10 Ways to Meditate When You Struggle to Clear Your Mind

When most people hear the word "meditation," they think of a Buddha sitting quietly with a peaceful look on their face. They make it look so easy! 

But anyone who has sat down on a meditation cushion and tried to "clear their mind," knows it's a lot harder than it looks. Sometimes even getting yourself to that seated position is difficult.

I took part in a meditation retreat and another weekend workshop on Mindfulness, Meditation, and Mantras as part of my master yoga teacher training last year. Though I'd dabbled with it before, it was mostly only guided. Yes, we were guided in many of the meditations during my training, but we were also left to our own devices with minimal direction too. 

These two experiences were the real deal, and I learned a few new ways to meditate.

Those days when you make it to your cushion, but the whole "clear your mind" thing isn't working for you, try one of these types of meditation instead.

10 Types of Meditation You Should Try

1. Guided Meditation 
2. Yoga (or meditation in movement as many call it)
3. Mantra Repetition
4. Candle Gazing 
5. Walking Meditation 
6. Breath Counting
7. Loving Kindness (Metta) Meditation
8. Visualization
9. Open Awareness 
10. Create Something - Cook, Art, or Write

Have you tried meditation before? Have you found one type to work better for you than another? Let me know in the comments below.

Weekly Workouts Roundup

Today I'm linking up with Kat of Sneakers and Fingerpaints for a summary of my workouts for the last week. With some help from my UP band and Instagram checkins for Tone It Up I was able to come up with my miles and training for the week.

Week of 7/15/2013

7/15 - 1.34 mile walk with the dogs after work. Summer Arms from the 1st Beach Babe DVD.

7/16 - Bikini Abs from Beach Babe at lunch. 2.84 miles (10:27 minutes/mile) after work followed by the Long and Lean stretch from Beach Babe.

7/17 - Rest Day

7/18 - 1.65 mile jog before work. This was my first pre-work run around 6:30 AM, so not fun but something I need to get in the habit of doing for the evenings when I have plans and no time for a run. Also squeezed in Summer Arms over lunch.

7/19 - 2.1 mile run (10:42 minutes/mile) followed by the Sunkissed Abs workout.

7/20 - Bikini Sculpt Routine from Beach Babe. This is a 40 minute full body workout with back to back circuits using your body weight and 3 pound weights. Kicked.my.butt.

7/21 - Ran .87 miles with my Doberman and was down-poured on, then when out again after the storm went by for another 2.14 miles. Averaged 10:29 minutes/mile.

Total Miles: 10.94

If you've been keeping up with my blog you know that I recently have been trying to run on a regular basis. I'm three weeks in and I'm already noticing a difference in my pace and endurance.

If you don't know about Tone It Up, I highly recommend checking it out. 

Via Tone It Up

These 2 girls are fun and motivating, tie that in with the supportive Tone It Up community and you've got all the inspiration you need to get fit. This skinny girl is on the road to becoming strong, just in time for my wedding!

Are you a runner? What keeps you motivated to stay fit?

Small Changes for Being Healthier

Yesterday my Jawbone UP showed up on my doorstep over lunch. So excited to try it out I went through the set up really quick before heading back into work. I just had to get the tracking started right then!

Me with my new Mint Green UP
Follow me on Instagram @justmeaghan

I was shocked by how many steps I accumulated in half the day. The average Jawbone UP user is under 6,000 in a day, mine was 9,046 in 11 hours. Granted I did go on a 3 mile walk/run with my pups, but still! I'll be sure to post again on the UP once I get some more usage with it.

In line with the fitness talk, do you use butter or olive oil? I grew up with a Mom who used butter in everything, her motto to this day is you can never have enough butter. I switched over to Olive Oil for most dishes with a concern for having a high cholesterol in the future. BzzAgent recently sent me some Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil to try out and I've really enjoyed it. If you are not ready to forfeit the taste of butter, try substituting half of the butter in your recipe with olive oil. I still do this sometimes when I'm looking for a taste of home. They also sent me this handy substitution chart on a magnet, you can print a copy and read more of the health benefits of making the switch on their website.

I also was sent a few mail in rebates from BzzAgent for Skinnygirl Cocktails. With low calorie alcoholic drinks, these are the perfect substitute while I'm trying to get fit. Tonight I'm trying out their Mojito flavor in honor of National Mojito Day, which I missed yesterday. 1 of 4 of their newest flavors, I'm interested to see how it compares to a fresh Mojito from South Beach.

Image from Skinnygirl Cocktails

Enjoy your weekend and if you have any easy substitutions to get healthier please share!

Shop Less, Run More

In an effort to save money for our wedding, I have really cut back on my spending and not allowed myself to step foot in a Marshall's.

I really haven't bought any clothes since the first week of May. I almost feel like I deserve a standing ovation for that, consider the fact that I used to frequent a Marshall's at least once a week and almost always leave with some article of clothing. It's a problem.

But, with the wedding coming up and my need to save money and think further out in the future I have kept the reigns in on spending. We've cut back on dinner outings too, limiting to only once or twice a week to go out. The real sad part of this is that my fashion appears to be suffering in reference to fashion blogging. I have nothing new so I feel like I have nothing to post for you all. Hence the many sets I've published recently like this one, and this one. Expect to see more of these.

You can also expect to see some workout posts incorporated in, this is a lifestyle blog so I figure I'm allowed to. It takes up time, makes me feel better and for the most part saves me money by keeping me occupied. Only pitfall is my inclination for techie gadgets, all of the watches with strapless heart rate monitors and distance/gps trackers sound too cool! I might have broke down and bought one.

Jawbone UP

The Jawbone UP, I got it in mint of course in an effort to stay in line with wedding colors. "Sweating for the wedding" over here people! This was the most attractive and fashionable looking fitness band I found in my hours of research. The band itself tracks your activity (distance and intensity) and sleep patterns, then there is an app that you log your food, mood, etc. There is an idle setting where you input a set amount of time, if you are still for that long the UP will vibrate and tell you to get moving. It's also got a pretty sweet smart alarm that will wake you up at the "perfect time" based on your sleep patterns. I'm really interested to see how many steps I take each day, 10,000 or 5 miles is a recommended amount. That sounds like a lot to me, but I want to get myself in better shape and feel strong, not just thin. I can't wait for it to arrive and try out all these features. I'll be sure to report back and let you know how it works for me.

Have you tried any fitness bands out?  Do you have any unusual tips for saving money?


Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Pescatarianism and working out-HELP!?

Update: http://www.justmeaghan.com/2014/07/try-vegetarianism.html

I need some assistance from the fitness gurus out there! I'm looking for a book with a meal plan (other than the one from Tone it Up-although that one sounds great I'm not looking to spend $150 on a meal plan). Maybe $30 max.
I've been working out for a few months now, and haven't eaten meat since the middle of March.  I think it's catching up to me that I haven't totally been eating as I should.  Yes, I eat my occasional tempeh, tofu, and I have shrimp and fish when we go out to restaurants. But during the week I eat a lot of vegetables and grilled cheese. :/
Working out lately I've started to notice my body getting tired before my brain, or even being slightly light headed. Not good, I know.
I don't need a weight loss diet, I just need some form of structure to follow to get me on the right track.
Any readers have any tips for an active, novice non-meat eater? Any and all comments/tips are sooo greatly appreciated.

 CLUELESS!?!