If you find it challenging to focus this time of year, it’s not your fault. Combine the enticements of summertime fun, the tendency to get overheated and dehydrated, and our natural penchant for doing many things at once, and you have a recipe for concentration deficit. This lack of focus makes us less productive and is also a leading source of anxiety.

One primary way to minimize the effects of all our multi-tasking is to set aside some time during the day to unplug from social media and outside inputs altogether. But I want to give you an additional strategy to subvert the effects of all of that multitasking. I want to give you a tool to train your mind to focus better, attend, and be present in an easy and meaningful way.

If you think you are exempt, try this test: The next time you sit down to eat, challenge yourself to be mindful of each and every bite. You will soon discover that even when you think you are doing only one thing—in this instance, eating—you may also be listening to music, chatting, reading, or checking email. So strategy number one is to practice mindful eating once in a while, if not once a day. Even just for a few bites, concentrate only on eating!

Truly training the mind may require a more targeted practice, so I want to offer you two techniques. Think of these together as a reframe, a chance to retrain yourself and increase your ability to concentrate, focus in the moment, and, ultimately, remain focused effortlessly. Scientific studies show that meditative practices like these actually develop parts of the brain used in concentration and focus. It’s like a fitness regimen for the mind: You are building the ability to get present and stay present, training yourself to let go of thoughts as they pop up (and they will always pop up!) and become more immune to distractions overall.

This first technique is simple and requires just minutes a day: Count breathing cycles. Inhale, exhale, one. Inhale, exhale, two. Inhale, exhale, three. And so on. You may be able to get only as far as two or three at first. But with practice, you will improve, and so will your ability to concentrate. Do what you can, and when a thought interrupts, go back to one.

The second technique is this guided meditation. Together we work up to 10 breathing cycles.

What a relief it is to learn that you can control your mind. You don’t have to pay attention to every little idea that pops up or detail of the world around you. For a few delicious moments, you can sit quietly and just notice. When you can be mindful in the present moment at will, your ability to concentrate naturally increases.

Do one or both of these practices daily as a gift of mind-training to yourself. Then get out there and take advantage of all the season has to offer!

Related: 7 Realistic Ways to Approach Mindful Eating

The post How to Focus Better: A Meditation appeared first on Sonima.

When I first discovered I was pregnant with my son, I went through the full gamut of emotions—excited, nervous, terrified, anxious, and elated. I prepared his nursery, bought a few onesies, pre-registered at the hospital, took a mildly helpful birth class, and considered myself ready.

I had 17 years of meditation practice under my belt going into motherhood. I figured, how different can motherhood be from the other upheavals of everyday life? How hard will it be to meet life with presence and awareness with babies, when I have been training at it for so long?

Turns out, extremely different, and extremely hard. In my experience of having two kids 15 months apart, I can say that motherhood hit like a semi-truck and dragged me down a road of complete confusion and disorientation (with a healthy wallop of sleep deprivation) for two years before I felt like I got some of my footing back.

Now that I am somewhat steadier, I want to share my top three pieces of advice, as well as accompanying meditations to help you on your parenting journey. My hope is to help prepare you for this transition or, at the least, assure you that you are not alone.

Parenthood Lesson #1: There Is More to Babies Than Meets the Eye

Mindfulness tip: Forgive yourself and ask for help

It was 2 a.m. My 15-month-old was waking up every three hours with a 103-degree fever. My 3-week-old was refusing to breastfeed, waking up every few hours and screaming inconsolably and almost perfectly coordinated to the moment that I finally got my other son to sleep. My husband screamed into his pillow. I thrust my screaming baby at him and went to sob on the dirty bathroom floor.

Those days, my husband and I battled daily about who was acting more like a baby. The truth was, we both were. We were pouring every ounce of parental energy and care into our children, leaving us feeling parched for care ourselves.

When I stopped thinking of my desire to be cared for as an embarrassing inconvenience and more like a necessity, two things changed. First, I started to be kinder and gentler to myself during the course of the day, forgiving my messy house, my pile of endless laundry, and the fact that I let my son repeatedly lick the side of the garbage pail because it kept him quiet.

I asked myself the question, “What can I do for you right now? How can I cushion this very hard time?” Sometimes that was just a deep breath. Sometimes it was a trip to the coffee shop. It didn’t matter what exactly it was. The self-kindness was all that mattered.

Second, I started asking for help like it was my job. I asked family, friends, local mothers groups, acquaintances, and even Facebook for babysitting, advice, food, and even comfort. I have never been much of a help-asker, but when I started considering the multiple babies in my house (especially my husband and me), and the sheer impossibility of surviving alone, I summoned up the strength to ask. A surprising number of times, people came through. And even when they couldn’t, it still felt good to ask without shame.

Parenthood Lesson #2: You Are Going Through a Massive Change

Mindfulness tip: Try to be patient

Pre-motherhood, I thought that having a baby would be kind of like buying a new couch for my home. It was a big investment. It would bring a lot of comfort to my life. It would require upkeep. But ultimately, I would still be me, and the couch would be the couch.

Instead, having a baby changed the molecular structure of who I am as a person. Being a mother was not just “Yael + baby”. The math of motherhood transformed the being that was “Yael” into someone that was almost unrecognizable. My body was completely different, with new folds and cushions that didn’t exist before. My mind was filled with thrashing to-do lists, new and urgent fears, and a disorienting sense of time passing both too slowly and too quickly.

In my old life, my daily meditation was the place where I centered myself. Now, in the rare moments I could take to formally meditate, I never made it very far out of mental grocery lists and diaper orders. I was reeling, inside and out.

It took a while to realize the colossal change that becoming a parent would bring. I clung to the baby-as-couch idea far after it became clear that motherhood was something much more radical and transformative than I imagined. Realizing this and accepting the grief that came with the death of the old life, I could slowly step into my life with more patience, curiosity, and even surprising joy.

Related: Think You Don’t Have Time to Meditate? Try This

You will not be the same post-babies. Even if you did not give birth to them, you will be transformed in ways you don’t yet see. Try and be patient as your life and your old sense of self dissolves and rearranges.

Parenthood Lesson #3: Your Spiritual Path and Your Life Are Not Separate

Mindfulness tip: Be present

Scrolling through Instagram on maternity leave, a newborn sleeping lightly on my lap, I was awash in jealousy for the gorgeous photos of people doing yoga on distant beaches, emerging bright and glowing from meditation retreats. I was aware of the irony of that jealousy, since for decades I had felt it while looking at photos of people in my exact situation with newborn babies, but there you go. Jealousy isn’t exactly obedient to logic.

I met with a spiritual director during this time. After listening to me whine about missing my practice and wishing I could go on a retreat, she looked me in the eyes and said, “Yael, your spiritual life is not different than your real life.” I felt the truth of it hit me like a lightning bolt. Of course! I was looking for wisdom and insights and freedom everywhere except right where it has always been—in the present moment. Life, as it is.

Re-adjusting my vision to see my life with the babies as my practice, I started noticing a lot. I saw the pain and the beauty of impermanence as my sons grew out of their clothes and learned new skills. I felt the vulnerability and the heart-expanding love beyond the borders of the self when staring in their eyes or holding their tiny warm bodies. I felt the suffering of resisting life when I clenched up against the unfolding of my life as a mother, and the release of that suffering when I softened into it and opened up to the flood of feelings underneath.

Related: The Healing Power of Self-Care Through Ayurveda

Your spiritual life is your everyday life. The two are not separate. If you notice you are fighting with life, pushing against the truth of how things are, escaping into your phone or running away in your mind, see if you can gently, courageously come back to the present moment. Even if it’s painful, you will suffer less and notice more. Life is right here, waiting for you.

The post 3 Meditations to Help Moms Embrace the Transition to Motherhood appeared first on Sonima.

