#TheBlindBlogger shares #ModernMeditation

Hello again;

When I wrote It’s Not the Cookie It’s the Bag, my hope was to help lots of people become healthier by sharing what I learned before, during, and after having successful gastric surgery.

However, people can only learn from your experiences if they know about them, read your books, and learn from what they read.

I fear that I haven’t done enough to persuade people about the value of this book.

Even though there was an excerpt of the chapter on why affirmations don’t work on Alex Okoroji’s site.

So, I thought I’d share another excerpt with you and help you during this really stressful time of year. I’m going to share one of my personal favorites the chapter on what I call Modern Meditation.

If after reading this, you are ready to buy the book, then here is the link.

Modern Meditation

Do you meditate?

Have you considered adding this practice to your daily routine?

Have you ever tried to meditate but found it difficult to add it to your daily routine, and make it a regular practice?

I ask because there are definite health benefits to using meditation. Personally, I believe it works, and have used it myself.

However, I have a broader definition of what meditation is and how it can be practiced.

When you think of meditation, you probably think of a ritualized process with a lot of rules. You might have read internet articles or books to find out the proper means of meditation and the ideal length of time a person should meditate to receive the health benefits.

To me, the whole point of meditation is to focus. The idea is to find something to center your mind on so that you can block out everything else.

I also believe that listening to your body and focusing on your breathing are key parts of successful meditation. You don’t have to have be in a specific room or chant meaningless words to focus your mind and spirit. The idea of picturing yourself in a calm place might not work for you, but that is okay.

The thing about meditation is that you can find a lot of opportunities and locations for your thoughtful reflection and concentration practices, and incorporate them into your day.

Here are some examples from my own life.

Pet Grooming

I have a dog named Penny. She believes that when she is itchy or in need of some petting, I must drop everything I’m doing and scratch her.

I used to get angry when this would happen. She often interrupted me while I was in the middle of something. There aren’t a lot of things I do well with just one hand. I couldn’t write a blog post, reply to my emails, and post on social media, etc., while I was petting her.

I finally decided to take advantage of these interruptions, and I now look forward to her breaking into my day.

For anywhere from five to thirty minutes, I scratch her back, rub her belly, and stroke her fur. I focus on the repetitive motions and the warmth of her body.

I think about the pleasure I am bringing her. I slow my thoughts and focus on my breathing. I get a sense of calmness and I relax for a short time.

If you have pets, then stop thinking of attending to them as chores and start seeing this as an opportunity to close off your mind and slow yourself down.

This could apply whether you are scratching a dog, stroking a cat, grooming a horse, etc.

I must mention here that in 2017 I lost my mindfulness partner Miss Penny. And you know I get less real work done without her. 🙁 My family isn’t quite ready for another dog yet. But I can’t wait for another four-legged diva to come into my life and make my world right again.

Baths Or Showers

There are many times in our day we could use to improve our mental health if we just allow ourselves to enjoy the moment.

For example, when you take a bath or shower, are you just trying to get clean or do you take some time to relax your mind and body?

I personally think that one of the reasons why women have less stress and live longer than men is because it’s socially acceptable for them to enjoy a long, hot bath – with scented bath salts, candles, music, and even wine.

In 2014, I went to a conference where I had access to a tub. Because I had been so overweight for so long, it had been forever since I soaked in a tub.

I gratefully sank down into it, letting my body settle and feel the warmth seep into my body. I focused on the steam and breathed deeply. I took much longer than I should have… and actually wished I had had someone who could scrub my back!

At home, I use a shower. When I go in there, I stay until the hot water runs out. I let the spray beat down on my head, neck, shoulders, and back. I breathe in the steam and listen to the water pound against my body or the walls of the shower.

Yes, I am blessed with a great bathroom and just enough hot water. But I also sing in the shower. I sing loud and with passion. I sing songs my voice isn’t capable of outside the shower. I can reach notes well out of my range more in the bathroom than in any other room.

When I dry off, I use a fresh towel, and I drink in the scent of the fabric softener and detergent used in the laundry. If I shower before bedtime, nothing is better than wallowing in the smell of freshly laundered sheets as you put your head on the pillow.

You can see that I have taken a relatively ordinary thing most people do every day and made it special. My bathroom has become a place to block out all the noise and grab at least fifteen minutes of silence and find peace in myself.

Monotonous Tasks

Another time you can find this focus and peace is while doing a mindless, repetitive job or task or while exercising!

