Mindful May

[ixtap]

We have a lot of changes coming up in the next couple of months, and I want to strengthen my best habits so that the stress doesn't bring out my worst.

-practicing mindfulness: I have been really struggling to get back to this, so I want to commit to a daily morning practice.

-yoga: I slacked off on all my exercise while we had visitors, but in particular I need to rebuild my yoga practice while I still have a home to hide in so that I don't feel so self conscious doing it in front of other people when we are bopping around between the boat and family and world travels over the next year.

-no to fast food: I am turning this into a tracker donation. For every day I do not have fast food, I will donate $10 to the food bank at the end of the month.

[dblaace]

I have been pretty consistent with meditation since the first of the year. I restarted Yoga twice a week in April but missed a couple of days. A month challenge will help keep me on track.

There is also a mustachion meditation thread the pops up from time to time as well.

[Sailor Sam]

Yes, please. I’d love to take part.

[ixtap]

Yay, fellow travellers!!

Meditation: Focus on self. I have lost that a bit taking care of DH and that could be dangerous once we start spending more time together as he works less.

Yoga: DH has coding classes on Sunday, so I took yoga to the park. Maybe it is partly from climbing stairs yesterday, but my legs were shaking by the end, so I guess I pushed myself plenty.

FF: Avoiding this pairs well with yoga. Yoga isn't much fun with a McMuffin in your tummy. 1/30.

[ixtap]

Are my fellow travellers gone already :(

Meditation: chaotic, but I did it

Yoga: chose more prone and seated exercises to give my legs a break, especially as I did a canyon walk first thing in the morning

FF: 2/30

[Sailor Sam]

I’m here!

I actually forgot to meditate, until I saw your challenge thread pop up on my reply list. Happy to say the mischief has not been managed. Only 5 minutes, but a check in the box. I tried to make friends with the rage creature that lives in my rib cage.

[ixtap]

I’m here!

I actually forgot to meditate, until I saw your challenge thread pop up on my reply list. Happy to say the mischief has not been managed. Only 5 minutes, but a check in the box. I tried to make friends with the rage creature that lives in my rib cage.

I usually meditate before reading anything in the morning, but today I read this and spent an inappropriate amount of time distracted by why you just might like Turning Red, which is all about how various people deal with the beast inside.

[dblaace]

I'm here. 2 for 2 so far for meditation 'practice'. My mind has not been cooperative.

I have yoga on Tuesday and Wednesday so Today will be my first yoga class. Already looking for an excuse not to go...

[ixtap]

I'm here. 2 for 2 so far for meditation 'practice'. My mind has not been cooperative.

I have yoga on Tuesday and Wednesday so Today will be my first yoga class. Already looking for an excuse not to go...

But it will feel good once you get there!

My meditation has been very chaotic, but that is why we need practice, right?

I showed up for yoga and actually went past my timer, but had no interest in laying down quietly once I was done, so I may try to sneak in an extra meditation session this afternoon.

FF: 3/30. One reason I have been eating so much fast food the last few months is that the Invisalign hurts so dang much. Are we really doing teenagers a service with braces?!? Well, the new set today really hurts, so probably going to end up fasting just so I don't have to remove them. If not, I did get some softer foods on purpose with the last grocery shop. Either way, probably not leaving the house, so no fast food for today.

[dblaace]

I'm here. 2 for 2 so far for meditation 'practice'. My mind has not been cooperative.

I have yoga on Tuesday and Wednesday so Today will be my first yoga class. Already looking for an excuse not to go...

But it will feel good once you get there!

My meditation has been very chaotic, but that is why we need practice, right?

I showed up for yoga and actually went past my timer, but had no interest in laying down quietly once I was done, so I may try to sneak in an extra meditation session this afternoon.

FF: 3/30. One reason I have been eating so much fast food the last few months is that the Invisalign hurts so dang much. Are we really doing teenagers a service with braces?!? Well, the new set today really hurts, so probably going to end up fasting just so I don't have to remove them. If not, I did get some softer foods on purpose with the last grocery shop. Either way, probably not leaving the house, so no fast food for today.

I meant to say Tuesday and Wednesday. I'm sure I will hurt good after it's over...

Practice is the reason I used a timed meditation, currently 15 minutes.  If I didn't I would give up early.

[Sailor Sam]

Day 3 complete. I imagined the rage creature was an octopus, flashing his pissed off colors. It was fun!