The even better news: It’s contagious. In a Harvard University study, researchers discovered what they dubbed the “Mother Teresa Effect”: Simply witnessing acts of kindness (such as those performed by Mother Teresa) may have a positive physiological response, even potentially improving immune function. Who knew kindness could be such a fulfilling spectator sport?

Here are three ways you can incorporate random acts of kindness into your daily life to be more present, release stress, and make a positive impact on others. After each act, journal about what you did and how it made you feel. Soon you’ll have a feel-good book full of inspiration for yourself and others, proving that you can be the joy you wish to see in the world. And keep in mind that these are just a handful of ways you can harness and multiply your joy; the options are endless.

1. Use your voice for good

How many times a day do you admire something about someone—strangers included—and keep it to yourself? Now imagine the impact of expressing those lovely thoughts. People around you would feel good, breathe a little easier, stand a little taller, and maybe even share some of their own kind words with the world. And you’d likely experience what psychologists call the “helper’s high,” a state of euphoria based on a theory that giving releases endorphins in the brain, leaving us with an emotional high.

Try it:

• Carve out time for “appreciations” in a work meeting or at the family dinner table. Verbalizing what you’re grateful for in others will have exponential returns.
• Go out of your way to offer thoughtful compliments to those around you, taking care to be inclusive to those who may be easily overlooked in today’s youth- and beauty-obsessed society.
• Scroll through your social media feed and, instead of playing the comparison game, choose to champion others by dropping words of encouragement in the comments.
• Show the love. Write LinkedIn recommendations for colleagues or Yelp and Facebook reviews for your favorite small businesses and entrepreneur friends.

2. Give from a place of abundance

They say it is better to give than to receive; a study from the University of Texas at Austin and Duke University reported that people who practice kindness by volunteering experience less anxiety, depression, and pain, and those 55 or older were 44 percent less likely to die.

Sometimes we may think that we don’t have enough time or financial resources to be generous with others, but random acts of joy don’t need to take a lot of time or cost a thing. This is where creativity comes in. When we give from a place of abundance, knowing that there is more than enough for everyone, we receive so much in return, better health included.

Try it:

• Connect with your local Buy Nothing group to give your unwanted items a new home. This is also a great way to meet your neighbors and build community.
• Store some small bags with fresh socks, protein bars, bottled water, and personal care items in your car. Offer them along with a kind smile to people in need as you encounter them. It feels so good for them to be seen.
• Gather the children in your life and set up an old-fashioned lemonade stand with a twist: Thirsty customers may pay only in jokes. Giggles abound.
• Show up at a nearby ball game or school graduation and cheer loudly, especially for the kids who may not have anyone present.
• Form an unofficial welcoming committee and hold up a banner in the arrivals section of your city’s airport. This is especially fun to do during the holidays when there’s an abundance of travelers.

Related: A Yogic Meditation on Love and Kindness

3. Play well with others

During heavy times and full weeks, play is the perfect anecdote to adulting. The ever-popular hashtag #SundayFunday is a weekly reminder that so many of us just want to let loose. Playful people are reported to have less stress and more coping strategies to adapt to life’s changes. So channel your inner child and get nostalgic about the things you loved to do when you were younger. Once you’ve decided on your shenanigans, it’s time to invite someone to come outside and play.

Try it:

• Bring coloring books, play-doh, and board games to your local senior center, and witness the wondrous sparkle in their eyes.
• Use sidewalk chalk to write encouraging phrases or draw hopscotch squares in a public place and watch to see who jumps in.
• Use an extension cord to move your TV outside, pop some popcorn, set up blankets, and invite your neighbors to watch some good ol’ cartoons.
• Share your most treasured books and volunteer to read aloud to patients at a local hospital.

The post 3 Easy Ways to Spark Joy Without Cleaning a Thing appeared first on Sonima.

My entire life—when choosing a college, starting a career, deciding to get married and have children, etc.—I’ve found it hard not to compare myself to everyone else. But as I get older, I am seeing the timelines and expectations for what life should look like get less and less clear. Some of my friends are wildly successful, some are having babies, others are traveling the world. I find myself out of sorts without an obvious next step. How do I figure out what I really want from my life?

Thank you,
Nothing Compared To

Dear Nothing Compared To,

Thank you for writing in. At times we all get caught in the trap of comparing ourselves to our peers. We tend to think that our accomplishments and our life stage should be on par with or better than theirs. But it’s not only OK to be exactly where you are; we can transform ourselves much more efficiently if we operate from a place of acceptance.

With that in mind, your more salient question concentrates on how to identify what you want from life, so I want to give you a contemplative practice for this goal. You will create a vision across each of the different yet connected areas of your life.

A few areas to consider are your physical health, emotional and mental health, spiritual well-being, and sense of meaning and life purpose. There are undoubtedly other categories that you can think of or subcategories of these. However, I recommend keeping it simple at first. You can always repeat the exercise and further elaborate your meditation to include a broader or more specific focus.

The entry point into a contemplative practice is to clear out a physical, mental, and emotional “space” so that you can bring your entire being into the meditation without having to work extra hard to ward off any distractions.

When you have your space established, read through the instructions below in full so you understand the flow of it. Then come back to the beginning to initiate the practice.

1. Take a comfortable seat or lie down on the floor. When you feel settled, begin a practice of relaxed breathing. It may be beneficial to do a few rounds of a breath-counting practice to center more fully into the breath. A simple way to do this is to place one hand on your belly and one hand on your heart. Do your best to focus on delivering the breath into your lower hand and expanding the belly for a count of three to five or more, whatever feels most comfortable for you. Exhale for twice as long as the inhale and completely empty the breath from the belly, lungs, and chest.

When you feel that you have established a state of relaxation, let your breath return to its more natural cadence.

Related: I Don’t Have a Best Friend. Am I Normal?

2. Since this meditation intends to unearth your true desires for your life path, I invite you to place your hands onto your heart, which is a traditional place of feeling and wisdom. Next, initiate a dialogue with your heart by asking yourself what you need most in your life right now, and in the future, in the following areas:

• physical health
• mental and emotional health
• career/vocation
• relationships (family, friends, romantic)
• existential and spiritual well-being (life meaning, purpose, higher power, and ethical and moral direction)

During your meditation, take pause and spend an intuitive amount of time in each area. You will likely know when the process is complete for each domain through a felt, intuitive sense. If your meditation time is limited, you can focus your practice on one area at a time and complete additional meditations over several days.

3. As you complete your meditation session, consider taking a few conscious breaths with your hands on your heart to practice gratitude. Offer this gratitude for all of the wisdom and discoveries you made during the practice.

4. Lastly, when you complete your meditation, it will be advantageous to record your reflections in a journal so you do not forget what you learned.

You can come back to this practice as many times as needed to feel complete in the process and periodically to check in on your values to determine if you are in fact living by them.

I wish you the best with this practice and on your journey!

Warmly,
John

The post How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others appeared first on Sonima.

But whether or not you consider yourself a “creative” type, you can still reap the benefits of tapping into your innate creative energy because, along with love, happiness, and several other essential elements of life, creativity is one of the fundamental rights of human beings.

We are all creators in some way. We just express it differently. We want to make our mark, leave our footprint on the world, or make an impression on the planet. Even if we aren’t creating art or even coming up with ideas, we’re constantly creating our world, our destiny, and our karma. Believe it or not, even having children is a form of creativity.

If you pay attention, you’ll see that everyone is creating something, all the time. And for each person, the meaning of creativity (and the result of their creative energy) is unique.

Using meditation to connect with this energy doesn’t mean that you’ll suddenly become an artist if you weren’t one before. However, if you are a singer, tapping into your creative energy will make you a better one. And if you’re a manager creating a business strategy? Connecting with your most basic nature will help you be creative with your plan.

How to Meditate for Creativity

Sometimes we don’t exercise our creativity enough, block it, or put it on the back burner in favor of other skills and emotions. This might result in feeling stuck, uninspired, or unmotivated. When this happens, meditation can bring you back in tune with your creative aspect by compelling you to go inward. It allows creativity to flow more clearly and in a more expressive way, which means it’s easier to apply to your everyday life and tasks.

Related: A Meditation on the Creative Process

Any general meditation or mindfulness practice will help you connect to your creativity because when you’re in a meditative mode, you’re connecting with your energy center. Your energy flows where your awareness is, so it becomes much easier to have whatever you’re focusing on manifest outwardly in your life. In this case, it’s creativity.

If you want to go a little deeper, I’d recommend a more specific type of meditation. Human beings have seven chakras, and the second one from the bottom (in the sacral region) is called Svadhisthana. This second chakra is specially connected to your creative energy, and when we meditate on it, our creativity amplifies.

For the most profound benefit, focus on and breathe into the second chakra during meditation to enhance and open it. As a result, you’ll be better at creating your own world with more clarity.

The post How Meditation Makes You More Creative appeared first on Sonima.

Seeing these effects first-hand inspired Christopher to take action. The animal-loving student started by printing out flyers on the family computer. Then, with his parents’ and brothers’ help, he organized a fundraising bicycle event for kids and raised $3,700. After researching a nonprofit to receive the funds, he settled on the Everglades Foundation without realizing the organization created his school’s field trip. (The 501(c)(3) non-profit creates school curricula and uses research and advocacy in an effort to restore and protect the Everglades.)

Today, when Christopher isn’t in his eighth grade classroom or competing in gymnastics, the 13-year-old is senior Everglades policy advisor at Ramos Boys Save the Everglades. Their mission? “Educating and motivating young people to advocate for the benefit of this one-of-a-kind national treasure.”

Along with younger brother Ryan, 11, public relations manager, and older brother Paul Michael, 15, director of science and policy, the family has raised close to $35,000 for the Everglades. As a bonus, Christopher’s met with influential policymakers, Jimmy Buffet, Bill Nye the Science Guy, and even then-President Barack Obama as he visited the Everglades on Earth Day in 2015.

The Ramos boys’ dedication to the #NowOrNeverglades movement is a vibrant example of what can happen when a child is inspired to make a change. And sometimes, all it takes to light that fire is a field trip to the great outdoors.

The Power of School Field Trips

Most of us remember at least one school field trip from our youth, and if you do, there’s a good chance it took place outdoors, whether it was lifting up logs to search for beetles and millipedes at a nature preserve, tackling a trust-building rope climb at a nature preserve, or petting a leopard gecko at the local zoo.

As Christopher experienced, these school field trips have the power to affect students in ways that differ from classroom learning, providing “opportunities for exploration, discovery, first-hand and original experiences,” as one academic review put it.

Research shows that nature-based field trips, filled as they are with intriguing stimuli, have the ability to grab kids’ attention in a novel way. Scraping tree bark, casting critter footprints, and chatting with a bison-savvy park ranger captures our attention in a deliciously non-taxing way.

“Think about the way you zone out at work around 3 p.m. You can only do certain things for so long before you lose attention,” says Marc Berman, PhD, associate professor of psychology at the University of Chicago. “Nature provides a really good break because it’s inherently fascinating. Nobody ever says, ‘I can’t stand looking at that waterfall.’”

Related: How Nature Impacts Our Health

And the outdoor world not only commands, but replenishes, our focus. “It’s not about intentional learning. Just let the kids interact, and they come back to school refreshed,” Berman says. (But hold off on giving them a quiz on the plants seen that day. Adding a stressful cognitive component can dampen the positive effects, he notes.)

It’s also not uncommon for students to leave with a spark of passion or curiosity that leads to further exploration and, as in Christopher’s case, ties them to the environment in ways that can “move the needle and protect the earth for generations to come,” says Jennifer Diaz, director of education for the Everglades Foundation. A survey of Finnish university students revealed that school visits to science centers played a strong role in the decisions of some to eventually pursue science careers.

Alysia Halpin experienced this drive after participating in the Nisqually River Environmental Project (NREP) through her middle school’s Science Squad club in Graham, Washington. Sampling creek water, planting trees, and tossing frozen salmon carcasses into the stream to replenish nutrients showed her that “our environment is hurting,” she says. “The water quality testing we did made me very self-aware that our marine environment is in danger of dying out.”

Now a high school freshman, Alysia has been working with friends to lobby their State Legislature to ban plastic bags to reduce marine pollution. The bill passed in the State Senate in early March 2019.

“Giving students the opportunity to go outside and go do experiments is so important because it helps us realize that science isn’t just bookwork; it’s labs, it’s hands-on experience, and it’s amazing what we could do with just a few hundred more students who want to be in a STEM career,” Alysia says.

Combating Nature-Deficit Disorder

Environmentalism aside, nature-based field trips have perhaps never been as vitally needed as they are today, when screen-hungry children spend less time outdoors than ever before. A study published in Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine found that only about half of U.S. preschoolers enjoy one parent-supervised outdoor play session a day; the other half lacks such experiences. (Girls and non-white children were particularly deprived.) And a recent UK study found that children spend half the time playing in nature as their parents did.

The outcome of so little vitamin N: a slew of health and behavioral issues—childhood obesity, attention difficulties, higher rates of physical and emotional illnesses—that, together, have been dubbed “nature-deficit disorder” by Richard Louv, author of the national bestseller Last Child in the Woods.

“The more we separate children from nature, the more sensory issues we’re seeing,” says pediatric occupational therapist Angela Hanscom, author of Balanced and Barefoot: How Unrestricted Outdoor Play Makes for Strong, Confident, and Capable Children and founder of TimberNook, which offers nature-centered developmental programming camps in the U.S. and abroad. “Teachers are noticing their students fall out of chairs more, have a weakened pencil hold and poor balance, and have a harder time paying attention in class.”

Related: 25 Beautiful Places in the World to Find Peace of Mind

But given the chance to spend time in a living classroom, kids—and their senses—thrive. Consider the annual Sagawau Environmental Learning Center field trip taken by students at Chicago’s Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School. During a river hike, “they have to be completely zoomed into their surroundings, paying attention to mossy rocks that might be slippery, plants and creatures that can’t be stepped on, and water of different depths to decide where to safely step,” explains lower school science teacher Cezar Simeon.

Besides acting as an antidote to nature-deficit disorder, this adds a mindful aspect to the excursion; undistracted by smartphones and laser-focused on the task at hand, students are quiet and able to take in the sounds of the river, the scent of the soil, or the feel of a sharp rock.

Building a Lifelong Bond

Simeon recalls that when he first began teaching in Chicago, an employee at a nearby nature center told him that sometimes city kids would visit the butterfly haven and “freak out” when a butterfly landed on their shoulder. “It was colorful and beautiful—a harmless creature. But if they’d never had that type of encounter with an insect before, it was very intimidating; they couldn’t connect to it,” Simeon explains.

To help foster a greater bond with Mother Nature, he’s intentional about the field trips he sponsors, as well as his complementary in-class curriculum. He brings the outdoors in, with live leopard frogs, corn snakes, tiger salamanders, and more—all native to Illinois—plus a tarantula for a little good-for-the-soul “ick factor”.

Third graders spend their school year studying birds, culminating in a trip to a local bird sanctuary where they have the opportunity to observe and even touch the European starlings, morning doves, and northern flickers they recognize from their books.

“Because they’ve developed mastery in identifying these birds, they leave the field trip feeling more connected to nature,” he says.

