Any sports psychologist will tell you that performance is 90% mental.
And yet, reconciling mindfulness with the labored physicality of our workouts can seem like an oxymoron, as sensible as the Little Giants peacefully going to war with their faraway neighbors.
Those who take advantage of the greatest of performance enhancers (the brain), make time for meditative practices surrounding their physical activities. Because being aware of what’s going on within and around ourselves is more powerful than we may realize.
Dr. Steven Selchen, director of mindfulness-based therapies at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center says:
“I often talk about mindfulness as training the mind the way physical exercise is training the body… Mindfulness is more about tuning into our experience so we can handle it better.”
For gym time, the mental state you create for yourself directly affects both your results and the amount of satisfaction you receive.
Let’s take a look at how to increase your mind-body connection with meditative practices and take your workouts to whole new level.
WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
Mindfulness is the quality or state of being aware. It is achieved by staying focused upon the present and one’s thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations within this space.
What can this do for you?
“Mindfulness helps train the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that creates a calm and alert state of mind, which helps us stay focused, avoid distraction and perform at our best,” say Dr. Kirstin Race, Ph.D. and founder of Mindful Life and author of Mindful Parenting.
According to Dr. Race, bringing the attention inward activates the insular cortex as well, resulting in an experience of heightened sensory awareness and improved communication between mind and body. This state of awareness helps us perceive physiological changes in the body and make rapid-fire adjustments based upon what we perceive both inside ourselves and from the outside world.
The best part is? You can increase this perceptive and adaptive capability.
“It’s like strengthening a muscle… The more we practice, the stronger we become.”
So you be more focused, better at avoiding distractions and perform at your best – always.
Meditation is the physical practice of becoming mindful and realizing the benefits of a more conscious, tuned-in existence. Meditation keeps the monkey mind stay centered, helping us remain calm and rested yet mentally alert.
The benefits can be accomplished while seated quietly on a cushion or while running full sprint. Here’s some techniques for a more mindful and physically rewarding exercise program.
https://blog.fitplanapp.com/mindful-fitness/
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