[Serendip]

I've been committed to daily yoga and mediation since the beginning of the year, have stayed fairly consistent unless travel or visitors throw me off my schedule. I count any amount...can be 5 minutes, or 20 or 40.. (usually 5-10 for meditation in the mornings and 15-20 for yoga)

 I've only missed one day of yoga & meditation in May so I will join in this challenge. Will be travelling for the last 12 days of the month so it will be good accountability :)

[ixtap]

Day 3 complete. I imagined the rage creature was an octopus, flashing his pissed off colors. It was fun!

Your meditation is more entertaining than mine.

I kind of did yoga after my bike ride. First, I forgot this park has no grass, only mulch. So I chose a picnic pad and left my shoes on and did yoga like things. But for some reason the guy at the next picnic pad needed to talk. Seriously, here I am doing tree pose and he poses another question. He seemed really lonely and was staying on his own pad, so I chatted.

I skipped fast food in the way home, but DH is still in the kitchen, fixing his breakfast at 11am. When he works too hard, he becomes an annoying roommate, rather than a partner. Can't even tell him park stories because he is on a meeting.

[dblaace]

I made it to yoga last nigh and didn't die so that's always a plus, and I guess I'm forgetting what day of the month it is now that I'm RE.

May the 4th be with you.

Read a daily inspiration
Practiced Meditation for 15 minutes
Walked 2 miles

I'm trying to get 10,000 steps a day, about 4 miles, currently 9300 for today.

[Sailor Sam]

Hard time tonight. Couldn’t sink into it.

[dblaace]

I got my steps in last night on the treadmill and walked 4 miles this morning.

Read and meditation done and yoga tonight. I hope.

I need to study parts Wherever you go there you are again.

[shureShote]

I've been committed to daily yoga and mediation since the beginning of the year, have stayed fairly consistent unless travel or visitors throw me off my schedule. I count any amount...can be 5 minutes, or 20 or 40.. (usually 5-10 for meditation in the mornings and 15-20 for yoga)

 I've only missed one day of yoga & meditation in May so I will join in this challenge. Will be travelling for the last 12 days of the month so it will be good accountability :)

This about deserves its own thread to discuss how different folks deal with this. I have found that it is during these disrupters that is becomes even more important to carve out time for these types of activities. It is so easy during a visit to just roll with whatever, but then after I normally feel another level worse for having missed whatever (for me it is running.)

[ixtap]

I've been committed to daily yoga and mediation since the beginning of the year, have stayed fairly consistent unless travel or visitors throw me off my schedule. I count any amount...can be 5 minutes, or 20 or 40.. (usually 5-10 for meditation in the mornings and 15-20 for yoga)

 I've only missed one day of yoga & meditation in May so I will join in this challenge. Will be travelling for the last 12 days of the month so it will be good accountability :)

This about deserves its own thread to discuss how different folks deal with this. I have found that it is during these disrupters that is becomes even more important to carve out time for these types of activities. It is so easy during a visit to just roll with whatever, but then after I normally feel another level worse for having missed whatever (for me it is running.)

Actually, if you look at the OP, that is kind of the point of this thread. We don't plan to be in the same place for a month straight from the end of June to the end of the year. I need these things to be so normal to me that I prioritize them even while traveling and visiting.

Today is a light day on the exercise, but I drew my iyengar restorative classes for yoga inspiration.

One of the workers in the neighborhood is blaring their music, that started up and a jet went over while I was meditating, but I stuck with it.

Fast food shouldn't be a problem, DH is planning to take the car to work in order to switch out monitors, so I won't be out running around. 5/30

[Serendip]

I've been committed to daily yoga and mediation since the beginning of the year, have stayed fairly consistent unless travel or visitors throw me off my schedule. I count any amount...can be 5 minutes, or 20 or 40.. (usually 5-10 for meditation in the mornings and 15-20 for yoga)

 I've only missed one day of yoga & meditation in May so I will join in this challenge. Will be travelling for the last 12 days of the month so it will be good accountability :)

This about deserves its own thread to discuss how different folks deal with this. I have found that it is during these disrupters that is becomes even more important to carve out time for these types of activities. It is so easy during a visit to just roll with whatever, but then after I normally feel another level worse for having missed whatever (for me it is running.)

Actually, if you look at the OP, that is kind of the point of this thread. We don't plan to be in the same place for a month straight from the end of June to the end of the year. I need these things to be so normal to me that I prioritize them even while traveling and visiting.

Definitely this is the goal.
I had a visitor for a few days (who is going through extreme personal turmoil and in a needy place)--I told them my morning schedule so that I wouldn't feel obligated to come out and host when I heard them stirring. That was hard for me and yet, effective.