So far, only one student has expressed a sincere lack of enthusiasm for the bird outing. But even that student benefited, Simeon says. “You learn, ‘This isn’t in my wheelhouse, but I can do it. Even if I’m scared of something, I can survive it.’ It gives a sense of empowerment.”

Simeon is dedicated to continue encouraging students to view the outside world as a living lab. “For many of them, this is first time someone has told them, ‘Yes, step into the river, get your feet wet.’ And they love it. They’re happy and joyful to have permission to get dirty. There’s just a level of connectedness to our world that happens when you go outside.”

The post Why Kids Need More School Field Trips appeared first on Sonima.

1. Eat Breakfast Later and Dinner Earlier

Intermittent fasting continues to be popular, and many protocols exist. However, fasting for an entire day can be difficult for many people. In that case, you may want to consider time-restricted feeding.

In a small pilot study published in the Journal of Nutritional Science, 13 people ate breakfast 90 minutes later than normal and dinner 90 minutes earlier than normal. After 10 weeks, they lost twice as much body fat on average compared with a control group that didn’t change their meal timing.

Again, fasting isn’t for everyone, but if you are interested and need to eat every day to function at your best, this could be a strategy for you.

2. Go Nuts at Snack Time

Don’t shy away from nuts because they are calorically dense. Having nuts rather than chips, fries, or dessert may help you lose weight, researchers shared at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2018. Eating one ounce of nuts or two tablespoons of nut butter daily was associated with less risk of weight gain over four years, as was having nuts instead of a less-healthy snack.

Just be sure you watch your serving size. An ounce of nuts is about 23 almonds, 18 cashews, 49 pistachios, 21 hazelnuts, 8 medium Brazil nuts, 12 macadamia nuts, 14 walnut halves, or 19 pecan halves.

3. Weigh the Pros and Cons of a Low-Carb Diet

How’s this for confusing: Last February, Stanford researchers published a study concluding that a healthy low-fat diet and a healthy low-carbohydrate diet can both lead to about the same amount of weight loss. Then in November, a study published in BMJ concluded that following a low-carb diet (with 20 percent of your calories from carbohydrates) during weight maintenance may help you burn 250 more calories a day, compared to eating a high-carb diet (with 60 percent of your calories from carbs). As a bonus, low-carb diets may help improve artery flexibility—but only in women, University of Missouri scientists discovered.

The bottom line is: Going low-carb may help, but only if you can stick to the plan. If cutting back on carbs makes you sluggish, then you won’t stick to that diet. No matter your carbohydrate intake, focus on nutrient-rich carbs such as sweet potatoes, whole grains, beans, vegetables, and fruit.

Related: Should You Try the Keto Diet?

4. Shift Your Mindset

Before you sit down to have a meal or snack, think about the health effects of what you are about to eat. This pause may help you naturally select less food, according to a Germany study published in the journal Appetite.

Researchers asked participants to focus on the expected pleasure, their intention to stay full until the next meal, or the health effects of the food while choosing the serving size of their lunch. Compared to a control group, the fullness group took larger portions, while those thinking about health helped themselves to smaller servings. That’s the power of mindfulness.

The post The Best New Science for Weight Loss in 2019 appeared first on Sonima.

Mainly, what I’m talking about is bringing your work home with you when you don’t really have to. Many of us continue to not only communicate with our colleagues after hours, but we also bring our “work headspace” home with us. Most people know this isn’t a healthy habit but can’t seem to stop themselves from doing it. They can’t force themselves to detach because, well, it’s not easy to leave work behind when you’re so connected to it.

But think about it this way: Even if you really identify with your job, the relationships you have outside of the workplace are not related to your job. This is a major reason you need to set your work identity aside when you leave your desk. You have other roles to play, and they’re just as important as your work role. You could be the CEO of a company, but when you come home and play with your dog or your child, you’re no longer CEO. Your dog has nothing to do with how your day at work was.

Most would agree that work-life balance and a little separation between the two are good things but are unsure of how to achieve them. In my experience, there are two main ways to ensure you leave your work where it belongs.

1. Awareness of your role.

When you have a sense of duty toward work, that duty often falls within a certain time limit. For some that’s 9:00 to 5:00. For others, there is no formal start or end to their work day. They are essentially “on-call” all the time. But even those who work irregular hours have other roles to play besides “worker”, whether that’s father, mother, sibling, child, partner, friend, or anything else. Whenever you identify with one of those roles, you’re able to do your duty in that role to the fullest. The key to getting this right is being aware of which role you are playing at any given time. Because when you’re aware of your current role, you can detach from all the others you play and move seamlessly from one to another.

So let’s say you’re a doctor, but you are talking to your friend and you really want to be a good friend to them in that moment. You’re ideally going to come to them from the perspective of a friend, not a doctor. In that moment, you are just their friend and nothing more. You detach yourself from your role as a doctor. Or perhaps you’re a manager at work. You can’t be a manager in your home, and you can’t be a husband or wife in the workplace. So your whole role shifts based on your environment.

If you’re aware of your role in a given moment, you can play that role to the maximum. It then becomes easier to disconnect from whatever is going on at work. You can go to a bar with your friends and not worry about your email. If you’re having a hard time setting work aside, simply ask yourself which role you ideally want to be playing in a given moment. As long as you are aware, you can shift very easily and spontaneously.

Related: Stay Present in Distracting Situations

2. In-between activities.

The second method of separating your work and home lives is best for people who find it very difficult to disconnect from their work and notice it bleeding into their next role. If you’ve already tried the above approach and it’s not working, consider this one. Maybe on a daily or weekly basis, there’s a problem happening at work, and you’re not able to set it aside. You feel stressed even after you leave your workspace. You might even find yourself checking your email every few minutes, just to see if there are any updates.

If this sounds familiar, try this: When you come home from or finish work, do a short activity before you launch into anything else—like trying to be a good parent or a compassionate partner, or even just unwinding from a long day. The activity should be at the physical or mental level. At the physical level, you could go to the gym or do a bit of gardening or cooking. Or some choose to sit quietly and have a cup of tea. At the mental or spiritual level, you could take a mindful walk or do a 5- to 10-minute meditation.

Overall, the idea here is that a very short action can disconnect you from your whole day and really bring in that sense of moving into your next role. By repeating this action on a regular basis, you signal to yourself that whenever this action happens, your work day is done. It should be an activity that’s totally different from work and is not demanding in the same way your work is. When you deliberately separate the parts of your day and the roles you have to play, moving between them becomes effortless.

The post How to Detach from Your Work Life appeared first on Sonima.

“Don’t surrender your loneliness so quickly. Let it cut more deep. Let it ferment and season you…” – Hafiz

What does it mean to not “surrender loneliness so quickly”? For most of my life, I would have preferred to surrender my loneliness yesterday. Loneliness felt like a painful, aching, hollow feeling at the core of my gut. It was my constant companion and I most certainly did not want it there. At some point in my twenties, I decided if I was going to spend so much of life being lonely, it was worth investigating what loneliness actually was. What I discovered didn’t stop me from ever getting lonely, but it helped transform my relationship to loneliness from something miserable to a powerful source of information.

Loneliness Hack #1: Make Friends with Desire

My first revelation was that at the center of loneliness was desire. It was a powerful longing for love. And yet, I had learned that that kind of longing was unattractive. I was told that I should stop looking for love, and that it would “happen when I least expected it”. I told myself that I better stop wanting things because not getting them made me feel desperate, pathetic, and disappointed. I told myself that I was too old, too ugly, and just too late for love, and then I told myself that love wasn’t real anyway (given the divorce rate). I tried anything and everything to get me to stop wanting love. Nothing worked. I continued to feel lonely.

One day, I was at the beach with my crush and my crush’s new girlfriend. As they snuggled together on the shore, I morosely wandered into the waves, feeling lost in a haze of loneliness and frustrated desire. Suddenly, I decided that instead of fighting off my yearning, I was going to try and open up to it. With each wave that crashed over my head I called out a new desire. “I want the dress I saw on 5th Avenue,” I started. Crash. “I want to be pretty.” Crash. “I want real love.” Crash. Instead of feeling depressed or lonely, opening up to each desire felt liberating. It felt strong and brave and exciting. Nothing guaranteed I would get these things, but just saying them felt almost as good. Within loneliness is a deep and powerful desire to connect. Trying to get rid of it won’t help. Opening up to the longing will.

Loneliness Hack #2: Learn the Difference Between Your Stories and the Truth

Everybody’s stories are different. Mine sounded like this: “I am so lonely. There must be something wrong with me. I’m too picky. I choose the wrong people. I must be immune to real love.” Sometimes another voice would swoop in: “You will find love! You just have to join a different dating app, cut your hair, and buy some new clothes. You can do this!” And on and on. These voices were part of the overall chorus of mental chatter that accompanied me throughout my day. Much of this “self-talk” was developed as a child to try and navigate my world, and much of it has stayed at the child level in terms of its maturity and problem-solving skills.

So what do we do when we realize we are lost in a maze of depressing self-chatter? First, congratulations! Noticing you are lost in thought (and not just living inside of it) is 80 percent of the battle. Next, notice if there is a feeling underneath the chatter that you don’t want to feel. Desire? Grief? Sadness? See if you can rest and breathe in the feeling itself, not in the mind’s attempt to cover it up. Finally, rather than fighting stories with other stories, try to just notice what is real. The chair underneath you. The wind on your face. Your body as it breathes. These things are real. Wake up out of your circular thoughts by sensitizing yourself to the here and now.

Related: The Fascinating Science of Why You’re So Hard on Yourself

Loneliness Hack #3: Come Home to Yourself

Sometimes loneliness comes to visit us when we are surrounded by people, in a relationship, and/or scrolling through the social media posts of 1,000+ of our “friends”. In my experience, this type of loneliness is a result of being alienated from ourselves. We are not experiencing the richness of life. We have left the building.

There is a Zen quote that says, “A picture of a rice cake cannot satisfy hunger.” In other words, living life glued to our phones, saying things that others want to hear, or being lost in our thoughts leave us feeling hungry, empty, and alone. If you are experiencing this type of loneliness, stop whatever you are doing, and come back to yourself. Meditate with the practice below. Unplug. Exercise. Have an honest talk with a friend or a date with your journal. Your loneliness is a sign of your life calling out to you. Answer it. Come home.

We are deeply interconnected to one another. We breathe the same air, influence one another’s moods, and are made up of the same raw materials. Loneliness is a difficult mind state, but practicing these hacks whenever we feel lonely brings us back to ourselves, to our hearts, and to the interconnected present moment that holds it all. This is how we let loneliness “season” us, emerging more tender and open-hearted on the other side.

The post 3 Ways to Hack Loneliness appeared first on Sonima.

Can mindfulness techniques or a meditation practice help me achieve my goals in the new year?

Sincerely,
Resolute

Dear Resolute,

This is such a meaningful and timely topic. I am a deep believer that the path of mindfulness can provide you with effective resources to achieve your goals this year. In this article, I will draw from applications of mindfulness in organizational settings to discuss how this technique can help you stay focused on your endgame.

I acknowledge this is a very large topic, and I am limited in how much I can get into in a short article. Therefore, I am going to highlight a few conditions that I believe need to be present for accomplishing goals.

The first is that you need to know what your goals are. Seems simple enough, but many people struggle with this. As you prepare for the new year, I suggest you take time to reexamine your values and where your passions lie. It is helpful to look across all domains of your life, including personal, professional, physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and so on. If you’re not clear about your goals, meditation can help you. A sacred pause and reflection is likely most needed for you in your life right now. As you sit with this question and listen for the answer, it may get things moving forward for you. Spending regular time with this type of inquiry will help deepen the process.

Related: A Meditation on Intentions for a New Year

After you list your priorities, rank them in order so that you know where to specifically direct your focus. As human beings, we are all confronted with limited time and energy. Therefore, we must remember that, ultimately, everything is connected. This concept means that shifts in one area of your life will likely bring shifts in others. Once you have your organized list, identify your starting point. Break down bigger goals into smaller, actionable steps and figure out what is the easiest way to get the momentum going.

The second condition is to train yourself to notice when your focus has waned. One symptom of reduced focus is mind-wandering. When your mind is not focused, goal-directed behavior diminishes. Researchers suggest that mindfulness may be an effective antidote to a wandering mind. For instance, one study published in the journal Emotion demonstrated a relationship between higher levels of dispositional mindfulness and lower levels of mind-wandering. They also found that eight minutes of mindful breathing attenuated mind-wandering. This suggests the importance of establishing a daily practice in order to train focused attention. With more efficient focus, you will likely find yourself moving forward with greater ease and freedom.

A third condition is to ditch multitasking. Research has shown that media multitasking is associated with higher depression and social anxiety symptoms. In my clinical experience, I can say that clients who experience depression and anxiety find it very difficult to accomplish goals. Minimizing behaviors that feed these unhelpful states of consciousness is in service of goal completion. Mindfulness has also been shown to effectively reduce symptoms of anxiety and mood problems among clinical populations.

Related: 3 Ways Meditation Puts You in the Success Mindset

Even though you still may be able to finish disrupted tasks efficiently and at a similar level of quality, researchers have found that we tend to make up for interruptions by working faster. This has numerous consequences, such as increased stress, frustration, time pressure, and effort. Mindfulness, through its emphasis on single-pointed focus, trains the practitioner to stay focused on the task at hand and minimize task switching.

Furthermore, researchers found that those trained in meditation stayed on tasks longer, made fewer task switches, and reported less negative emotion after they completed their task as compared to their counterparts, trained in relaxation. Improved memory for the tasks performed were also found both in those trained in meditation and relaxation. These findings clearly suggest the importance of developing a regular mindfulness practice in order to maximize the opportunities to achieve more with ease and gracefulness.

My perspective is that the more we stay connected to our values, the more we can offer to this world and receive back. I am reminded of the poet Rumi’s words, “Now is the time to unite the soul and the world. Now is the time to see the sunlight dancing as one with the shadows.” Mindfulness is a practice that keeps us connected to ourselves and our community. Mindfulness gives us the mental and emotional clarity to draw from all our inner and outer resources to move forward and accomplish with integrity.

The new year is a beautiful time to clear open the psychological and emotional space needed to create a vision and forge ahead. We, as human beings, are always an unfinished project. We must remember—and stay connected to—our creative power and our natural belongingness. Even when we are confronted by great challenges (and life has no shortages of them), we must remember to dance between sunlight and shadow, becoming one.

I invite you to hold the intention in this new year to accept all that comes, and from that place of stillness and love within your own heart, to meet each moment with dignity, courage, and authenticity. Trust in yourself. Trust that the path of mindfulness will allow your authentic self to bloom and your muscles of courage to flex and move you toward your goals. There are many great resources and meditations on Sonima to get you started with a practice.

I wish you the best in the new year and thank you for writing in.

Many blessings,
John

The post A Mindful Approach to Your New Year’s Resolutions appeared first on Sonima.

Donations from the fall run allowed the Singita Grumeti Fund to host three girls’ empowerment events for more than 1100 local high school girls. At the events, they delved into an array of important topics, ranging from reproductive health and menstruation to career development and confidence-building.

The young girls weren’t the only ones who benefited from this unique experience. Below, Vetere shares her personal story of this life-changing adventure as told to writer Cassie Shortsleeve.

