I’ve mentioned that I’m trying to incorporate meditation into my life. It’s hard! Really hard… and some resources I’ve found lately have verified that I’m not just crazy bad at meditation. (Headspace talks about managing your expectations, Dan Harris’ book goes into the difficulties of starting.)

This was a badass endeavor. I resolved to do it every day. I started getting up a little early each morning and banging out ten minutes, sitting on the floor of our living room with my back up against the couch. When I was on the road, I meditated on the floor of hotel rooms. It didn’t get any easier. – Dan Harris

I need to find ways to alleviate the stress in my life though, it’s having a really negative impact on my health lately. I’ve let stress get the better of me before and the outcome was ending up in an eating disorder treatment program.

Running can be a great tool for your mental well-being, provided you use it the right way. See, when I first tried to run… I started and failed several times. Why? Because I was always trying to do it as something I thought I “should do” to be healthy and that it was “good exercise.” But it wasn’t until I tried doing it for reasons greater than just myself (charity fundraising) that it finally stuck. And once I got to that point, I could actually use it for myself in a way that was constructive. Lacing up the shoes and hitting the pavement was a tool to clear my brain and gather a new focus.

Yoga is that way for me. Yes, yoga is a fantastic way to be more flexible and fluid. It’s a great form of exercise as well. But for me, I never actually thought of yoga as working out, but more as something that helped put me in a good place. I guess that’s why I never have been tempted by the idea of doing Bikram yoga… that just sounds like it would be too draining. I want my yoga to leave me feeling settled and soothed. Which is why I need to make a push to incorporate it into my life more. It’s so important and I love the way I feel after a practice.

The thing that is the most important to remember is that whatever you’re doing for your physical well-being, doesn’t have to be bad for your mental state as well. If you hate going out for a run… then don’t be a runner! Find something else. If going for a swim fills you with dread, try something different! There’s a whole world of possibility out there! Find what works for your mind/body/soul!

This post is sponsored by Silk Soymilk. To learn more about Silk Soymilk, visit their Protein Power page or their Learn More page. Thanks, as always, for supporting my blog and reading sponsored content. My family appreciates it a lot.

This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.

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