266|Do Something That is Meditative

Remove the Guesswork: Health, Fitness and Wellbeing for Busy Professionals

This week we’re talking about doing something that is meditative.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:

Why meditative practices are a part of Leanne’s non-negotiables.

How meditation has an image problem, and what it actually is.

Why meditative practices are worthy of your time and attention.

The three ways in which meditation and breathwork can benefit you most.

What an average resting heart rate is.

How it’s not always about having time for meditation, but making it.

Apps that you can try to help with your meditative practice.

The two branches of the nervous system and how we can transition between those states.

A recent client experience and why this client felt like she failed at meditation (but didn’t really).

Examples of various possible meditative practices.

What it means to “never miss twice”.

Key Takeaways:

Some people say mindfulness and meditation doesn’t work for them, but often the issue is they haven’t found their best way of practicing it yet.

The research shows that meditation and breathwork can help stabilize blood pressure.

Meditative practices can also help lower resting heart rate.

Practicing meditation and breathwork can reduce cortisol in the blood, thereby reducing stress.

Mediation helps Leanne feel more composed, calm, and less reactive.

There is no one way to practice meditation - all you need is a little bit of time.

At night, it’s important to be in a parasympathetic nervous system state for a restful, restorative sleep.

Leanne has worked with clients who were already using meditative practices without even realizing it.

Meditation isn’t always sitting with your legs folded and eyes closed. It can include practices like knitting, gardening, and walking in nature.

A meditative practice allows you to spend time tapping into what’s meaningful and fulfilling to you and is therefore important to your overall wellness.

Action Steps:

These are the main benefits of taking action and starting a meditative practice.

1. Stabilizes blood pressure. Research has shown that meditative practices can help lower high blood pressure.

2. Lowers resting heart rate. Meditative practices help lower your resting heart rate.

3. Reduces cortisol and stress. Mindfulness and meditation helps remove cortisol from the blood, which also supports a reduction in stress.

Leanne said:

“It makes me feel more composed, more calm, less reactive. I enjoy sitting with my eyes closed and listening to the sounds of my environment or to an app.”

“Everybody should have 5 or 10 minutes in their day where they do something that is meditative. It doesn’t necessarily need to be conventional meditation. That’s not what I’m trying to sell you the idea of.”

Links To Things Mentioned In The Podcast:

More on meditation: https://www.bodyshotperformance.com/?s=meditation

Leanne’s TEDx talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SLP1BF7KBQ

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