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Related: A Mindful Runner Shares What Drives Her to Train for the First-Ever All-Female Run Across the Serengeti

When I first arrived, the 400 girls were all lined up in their uniforms. They looked so professional—long skirts, maroon sweaters, shoes, purses. Most of all, I noticed their quietness. They didn’t seem free. I wanted them to be able to express themselves. Knowing that many of them had short hair, I took off my baseball hat and let my long hair down. They all went crazy.

Before I began my keynote speech, I could feel the energy. I had them say, “I am beautiful,” then got them hugging each other and dancing. I had them repeat “I’m beautiful” once again and added the chant, “I can do it.”

Afterward, altogether, we ran 3.8 kilometers. The girls were singing, dancing, running, and asking questions about the upcoming five-day run across the Serengeti. They were thirsty for details and so smart. The next day, the challenging multi-day, 55-mile run kicked off.

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When I had visited the Serengeti, staying at various Singita Resorts in June, I had met a female guard named Helen. I was so moved by her that I requested that she join us on this run. She is one of the only female guards to work for the government. When I saw her, she hugged me tightly and told me how thankful she was just to be a part of this.

I have to admit, the first three miles of the Serengeti run were overstimulating. This is not Central Park in New York City. It’s not what I’m used to. We were running with guards, protecting us from wildlife, including the big five, like lions, buffalo, and elephants.

But then, I got into the groove. Folks’ energy levels eventually calmed down, evening out, and we all broke off, running at our own paces. We all got into our zones. The middle of the Serengeti is so tranquil, inviting us to focus. I tried to lift my head up and enjoy the moment.

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Training is a big part of my life, but 55 miles was nothing to blink at. It was challenging. At times, I thought, ‘I don’t want to get injured. The terrain is different.‘ You have to watch out for rocks and mud. But my mind was also with the girls and the run we had done the day before.

I made close bonds with women, who were initially strangers, too. One of the women, the only local female running the 55-mile distance, wanted to give up during a part of the run. I ran with her and repeated, “You’re not giving up.” After the run, she sent me a message saying “thank you” for the encouragement to keep going. She was so proud of herself. Me, too! A communal effort can be very powerful and motivating. We all came to this event from different places and we are now bonded for life.

That’s what’s sticking with me: After the journey is complete, what you’ve accomplished hits you.

I traveled 237 days overseas internationally last year for work, but this re-entry to my NYC life has been different. I ran a race no one has ever done before, connected with people and organizations that want to make a difference, took a leap of faith, and immersed myself in nature. Now, I’m back in my concrete jungle and, somehow, I feel more connected to everything. All that active meditation in a wonderful place with genuine people, opened my mind to appreciate experiences far more greater than “things,” which is a good feeling to having entering the holiday season. This wasn’t just a run in the Serengeti with lions. This was a bigger event holistically.

Related: Can Running Really Be a Form of Meditation?

Looking back, one moment stands out the most. It was during the community run with the school girls. Out of the blue, one came up to me and grabbed my hand. We ran three miles together singing a Beyonce song in Swahili. I wouldn’t let go of her tiny palm and neither would she. You could feel the pulsing, the sweatiness, that “I am free” feeling. She had this big, beautiful smile. Her eyes were sparkling. The girls’ energy, I have no doubt, will carry them.

For me, at the end of the day, I’m thankful. You could give yourself a million reasons to cancel out of things—we’re all busy in life—but these are the moments you have to embrace and be present for.

I’m taking each moment one second at a time right now, channeling energy to make a difference to the bottom line at work and in other people’s lives.

>>This unique running safari will be offered again in October 2019 for up to 20 runners. To learn more, email KatherineC@grumetifund.org or BeverlyB@grumetifund.org.

Video Courtesy of Black Bean Productions

The post The Invaluable Gift of Experiences appeared first on Sonima.

Here’s a handful of the standout life advice that may help you find a little more peace in your day-to-day.

1. Where you practice matters less than with whom.

To kick off the conference, respected Ashtanga teachers Mary Taylor and Richard Freeman, who both studied under their late guru, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, led a 6 A.M. yoga class in a windowless conference room. On hotel carpet. With towels in lieu of yoga mats. Freeman and Taylor were mic’d. Fluorescent lights blazed overhead. A large projection screen was erected at the front in preparation of a presentation later that day. It was the least inspiring impromptu “yoga studio” ever.

None of this mattered.

About 100 of us showed up to practice, and we created the perfect ambiance all on our own. Freeman and Taylor’s voices were amplified, yes, but still quiet and calming. Their encouraging instructions were easy-to-follow for all levels (I particularly liked when Taylor suggested we “inhale as if you’re trying to drag yourself forward an inch” in Sphinx pose). I managed to enjoy a relaxing savasana with bright overhead lights. It was us who created the awesome atmosphere. Our positive energy combined. So, no, you don’t always have to be in an idyllic yoga shala to find your zen. With the right community and the right teachers, you can practice anywhere.

2. If visionary thought-leaders can laugh at themselves, you can, too.

Jack Kornfield, PhD, the legendary meditation teacher and monk, widely credited with introducing Buddhist mindfulness to the West, cracked a few jokes throughout the long weekend. During the opening panel, when discussing the modern day scourge of multitasking, he quoted Albert Einstein, quipping, “If you can drive safely while kissing a girl, you’re simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.”

The next day, before leading a loving-kindness guided meditation, he delivered a solid political one-liner that elicited loud, appreciative laugher from this decidedly liberal crowd. Intrigued, I peeked at his social media. While much of it is serious, earnest, and from the heart—sending metta to Californians affected by the wildfires, encouraging mindfulness while voting—I found this meme:

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Bottom line: Don’t take yourself so seriously. You’ll be happier for it.

3. Technology for spiritual wellness is helpful, but it will never replace human connectivity.

During the opening keynote, four brilliant and influential minds—including Kornfield, the esteemed Buddhist practitioner and founder of Spirit Rock Center, Zindel Segal, PhD, distinguished Professor of Psychology in Mood Disorders at the University of Toronto Scarborough, Acacia Parks, PhD, Chief Scientist for Happify Health, and Darnell Lamont Walker, PhD, award-winning writer and filmmaker—gathered on stage to discuss how contemplative practice is now entering the digital age. Both Kornfield and Parks pointed out that while millions of individuals sign up for mindfulness apps, like Headspace, Calm and Happify, a strikingly low percent are still using them one month later.

Kornfield noted that the potential for contemplative technology to work is there, and some success has been noted—three 30 minute-sessions of online cognitive behavioral therapy sessions, for instance, has been shows to help reduce depression and suicidality among stressed out new physicians. But the deeper question, he said, is whether these types of technology allow people “to feel a connection with the vastness of the cosmos….

No amount of technology—not the internet, not the apps, not artificial intelligence, biotech, nanotech—is going to stop continuing warfare and environmental destruction and racism and the kind of conflict. Those are, really, sourced in the human heart.”

Kornfield suggested that combining an online component with a real-life relationship (i.e., a teacher, a friend, a mentor) likely has the best chance of success. “We need to keep a human connection as a thread in it for it to work at it’s best.”

Related: A Meditation for Unity

4. Find freedom in caring less about what others think.

The first full day of the symposium, Louis Komjathy, PhD, founding co-director and senior teacher of the Daoist Foundation, led a group of us through a standing meditation and Qigong, a form of energy work involving slow, coordinated movements, breathing and meditation. We were outdoors on a lawn situated in front of a gorgeous adobe fireplace. (The conference took place at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass, a Native American-owned hotel in Phoenix located on the Gila River Indian Community, home to the Pima and Maricopa people groups for 2000 years.) Komjathy stood at the front, near the fireplace; the rest of us faced him on the lawn.

Even though we were in sunny Phoenix, the mornings can be chilly. Wearing my yoga pants, a tank top, and a light zip-up hoodie, I was shivering, which is not ideal when you’re trying to focus on bringing the energy of the heavens down into your body.

Seemingly reading my mind, Komjathy invited any cold participants to come join him by the fireplace. Every bit of me yearned to be near that fireplace…but I stayed put. Joining him meant I’d be standing at the helm of 50 strangers, attempting to harvest my yang to tonify my yin for the first time in my life. I’m hardly a shrinking violet and I’m used to speaking in front of large groups of people (up to 1000) for my work. But this was different. This was unchartered territory for me. I wasn’t sure I wanted to put myself on display as I made my way through the series of unfamiliar poses.

But then, through my downward-gazing eyes, I saw one man start to walk up to the front. Feeling like a sheep, I followed, and the two of us stood with the instructor, facing the audience, the back half of our body instantly warmed by the fire. And guess what happened?

Nothing.

No one cared. No one stared. Everyone was in their own world, tonifying their own yin. In fact, two more people joined us near the fire. I felt like the title character in Dr. Seuss’s What Was I Afraid Of?, when he realizes that the spooky empty green pants in the forest are just as scared of him as he is of them. In yoga class, it’s taken me years to realize that just because the woman next to me can nail Chaturanga after Chaturanga without keeping her knees on the mat doesn’t mean that I should throw my right shoulder out attempting to do the same. I’m not sure why I wasn’t able to apply that same knowledge to this frosty qigong situation from the get-go. Nonetheless, it was a timely reminder that when practicing mindfulness, you need to do what makes you feel good. Even better, heading up front and turning around meant I had a gorgeous new view of cacti and the Komatke Mountains to enjoy.

5. Though practicing daily mindfulness is ideal, you can still reap some rewards with minimal effort.

During a lecture titled, “Mindfulness Training in High Demand, Time-Pressured RealWorld Settings: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,” Amishi Jha, PhD, associate professor of psychology at the University of Miami, discussed her research on the ability of short bouts of mindfulness training to help individuals in high-stress situations, specifically, students, athletes during pre-season training, and military members. As part of her Mindfulness Based Attention and Training (MBAT) Project, funded in part by the Department of Defense, Jha is interested in learning if teaching mindfulness can help improve focus and working memory, both of which become compromised during times of stress. (MBAT is based on the principles of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, but adapted for military personnel to improve relevancy.)

The problem? These individuals are already time pressured, “so, how low can you go when it comes to teaching them mindfulness and resilience training? What content is critical and what can we cut out?” What she found: Four two-hour sessions, spaced out over four weeks, was enough to produce an effect. Not only did military members report less mind-wandering and improved memory, but they were able to bring their mindfulness back home with them after returning from deployment, and reported the ability to feel more present with their families—something they’d struggled with before MBAT training.

The post 5 Life Lessons Learned at a World-Leading Contemplative Research Conference appeared first on Sonima.

In all this, Ven. George was enacting the ancient practice of yogic retreat, in which a practitioner, having withdrawn from social interactions and worldly activities, undertakes an uninterrupted period of transformative spiritual disciplines, thus, unburdening themselves from preoccupation to focus entirely on a chosen spiritual practice. The benefits of such tapas (or austerity) is considered highly significant in traditional Buddhist and Hindu societies, and those who dedicate themselves to long periods of practice in remote wilderness locations are often cultural heroes and objects of veneration.

The paradigmatic example of a yogic and meditation retreat is seen in the legend of the future Buddha, Siddhartha, who renounced a kingdom to pursue spiritual life and enlightenment. It is no exaggeration to say, in fact, that such practices and ideals are hardwired into the contemplative traditions of India, plus South, East, and Central Asia.

Is Retreat Still Relevant in the Modern World?

The Bhagavad Gita states that, “One who is able to withdraw his senses from sense objects, as the tortoise draws its limbs within the shell, is firmly fixed in perfect consciousness.” For this authoritative source, a deliberate retraction of one’s attention from the world—or at least from one’s preoccupation with experience—is a necessary prerequisite to pursuing the profound goals of yoga. Assuming that condition still holds, it seems that yoga’s greatest rewards and deepest insights are not generally available from 9-to-5, Monday through Friday.

No, this does not mean that you need to quit your job, become a monk, and move to the Himalayan mountains (though it’s tempting in this day and age) to connect with your true self.

When “business as usual” is disrupted for any duration, anyone can experience the powerful and lasting benefits of contemplative practices. All retreats facilitate some degree of rupture from our routinized patterns of behavior and habitual life roles (i.e., parent, friend, partner, worker, etc.). These roles give us life force, but they can also become a liability in the face of a destabilizing life event, like the loss of a job, the ending of a marriage, the sickness of a child. Deprived of a role through unexpected and/or traumatic events, one’s very sense of self can be challenged. Failing to adapt to unfamiliar roles and realities, we experience suffering.

According to the logic of retreat, if an overly rigid sense of identity gives rise to suffering, it is your innate capacity for resilience and healing that is nourished precisely when you loosen your grip of that identity. A yoga and meditation retreat makes this healing process feasible by insulating you from contexts and stimuli that normally reinforce your habitual patterns of thought and action.

Related: The Healing Power of Self-Care Through Ayurveda

Who Has Time for a Retreat, Anyway?

Not surprising, the periodic practice of retreat is an often neglected mode of modern spiritual life. We all have a million excuses not to take the time off that we need. Instead, we aim to take care of ourselves with a 10-minute guided meditation, here and there, (check out our free audio library on Sonima’s meditation channel) and/or fit in a yoga class after work, and still get home in time to reheat leftovers, Netflix, hang with the fam, you name it. Forget three years in a cave, withdrawing sensory attention, like a tortoise. Retreat, as Ven. George experienced it, is uncompromising and unattainable for most.

Fortunately, the consistent message of living contemplative traditions, as well as mind-body scientific researchers, is that, like a yoga and/or meditation practice, a little retreat can go a long way. Because its primary purpose is to free up space for us to grow and discover, a retreat of even brief periods can really help. What’s more, at a very basic level, the specific content of a retreat is less important than the simple act of “getting out of town,” whether physically or just mentally. Modern-day versions of this usually include a digital detox and electronic celibacy. The more comprehensive the retreat, the more one is asked to suspend engagement with the world outside of the retreat to draw one’s attention inward and focus fully on a given practice.

Related: 5 Scientists Proving the Benefits of Yoga and Mindfulness

The word itself carries military connotation, as in making a “retreat” from enemy lines after being routed. A yoga and meditation retreat, however, aligns better with the idea of a strategic withdrawal of forces in order to shore up resources, strengths, and capacities for future engagement. Perhaps a better match is the word “vacation.” Who doesn’t love a vacation? The word, which derives from the Latin meaning “to be unoccupied” and Old English “to vacate,” conveys the idea of abandoning normality, if only temporarily. Vacation is when you literally “vacate” some time and existential space that is normally occupied by set roles and responsibilities, and in that vacated space, you plug in destinations and activities. Vacation, ideally, frees you to focus on people and, places in ways that are typically not possible.

In the same way as vacation, retreat opens up the necessary time and space for transformation to occur, whether in the context of a deliberate contemplative practice or through some other modality of self-discovery (i.e., music, surfing, take your pick).

Moving Toward Balance and Embracing Sanity

In his first post-retreat lecture to a group in New Mexico, Ven. George enthusiastically encouraged his audience not to “mess around” and take the opportunity, soon and often, to undertake retreat. His main message was, “why wait?” If you want your car to last a long time, don’t wait to deal with it once the engine drops out. Keep it maintained with regular servicing in order to maintain its functionality.

To extend the metaphor, a regular contemplative practice is fuel, which—along with healthy food, good sleep, regular exercise, and so forth—promotes balance and functionality in all lives. With retreat, we get the chance to go deep, replace old parts, etc., as a way to ensure our ability to weather difficult conditions in the future. Things don’t need to get bad, nor does one need to go on permanent vacation (however delightful that sounds) to pursue advanced self-care through the practice of retreat.

Many thanks to Ven. George Churinoff for help and inspiration with this article.

The post The Immeasurable Value of a Yoga and Meditation Retreat appeared first on Sonima.

“Inner form informs outer form,” says Bethany Lyons, co-founder of Lyons Den Power Yoga in New York City. “Inner form is our own story and personal world; it’s our personal self—how we view and see the world and ourselves. It shapes what we can and cannot do, and it shapes what we can and cannot say. The inner form is the heart and soul of the outer form.”

Pete Egoscue, an anatomical physiologist since 1978 and creator of the Egoscue Method, agrees: “The experts tell you that they know more about you than you do, which is complete nonsense.” Egoscue argues that reaching an ideal level of fitness is all about happiness; if you can reach a place of non-judgment and joy, the physical goals will follow.

Here are six inner form checks to keep in mind throughout a workout to help you benefit physically, mentally, and spiritually from exercise.

1. View exercise as a form of self-care.

“There are different ways to hold exercise,” says Adam Perlman, M.D., an integrative health and wellbeing expert at Duke University. You can feel guilty about it (maybe you’re sacrificing time with your family to work out), feel like it’s a chore (something you have to do to lose weight), or you can view exercise as a part of your self-care routine, he notes. “You deserve to care for yourself and exercise is a part of that,” Perlman says.

Focusing your mind to complete a workout in the way that is best for you, and being grateful that you are able to move in such a way can also help you feel strong and empowered, adds Ariane Machin, Ph.D., a psychologist and co-founder of the Conscious Coaching Collective.

2. Set your intentions before a workout.

Entering into exercise with purpose helps you make the most of your time, says Suze Yalof Schwartz, founder, and CEO of Unplug Meditation. “You have a choice when you go to the gym—you can go hard or go soft. If you want to maximize your workout, inner form helps you be present and intentional, resulting in better results physically and mentally.”

Stepping into your fitness routine with a specific mindset keeps you on track if/when your thoughts start meandering to the others in the room. “You see people running five miles and you think you need to run five miles to ‘get in shape’ even if it is something you don’t enjoy,” says Machin. “This movement is being guided by anxious and tense energy, and will deplete us before we even begin.”

Egoscue echoes this sentiment: “If what you’re doing isn’t something that allows you to put down the rules and have some fun, it’s not of any value.”

Rather than follow this negative energy, stop and ask yourself: Why am I here? The more we understand our own intentions, the more we can make sure that we’re acting in a way that’s consistent with that intention. For example, if your goal is to feel at peace and you consistently return to that intention, then you might realize that running (if you don’t enjoy it) isn’t at all in line with your personal plan. In other words, be clear about what it is that you want from exercise.

3. Notice potential distractions, then ignore them.

“There are many ways to practice mindfulness and exercise is a great opportunity,” says Perlman. But being more present with your workout—and strengthening not just your body but also the mindfulness muscle—requires focus. The more you can train your brain to focus, the more mindful you’ll become. Unplugging from a constant flow of emails, text messages, and news can help you tune into what you’re feeling during the workout. It can also clarify what doesn’t fuel you—maybe comparing yourself to others on social media, notes Machin.

Related: Stay Present in Distracting Situations

4. Breathe a little deeper—it feels so good.

Your mind is going to drift. That’s normal. “We have between 50,000 and 80,000 thoughts a day,” says Yalof Schwartz. But if you really need to zone in, try a 16-second meditation—easy to do while you’re holding a yoga pose or on a walk.

Breathe in through your nose for four seconds, hold for four seconds, exhale audibly for four seconds, then hold for another four seconds. “When you count and breathe, you can’t think at the same time,” she says. “You’re sending a signal to your brain that everything’s okay and you’re also getting present.”

5. Watch your tone and language.

We talk to ourselves internally all day, notes Lyons. Check in with your internal dialogue from time to time. What are you saying? If you notice negative talk or unhelpful commentary, try saying something new. Lyons suggests a mantra or phrase that makes you feel grounded, supported, and fierce. “It can be as simple as ‘breathe in and breathe out’ or it can be a statement about what you are stepping into: ‘I am courageous.’”

6. Listen to your body—it’s talking to you!

Don’t push yourself beyond what feels healthy and gratifying. “We have adopted a rule set in fitness. If you are doing five reps, 10 reps is better. If you have this BMI, it’s not as good as that BMI,” Egoscue says. You berate yourself for not adhering to these so-called rules and expectations, which, in turn, creates a tailspin of self-reproach. “Your instincts are telling you that these rules aren’t in your best interest,” says Egoscue. Bottom line: You know what is best for your body health.

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But there are two lesser-known ways that meditation can help you work smarter—ones that are certainly worth knowing about.

One of the most overlooked benefits of meditation is an improved relationship with time. When the mind is more present and focused, you have an enhanced understanding and comprehension of a given topic or task. When that becomes a regular part of your working style, it profoundly impacts your ability to learn and work at a high level.

Most often, people find that they’re able to achieve more in a shorter period of time. Say, there’s a given task and it normally takes you half an hour to do it. Surprisingly enough, after getting into a consistent meditation practice, you may be able to do the same task in 25 or even 20 minutes. I have seen this phenomenon many times in my students, and it’s amazing because in the workplace or at school, time has a lot of value.

Why does this happen? Well, through meditation you can relax, and you can transfer that aura of calm to your efforts. Relaxing allows you to be so focused and attentive that you are able to do the same task with much more ease. When you do anything in this peaceful state of mind, you can achieve more in less time. Say you’re scatter-brained and you’re trying to retain or learn something. You’re not present enough and your mind is all over the place. It’s going to take a long time. But if you’re calm and relaxed, it’s going to be no sweat to get the job done.

If you’re able to complete your regular tasks quicker, then you might use that extra time to take a break. But you also might use it to learn more, do more, achieve more. And that’s where this enhanced relationship with time can really start to help you excel.

Secondly, your self-esteem improves through meditation. That might not seem like a concept that’s related to productivity, but it truly is. Meditation improves your priorities deep down inside. It gives you this feeling of “yes, I’m a good human.” And that lifts your self-esteem up. Self-esteem isn’t really connected to vanity or intelligence, as we often assume. Confidence comes from the satisfaction in giving or doing something for others.

The more you do for others, the better your relationships will be, professional and otherwise. It’s really quite simple: If you’re more compassionate, then have more friends and colleagues who hold you in high regard; meditation enhances this compassion. Even your communication skills get upgraded because you’re better able to relate to others, express yourself, and deliver your thoughts outwardly, either vocally or through writing.

So how can you get these benefits, and how often do you need to meditate before you start noticing them?

To me, this question is almost like asking: How many days should I eat? And then when should I stop eating? Meditation is like food for your mind and soul, and in order to reap the full benefits, you need to do it every day.

Related: A 5-Minute Meditation to Start Building Your Practice

In terms of how long it will take to notice the benefits, it depends. When you start exercising or eating healthy, for example, you start to see certain results. Meditation works the same way. In the first week, you might sleep a little better. In two weeks, you might start to feel more focused. In three weeks, you might feel less stressed, and so on. The rewards of a daily practice build up over time.

As far as what type of meditation you should do, any kind will work. The key is that you integrate it into your routine. Just as you eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you meditate, too. You have to keep it up. So find a type that you love and that you can do long-term. Guided meditations are a great place to start, but I would recommend developing an internally-led practice with the help of a teacher or through your own research, as it’s more likely to become a lasting habit if it comes from within.

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