Excerpted from MEDITATE YOUR WEIGHT: A 21-DAY RETREAT TO OPTIMIZE YOUR METABOLISM AND FEEL GREAT, Copyright © 2016 by Tiffany Cruikshank. Published by Harmony Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC
Today, for the first minute or two, settle into your breathing and your observer stance. Notice your energy level today and how it affects your posture and your mood.
Then, as you’re noticing the breath, I want you to visualize taking in energy. Visualize your breath as pure energy coming into the cells, oxygenating the cells; see it as the fuel that drives the cellular process that creates energy in our bodies. Then, on each exhale, visualize letting go of fatigue, dullness, or anything that weighs you down mentally or physically.
Remember: Rather than trying to actually deepen or control the breath, you’re just watching the natural pace of the breath; this isn’t a breathing exercise. As you inhale each time, you’re visualizing energy coming in naturally and just acknowledging that energy comes in through the breath into your body to invigorate you. And then, as you exhale, you’re letting go of anything that weighs you down.
Do this for a few minutes, then drop back to just no-ticing and observing the experience of your breath in your body. If you enjoy this and lose track of time, don’t worry, you can do it for the entire 5 minutes if you like whatever feels comfortable to you. When you reach the end of the meditation, once your timer goes off, take a moment with your eyes still closed, just to notice the change in your energy level and how your body feels.
Mind Makeover
Today you’ll journal about your energy and vitality.
1. Write down what you ate yesterday, and note any dips in your energy during the day.
2. Based on the past few days’ experience, what have you learned about your habits, and how can they inform today’s eating? Write down a general meal plan for the day.
3. Decide on a few specific moments today when you will check in with your energy, and write them down.
Today’s mantra: I am energized
Building Awareness
As you go through your day, recall your mantra, noticing any changes in energy as an extension of what and how you eat, so you can start to construct your own food map. Study yourself as if in an experiment. How do you feel when you eat certain foods? Does your fatigue limit you? Remember that sometimes cravings are our bodies telling us they need something nutritionally different. Also recall that by doing simple things, such as chewing better and slowing down during meals, we can increase absorption of nutrients, indirectly increase energy and decrease cravings.
Excerpted from MEDITATE YOUR WEIGHT: A 21-Day Retreat To Optimize Your Metabolism And Feel Great, Copyright © 2016 by Tiffany Cruikshank. Published by Harmony Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
Tiffany Cruikshank is the founder & visionary behind Yoga Medicine, a community of expert yoga teachers focused on fusing the best of anatomy & western medicine with the traditional practice of yoga. Tiffany’s classes have evolved over the past 20 years of teaching yoga to reflect her creativity and passion for using yoga as a form of medicine for the mind, body & spirit. With her medical background in Acupuncture & Sports Medicine, her classes are guided by a strong anatomic focus and her ability to teach a deeper understanding of complex subjects. Recognized more broadly as a health & wellness expert, Tiffany has worked with professional athletes and celebrities from around the world. She has run her own clinics and was the Acupuncturist & Yoga Teacher at the Nike World Headquarters. She has been featured as an expert in numerous publications, including Yoga Journal, Prevention , Self, Marie Claire, Fitness Magazine, Good Housekeeping, Fox News, Cosmopolitan, Redbook, Mantra, Thrive, More Magazine, OM Yoga, YogaLife and many others. Visit Tiffany’s Website
Photo credit: Jenny Jimenez