ARO COACHING
Episode #10
Meditation
You think you can't meditate, you're just not that kind of person. You don't do yoga, you're not vegan, you don't have any of those wall hangings. I hear you but I encourage you to bear with me, give it a go and trust my infinite wisdom that you won't need to buy a wall hanging. Meditation is for you. Maybe you want to be a faster athlete, maybe you want to find a way not to lose your shit when your kids drive you crazy or maybe just need help dealing with chronic pain.
Try mediation for 10 minutes every day for one month and see if it helps. The Calm App has a 30 day free intro to mediation course. Try it.
Listen to the
10 minute
podcast episode
One of the greatest benefits associated with meditation is a reduction in mental and physical stress caused by increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol. This hormone is responsible for many of the harmful effects of stress on the body. These effects can result in poor quality sleep, lead to depression and anxiety, increased blood pressure, decreased libido and lower your ability to concentrate.
Meditation also allows you to prepare yourself for stress and competition. It gives you a chance to practice focus and concentration. Mediation never requires perfection only practice. This week give meditation a try.
So here are a couple of videos to watch and meditations to try...
Nicky's pre-race favorite:
Other athletes using meditation:
A Simple Guide to Meditation
If you’re new to meditation, here’s what you'll do. Sit comfortably in a chair or on the floor. You can use a blankets or a cushion to ensure that your back is supported. Close your eyes and take a several slow, deep breaths. You’re working to relax your breathing completely. Now if you’d like, you can add in a mantra, repeat it slowly and steadily, trying to match it to your breath. Once you’ve said it aloud ten times, start to repeat your mantra silently, moving only your lips for another ten times. Finally repeat it internally without moving your lips.
If you decided a mantra wasn’t your thing, then you’re going to count the seconds as you breathe slowly in and out. Breathe in for maybe 4 seconds, then breathe out for 5 seconds. Use the counting of the breath or the mantra as your home base. Now hear this and absorb it...its okay if your mind wanders. Just notice that it happened and so back to your home base.
Other mediations to try:
