Motivation can give you that extra strength and the logical influence needed to create this new attitude that will help you to achieve your goals and to define your new self. What gets you out of bed to go to the gym? Is it the motivation to have an attractive body that you love? If we dig deep it all starts with our minds. When we are aware of all our thoughts and the impact they have on our lives we can then slowly change the way we make decisions which lead to better choices which then leads to more action and to return results. Live your best life by using the body-mind connection to start with the five ways explained below.
1. Understanding your motivation
What’s driving your desire for fitness? Whatever it is, the strength of this motivation will determine your chances of successfully engaging with, and maintaining, your workout routine. Listen to your body. Being aware of its wellbeing throughout both exercise and rest periods is essential to staying healthy, well-rested and injury free. Meditation gives the mind space and ability to see these reasons clearly and understand ourselves better, to approach exercise in a more grounded, confident and sustainable way. It’s a strong start.
2. First Mindfulness Exercise
You can use your body to become more mindful by putting your awareness on your body. You have to make an effort to stop your thinking; you bring your attention to your in-breath and the mental discourse just stops. That is the miracle of the practice. You don’t think of the past anymore. You don’t think of the future. You don’t think of your projects, because you are focusing your attention, your mindfulness, on your breath.
3. Focusing on the moment
Instead of planning tomorrow’s meeting or running through arrangements for the weekend, try to take a step back from busy mental chatter. Meditation teaches our minds how to be clear and free from distraction, creating the space essential for productive exercise. You can be mindful without meditating, but all the research and experts tell us that meditation is the most sure-fire way to become more mindful. “It’s almost like a reboot for your brain and your soul”.
4. Put Your Awareness On Your Body
When your mind is with your body, you are well-established in the here and the now. You are fully alive. You can use your body to become more mindful by putting your awareness on your body. All that mind time travel is not conducive to mindfulness. After all, mindfulness is being fully in the present. However, regardless of where your mind might be at any given moment, your body is always in the present. When you feel your mind going on one of its time travel expeditions, pull it back to the present by focusing on your body.
Here’s the process to follow: Focus on your feet, ankles, calves and notice any sensations that are there. Continue in this way slowly moving up your body until you reach the top of your head. Keep your mind in the now by focusing on your body. You can be in touch with the wonders of life that are available in yourself and around you.
5. Go for a Run
Spending time in nature is one of the most powerful ways of giving you a mental reboot and reinstating a sense of ease and wonder. As you begin to run, while a keeping a strong awareness of everything that’s going on around you, bring your attention back to the body. How does it feel now that you’re moving? How are the muscles responding to the movement? Notice how the breath quickly changes as the body begins to warm up.