Think about the things you do in your daily life.

Do you work at a job that requires you to perform the same tasks over and over again (such as at a factory or in an assembly line)?

Do you spend time doing repetitive exercises?

That time you spend walking on the treadmill, climbing on a stair-master, paddling on a rower, pushing your upper body on a hand bike, or using an elliptical machine could all be opportunities for what I call modern meditation.

How long do you usually spend doing your exercise? While doing it, what are you focused on? Are you grumbling about having to exercise? Or are you getting in tune with your body?

How do you feel when you find that perfect speed and rhythm that lets you feel like you, your body, and the machine are in harmony?

Do you ever get to a point where you block everything out and just focus on your movements and your breathing?

Next time you are at the gym, try focusing on your breathing and concentration, and see if it makes your work-out go much easier.

Use your breathing to center yourself, and block out all the other noise around you. Don’t think about the other patrons, the noise of the other machines, the work you aren’t getting done because you are exercising, or the fun things you could be doing instead.
Just think about how much better you will feel for having exercised! Focus all your thoughts on breathing in and breathing out until you are the only person there.

The same thing can happen while doing menial work on an assembly line. I’m told that a lot of that equipment has a rhythm to it. You can use the labor to center yourself.

Once you get in the habit of doing what I call modern meditation, you could later move on to a more formal approach to it.

My Dad Meditated

I learned a lot about meditation from my dad, although I didn’t realize that this was what he was doing at the time. My dad was one of those people who never let stress affect him.

He had several of his own methods.

One, he played the guitar. Often, I would hear him playing chords, running up and down the scales, or just playing favorite riffs over and over again. I now realize that he was doing these exercises more to think than to become a better musician.

Two, he liked to drive. You would think it strange for a man who drove thousands of miles a year to want to clear his mind by getting in the truck and going on a drive for pleasure, but that’s what he did.

I now understand that he was using the scenery and the hum of the engine to focus his mind. I also figured out that the reason he used to ask me to go along with him was to have someone who could maybe help change a tire if needed but who wouldn’t need to fill the cab with a lot of useless chatter.

Third, my dad would spend time around bodies of water. His favorite was the ocean. I recently learned that scientists deem there to be health benefits by being around the ionized air that you encounter near pounding surf.

However, my dad could also feel at peace by being near a slowly moving river or a North Carolina mountain creek.

Our most important lessons are usually learned from watching or being around people we love rather than anything they tell us directly. I can thank my dad for teaching me about dealing with stress. He wouldn’t have called it meditation, but that’s what it was!

Names Get In The Way

I now wonder if we would do more things that are good for us if we didn’t always have to have names for them. Or maybe we should just choose less intimidating names! Some people dislike the word “exercise,” and associate it with a negative chore. Perhaps calling it your “improvement time” or “meditation time” might be something to consider!

My goal is to help you get healthy.

I’m less interested in style or form and more interested in you reaping the benefits of meditation, wherever, wherever, and however possible!

Health Benefits

There are definite health benefits to regular meditation.

Meditation allows you to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, increase focus, improve your mood, and encourage you to make better choices.

The problem isn’t whether or not meditation works; the problem is how to implement it in a fast-paced, multi-tasking, never-enough-time world.

I put my heart and soul into this book. I shared everything I learned along with everything I was thinking and feeling. And I think I did a great job of teaching the reader to find ways to change their lifestyle one small habit at a time.

It’s what has worked for me. And what has kept me healthy over six years after having gastric surgery. Not every one is successful just because they go under the knife.

It takes a commitment to changing the way you think about your body. It requires changes for a life time not just for a season.

These are the messages I hope to deliver by writing this book. If you really want to lose weight and get healthy, then You should buy my book.

I want to thank you all for continuing to read my blog, watch my podcast, listen to my interviews, and follow me on social media.

I really couldn’t keep doing this if I didn’t feel your love. Knowing that you are watching and following along is a great source of encouragement and inspiration for me.

I never started out to be an inspiration to others. I still have a little trouble believing just how many people care about my story and are inspired by it. It took time to accept.

But once I understood it, I started to feel an obligation. If I didn’t already have a lot of good reasons to show up every day, knowing that it could disappoint you and have a negative effect on your journey is one more reason to get up every day and do my best.

So as 2018 comes to a close. I want to thank you for your love and support and ask you to stay on board this crazy ride as we find out together what 2019 has in store for The Blind Blogger.

Love you all. God bless you and take care out there, Max