Paddle Time
Grab some chocolate and your fave paddle, and let’s meet at the water.
Promise we’ll keep you in the loop!
5 "Zen on the Move" Meditation Practices to Mellow Active Minds and Restless Bodies
If the idea of sitting in easy pose with your eyes closed and hands resting gently on your knees makes you squirm, try one of these moving meditations to find your zen.
When sitting still feels like a chore, it often equates to an automatic “no” to mediation. It’s unfortunate that popularized mediation conjures up images of crossed legs, straight spines, and closed eyes. Honestly, it’s a little scary to think of sitting this way for five minutes, let alone an hour. Yet, mediation is a practice that can still restless minds and bodies — and you don’t have to sit still to reap the benefits. Here are five meditation practices for active minds and restless bodies.
Numerous studies have shown that mediation reduces stress and anxiety and promotes relaxation and focus. Kirtan Kriya, a type of meditation using sound and finger movements, has profound effects on mood, sleep, well-being, and cognition. Tai Chi is a meditative movement practice shown to improve self-awareness. It’s well-known that exercise boosts spirits. In a study using data collected from the Center for Disease Control, 1.2M survey responses were evaluated. Results showed that people who exercise experience 40% fewer poor mental health days. Poor mental health is described as stress, depression, and emotional concerns.
So, why not combine movement and meditation? Here are five moving meditations to mellow active minds and restless bodies:
1. Take a Tai Chi or Qigong class. These are Chinese practices of movement and mediation; however, their origin and purpose differ. Tai Chi has its roots in martial arts. Its movements are slow and graceful and incorporate deep breathing to promote physical and mental synergy. Qigong is about balancing life’s energy force or “qi.” Qigong includes movement, breathing, and meditation with a focus on spiritual and physical well-being.
2. Try forest bathing. Forest bathing was popularized in Japan and is known as shinrin-yoku, meaning to take in the forest atmosphere. The only requirement for this practice is to become fully immersed in the environment and soak in your surroundings. A recent study found that the location makes a difference. Walking in a forest lowered cardiovascular measures, such as heart rate and blood pressure. So, if you’re planning to give this a try, head to a forest over an urban park.
3. Dance. Ecstatic dance is self-expression through movement. Proponents believe it has a meditative quality by connecting movement to healing. Five participants of a qualitative study felt that ecstatic dance quiets internal dialogues. Another study evaluated the effects of a dancing mindfulness practice. The ten women participating shared improvements in emotional and spiritual well-being, acceptance, and positive beliefs of the self. Both of these studies had very small study populations. Nonetheless, dance is worth a shot for those with some wriggle in their bones.
4. Remove your shoes. Earthing or grounding is the practice of walking barefoot on the earth (not concrete, asphalt, or other synthetic or manufactured floor). According to the Earthing Institute, earthing is a way to connect to the healing energy of the earth to revitalize the body and kick stress to the curb. The body absorbs electricity from the earth’s electrically charged surface, which is believed to restore and support well-being.
5. Focus on your breath. Meditation and mindfulness practices center on the breath. Breathing is an autonomic body function, meaning we don’t think about it — it just happens. Intentional or focused breathing is when you actively participate in the in and out breaths and any pauses you take at the top or bottom of your breath. Yoga is a practice that focuses heavily on the breath. Breathing is also the beginning of many sitting meditations. But to focus on the breath doesn’t mean you have to sit still. Here’s a practice worth trying: While walking, focus on breathing in as you step forward with your right foot and exhaling as you step forward with your left.
The three-part breath is a great segue to sitting meditation. With your right hand on your belly and your left on your heart, focus on inhaling into the belly and drawing the breath up into the heart space. As you exhale, begin by emptying the breath from your heart space, rib cage, and finally, through your belly by drawing the belly button inward toward the spine.
Don’t strike meditation from your to-do list because you think you have to “find stillness.” Instead, try a moving mediation to reap the same benefits. Here’s the thing: once you develop a moving meditation practice, you will find that sitting meditation becomes much easier.
Curious about meditating but would prefer to give it a shot from the comfort of your living room? Sign up for a class offered by CNTRD Wellness. If you’re a veteran meditator and ready to dive head-first into meditation teacher training, enter TahoeFloatsMTT at checkout for $200 off CNTRD Wellness’s teacher training paths. The next cohort begins on September 15, 2024.
Jessica is a personal friend and *the best* meditation guide … she can even get me to sit still, and my nickname is Fidget! Full disclosure, Tahoe Floats makes a little spending money when you use this code.