A Fun New Way to Meditate

When was the last time you colored a picture?  I don't mean coloring for a minute with your child.  But when was the last time you colored for yourself??  Elementary school?   Do you even own a set of crayons, color pencils, or markers??  Coloring strengthens creativity, brings out your inner child, and is fun!!  But, what if I told you that coloring was an excellent way to meditate.....

 

Meditation is a way to calm and relax your brain and body.  It improves mental function, improves health, and creates a positive outlook.  There are several types of meditation (mindfulness, guided, transcendental, walking), but they can be a bit tricky for beginners.  If you are like me, your brain runs 1000 miles per minute.  And the more you try to quiet your mind, the louder it gets. So.....what do you do??


COLOR!!!  But don't just color any old picture.  Sure, coloring Barbie or cute puppies and kitties can be fun, but it doesn't quite have the same effect.  Try coloring an adult coloring page (and no I don't mean adult! We are talking strictly G-rated here!), a mandala, or a zentangle.  You can find tons for free online or purchase one.  I found a few in the Barnes & Noble bargain section and on Amazon. 


While it doesn't seem like meditation, it is just that.  You start focusing on staying in the lines.  Your mind begins to clear.  Your stress reduces, your blood pressure drops, anxiety lessens.  Before you know it, your page is finished and you've been meditating for an hour.  You are relaxed and ready to face your day (or ready to get a good nights sleep if you color in the evening!).  So here are two pages to get your coloring started.  When you finish, post your masterpiece in the comments.  Happy coloring!!!

website

website

Freed{om}

Man, this has been an amazing week! I have been focusing on releasement.  Releasing of anger, negativity, bad energy, and weight!  I feel like a different, lighter person already.  Here's what I did...

I started meditating.  No, this is not hippie granola stuff.  It is the art of reflecting, contemplating, relaxing, balancing and manifesting your desires.  Meditation simultaneously focuses, brings peace and energizes.  It opens up the mind and soul for the answers you are looking for, even some you didn't know you were looking for.  And something we all need....stress reduction!  Listening to mediations at work, keeps me from freaking the heck out.

I actually combined meditation with chakra healing and balancing.  Each of the 7 chakras are a point of energy that represents different characteristics, senses, and parts of the bodies.  Through research and reading, I've learned which chakras are deficient (blocked or unbalanced) in myself.  For those curious, I am unbalanced in my root, solar plexus, and crown. Basically, I feel like I lack security, confidence, and stability.  I have a slow metabolism and anxiety.  Hmmmm.... So, my meditations have been focusing on these chakras.  I am in love with Ascension Boot Camp's root chakra meditation, and anything by Deepak Chopra.

I have also been using mantras throughout my day.  I go on a "Soul Stroll" by Erin Stutland (see previous posts) every other day, as well as use the "I am Enough" Meditation from the same program.  They both have some really amazing, powerful, uplifting mantras.  If you are interested, you can sign up for a free "Soul Stroll" mini track here.  I read the mantras daily, pick out one or two that resonate with me for the day, and manifest greatness.  Powerful stuff!!

I also went to yoga this week...first time in a few weeks.  I've been so focused on the walking and strength training, I put aside my yoga.  BIG MISTAKE!  I not only feel it in my flexibility, but in my mind as well.  It alleviates stress, focuses the mind, makes worries seem less important, opens you up for the greatness the universe offers, and provides an overall sense of well being and security.  I love yoga because it forces me to relax and really take care of myself, and just me, even if it's just for an hour.  Breathe in positive energy, breathe out the negative.

Monday began the orientation of the new amazing program I'm a part of....Wildly Alive Weight Loss by Nichole Kellerman Wurth (also see previous posts).  Guys, this is not just your average weight loss, exercise, diet plan.  Nichole makes you dig deep into the whys and hows of how you got to where you are now (unhealthy and unhappy).  She helps you break those patterns of holding onto negativity and covering emotions with food.  This week has included a lot of forgiveness work (myself and others) and letting go of negative emotions.  I've cried, started to get angry, but more importantly, I started to feel free.  I've just started the program and already my heart feels lighter.  Incredibly wonderful!!

All of these things on their own are AMAZING, but I wanted to kick it up a notch.  Every time I did one of these activities or assignments, I used Young Living's Release and Humility essential oils.  Release does exactly what it says....helped me  release anger and negative emotions.  Humility opened me up to forgiveness.  These oils are their own are incredibly powerful, but combined with tough emotion and mental work...WOW.  I honestly don't believe I could have gotten as far in this process or had it work so deeply, so quickly without these oils.  Want to know more about these amazing oils....send me a message, we can chat.

With the release of so many negative emotions, thoughts, and actions, guess what else other negativity was released......my weight!!!  The pounds have just been melting off of me.  Don't get me wrong, I'm working my tail off (literally).  I'm walking, watching what I eat, eating more fruits and veggies than I ever imagined, and drinking so much water I feel like I may drown.  But, I've been doing that for awhile.  I owe it all to release.  I have freed my mind and the result was a freed waist line. Now if you'll excuse me, I have more meditating to do.....OOOOOOMMMMMMM!

Namaste!