionally, I will be writing a blog highlighting several different types of meditation techniques. Hopefully these will help us all on our 90 days of daily meditation. Our journey to committing to a healthy way to manage our stress.

So come on this adventure with us! Whether you are doing this for stress management, to release weight, or just to be a part of a community; we look forward to walking this journey with you. If you don’t feel now is the right time to start a daily meditation practice, that is okay. Do what feels right for you, in this time and space. The blogs will be here for you when you are ready.

Thank you for reading my blog today. May your lifetime be full of healthy stress management and may your body easily release anything that does not serve your highest good; whether it be weight or outdated beliefs about yourself.

4 Unique Stays

My husband and I recently traveled to Seattle. Instead of the usual hotel stay we decided to try Airbnb. For anyone who hasn’t heard of this, it is when people like you and me rent out our homes, campers, boats, yurts or other interesting spaces. It’s like the Uber of hotel rooms. As we looked over our options for a place to stay, we ran across many unique and wonderfully quirky spaces. An idea was born. Not only would our trip to Seattle be an adventure but also where we lay our heads down at night.

So I set off perusing the Airbnb app, looking for the anything but ordinary places to stay. We decided to move around where we stayed, not only to make it convenient to the days activities, but also try as many cool spaces as we possible could!

We had four very different experiences while we explored the Seattle, Washington area.

The Beacon Hill Airstream:

Our first two nights were in this beautifully refurbished Airstream camper. The Airstream was located in a backyard that was masterfully landscaped. A hot tub made it seem like a very extravagant stay. The beautiful deck that surrounded the Airstream would be a lovely place to hang out on a sunny, lazy afternoon, (our two days there were quite drizzly). The very thoughtful host also welcomes you to eat any ripe items in the garden. Included was a guest book on the kitchen table that showed the remarkable transformation of the Airstream from start to end. The kitchen was well equipped and made this much more than a mere camping experience. String lights gave a festive feel to the yard and deck that surrounded the Airstream.

The Private Redmond Cottage in the Woods:

This cute little A-frame cabin was located at the edge of the tall woods on a beautifully maintained price of property. The main floor made a comfortable living space with a efficient makeshift kitchen (provided breakfast) and relaxing couch. Games and books were provided, to make for a relaxing rustic vacation. I wrote a blog sitting at the kitchen table with a beautiful view of the forest behind. I thought what a great writers getaway this would be. The bed was located up a ladder into the loft with the forest right outside your window, at the head of the bed. We slept soundly and well with the cool breeze coming through the open window and the sound of rain on the forest floor. At this cute little hide away the bathroom was outside in the old garage. The bathroom was modern with a heated floor, so running over to the garage to use it, was not a hardship. The garage was my Marty’s favorite part of the stay. He loved all the old antiques they had stacked everywhere inside. I loved that they had fresh flowers.
There were hiking trails in the woods, that we did not get to take advantage of due to time, that I would love to go back and explore sometime in the future.

The Devils Mountain Yurt:

I had never stayed in a yurt before so I was very excited about this stay. I must say this Yurt was so beautifully decorated it easy tops the list of most romantic stays! Battery operated candles circled the inside of the space and to make beauty convenient, they were operated by remote control (just aim at to turn on or off). On this stop we were treated with homemade banana bread and a basket of goodies. There were two chairs to relax in. Lovely touches everywhere made it very comfortable. A throw blanket, shawl, and a bathrobe were provided to enhance our comfort. There was an outhouse style bathroom updated with a hot water running shower and a composting toilet. String lights lite the way the few steps from the yurt to the bathroom. There was a skylight in the top of the yurt and on a clear night I imagine the stars and moon would be visible through it. The weather was cool, during our time there, but a heater in the yurt kept us warm and comfortable. There was a small fridge and a camp stove to provide a functioning place to prepare meals. A large basket was proved to put dirty dishes in. This was then left at the side of the main house so that you didn’t even have to wash your own dishes!
There was also a lovely outdoor space with chairs and a hammock for lounging away the afternoon. Not to mention a small babbling brook close by. Unfortunately, it rained on our stay, so we could not take full advantage of the resting space, nor could we enjoy a warm fire in the fire pit provided by our hosts. This was such a dreamy stay.

The Seattle Adventurer’s Bungalow:

This space was so beautifully decorated and well thought out. It was such a fun space for our final night on the trip even though the bungalow contained only a bathroom and sleeping room. There was a refrigerator, hot pot, and coffeemaker in the space and a trip across the backyard would lead you to the kitchen, in the main house, for any cooking needs you may have. There was a large door on the side of the bungalow that could be slid open to open into the outdoor living space. Reclaimed wood was used on the accent walls and stained various shades to create a beautiful look. Old license plates covered the door to the bathroom and gave a fun explorer feel. The light fixtures were unique with combined pulleys and Edison bulbs to give the room a warm and cozy feel. The outdoor living space consisted of a covered patio which became an open air living room with an overhead heater and and string lights. I could picture myself cuddled up on the sofa, sitting there, reading a book. There were extra blankets and a fan provided to make for a very comfortable stay. We opened the window and let the spring air refresh us while we slept. It was such a beautifully thought out space with cute touches we really enjoyed our last night of our trip there.

All of the neighborhoods the Airbnb were in, felt safe. All of our hosts were thoughtful, kind and welcoming. We will totally travel with Airbnb in the future. I know now that there are other funky fun finds out there that will feed our free spirited travel style. My hippy, gypsy soul loved this trip.

Thank you for reading my blog. Journey on my friends. I wish you a lifetime of fun and adventure.