Can't keep giving if we aren't taking care of ourselves.
They were welcome to make themselves at home but not to expect me to appear as soon as they woke up and it felt healthy to create that sense of space for myself, even while supporting him.

[dblaace]

Actually, if you look at the OP, that is kind of the point of this thread. We don't plan to be in the same place for a month straight from the end of June to the end of the year. I need these things to be so normal to me that I prioritize them even while traveling and visiting.

Today is a light day on the exercise, but I drew my iyengar restorative classes for yoga inspiration.

One of the workers in the neighborhood is blaring their music, that started up and a jet went over while I was meditating, but I stuck with it.

Fast food shouldn't be a problem, DH is planning to take the car to work in order to switch out monitors, so I won't be out running around. 5/30

That's what has helped me. A routine that becomes habit and as natural as brushing your teeth every morning. Sometimes they may need to be adjusted due to time constraints but still done.

I used to be a daily runner and it was just natural, I'd wake up get dressed and go run. Even when I was traveling I would do it either on a hotel treadmill or around the parking lot or area. I would even look at google maps before hand and scope out possible routes. :)

I hope to get back to it but for now it's wake up coffee, read, meditate, and move.

Repetition strengthens and confirms and habit becomes natural.

[ixtap]

That's what has helped me. A routine that becomes habit and as natural as brushing your teeth every morning. Sometimes they may need to be adjusted due to time constraints but still done.

I used to be a daily runner and it was just natural, I'd wake up get dressed and go run. Even when I was traveling I would do it either on a hotel treadmill or around the parking lot or area. I would even look at google maps before hand and scope out possible routes. :)

I hope to get back to it but for now it's wake up coffee, read, meditate, and move.

Repetition strengthens and confirms and habit becomes natural.

We hosted my eldest niece and nephew for ~6 weeks. Their grandparents kept asking if we weren't sick of them yet. But we just kind of all did our own thing or made specific plans. No expectations that anyone was entertaining anyone else, just sometimes hanging out together to play games or go sightseeing, sharing some meals, but not expecting it for every meal, etc.... In my mind, we were perfect hosts and they were perfect guests. Except they wanted Oreos and Pringles all the time and I am pretty sure I ate more of them then the two guests put together. We were all pretty active but, they were here to decompress and that meant regular conversations about generational trauma and I dealt with that with Oreos, instead of meditation...hence my current awareness of the need to really focus on habits between now and moving out of the condo next month.

[dblaace]

That's what has helped me. A routine that becomes habit and as natural as brushing your teeth every morning. Sometimes they may need to be adjusted due to time constraints but still done.

I used to be a daily runner and it was just natural, I'd wake up get dressed and go run. Even when I was traveling I would do it either on a hotel treadmill or around the parking lot or area. I would even look at google maps before hand and scope out possible routes. :)

I hope to get back to it but for now it's wake up coffee, read, meditate, and move.

Repetition strengthens and confirms and habit becomes natural.

We hosted my eldest niece and nephew for ~6 weeks. Their grandparents kept asking if we weren't sick of them yet. But we just kind of all did our own thing or made specific plans. No expectations that anyone was entertaining anyone else, just sometimes hanging out together to play games or go sightseeing, sharing some meals, but not expecting it for every meal, etc.... In my mind, we were perfect hosts and they were perfect guests. Except they wanted Oreos and Pringles all the time and I am pretty sure I ate more of them then the two guests put together. We were all pretty active but, they were here to decompress and that meant regular conversations about generational trauma and I dealt with that with Oreos, instead of meditation...hence my current awareness of the need to really focus on habits between now and moving out of the condo next month.

On the plus side, Oreos are vegan. :)

[ixtap]

On the plus side, Oreos are vegan. :)

it's all NaTurAl: so is arsenic!

It's vegan: so are Oreos! (And Pringles, probably)

But that is processed: so is yogurt!

That's not a real workout: Fuck you and your ableism.

[shureShote]

On the plus side, Oreos are vegan. :)

it's all NaTurAl: so is arsenic!

It's vegan: so are Oreos! (And Pringles, probably)

But that is processed: so is yogurt!

That's not a real workout: Fuck you and your ableism.

That’s not being very mindful… :-)

[ixtap]

Mindfulness went well this morning, I might even be ready to start setting a timer.

Yoga was...hmmm. I tried to tell myself that mindfully stretching after my walk was the same thing, but I wasn't fooled. I eventually got to it, albeit a bit shorter than usual.

Fast food is still off the menu. 6/30.

Think I am going to go Just Dance for awhile. I miss swing and blues dancing, but COVID is on an uptick locally, so I think I will put that off for a bit yet.

[ixtap]

I have no idea why the landscapers were out so early on a Saturday, but I had to put on my headphones with some relaxing music to shut out the chainsaw. I just couldn't do it on my own...

Yoga went quite well, although I am still prone and hands and knees. I must have really overdone things earlier in the week!

I considered fast food because I was frustrated this morning, but I took a few deep breaths and stayed home. Turns out I wasn't even hungry, just pissy. DH is at that point in his cycle where he would prefer I just provide food and clean underwear and otherwise not exist. He has literally walked into me because he is so out of it. And work isn't going to let up until May is over, then he will need to decompress, but we will be moving while he is trying to decompress, so yeah...maybe I should go meditate again ...

[Serendip]

so yeah...maybe I should go meditate again ...

Ha :) @ixtap --sounds like you started this challenge just at the right time?!

I worked a really big day today and was crampy in the 'ol uterus so I skipped yoga but did do some meditation. Will have another loooong workday tomorrow so I'll see how I feel either in the morning or evening about doing some breath-work or movement. Maybe a yin class to finish the day..as long as I don't eat too much after work b/c that messes it up, both my motivation and also how it feels to move if I've got food in me.

Feels like mindfulness/mediation is really starting to become a component in my day-to-day living, after i guess 3 years of practice. I catch myself lost in thought during the day and then try to bring presence back to whatever it is I am doing. My mental health feels better than it ever has (and I attribute a big part of that to this practice).  Less spiralling and rumination.

[ixtap]

Drive to a park to do healthy things, but it was colder than I thought this morning. So, I walked a loop, sat in the car to meditate, then walked a couple more loops. It was actually a decent place for it and I was surprised when my timer went off.

Waited on the yoga until I was back home and warmer.

Oh, and I took hemp heart porridge with raspberries in a thermos to do all that morning stuff, so fast food didn't even occur to me while out. 8/30

[ixtap]

The 15 minute meditation timer is about right for me, certainly not quite ready to bump it up to 20.

Yoga is still gentle, but after five days of this, my muscles are finally healing.

It is like fast food has ceased to exist. But I have been here before and tend to boomerang, so only time will tell. 9/30

[ixtap]

Meditation is starting to feel right. I think I will bump the timer up to 16 minutes tomorrow. I am also trying to make an untimed meditation the first thing I do when I wake up in the morning, still lying on bed. I was surprised to realize it hasn't even been two weeks, as I only started a day or two earlier than the month.

I had planned to yoga while DH went into the office, but he didn't stop working long enough to go across the street, so I made room amongst the decluttering piles in the living room. I have enough strength back to at least do prep for standing poses.

-fast food is going so well, it seems ridiculous to track it. Thursday will be a test, as I plan to run around allll day, but as long as I plan, it should be fine. 10/30

[ixtap]

I did bump meditation up by a minute. I think I am getting better at avoiding the rabbit holes, because it seemed like I caught myself wandering an extraordinary number of times for a 16 minute meditation.

I got to use the office for yoga, with mirrors and the most space. It is actually the master bedroom with a desk over in one corner. He does most of his physical therapy and all of his home yoga there. I need to learn to twist. Decades of learning to sit and stand without hurting my back have also been decades of minimal twisting. Sitting on the floor with one leg stretched out in front and reaching over to touch your toes feels like a twist to me. Last I checked, I cannot stand with my legs apart and touch one hand to the opposite toe.

/FF: 11/30

[Serendip]

Have still been keeping up with this challenge. Morning yoga feels best on days when I don't work or start later in the day, realized I don't really enjoy doing it before work if i start early, prefer to wait until after.

I've started listening to some of the talks that are on my meditation app...really like the ones by Joseph Goldstein. We are going on a trip in a week. I won't bring my computer but will have my phone so will try to keep up with yoga and meditation while on the road (as much as is reasonable)..plus, will listen to these teachings while I have hours in airports, etc.

Digging the routine.

[ixtap]

Good to see you keeping up, @Serendip !

I took the show on the road today. I took advantage of a bunch of errands to stop off at the zoo. But I got there early so that I could do my yoga and meditation under the fig tree. That was amazing!!

I was starving today, but managed to wait until the yacht club opened to have a sit down lunch after running a boat errand. Definitely not fast food. 12/30