Alexa Z Meditates - Your Life, But Better

In today’s episode, we are going to shift from listening to motivation for meditation to actually meditating, with a Loving-kindness meditation.  You may listen to this episode while driving, but you will likely want to sit down, close your eyes and give yourself the best gift of this holiday season, the gift to sit still for about 15-20 minutes.  When you try to find goodness in other people, you naturally want to understand them and feel how they feel.  If you want to know more about Loving, Kindness, and Compassion meditation, go back to and listen to episode 10. 

Jinpa, who is the translator for the Dalai Lama, has an excellent definition of compassion.  It is defined as a mental state endowed with a sense of concern for the suffering of others and the aspiration to see that suffering is relieved. 

There are three parts to it:

• cognitive component - being I understand you
• affective component - meaning I feel you
• motivational component - meaning I want to help you

It’s the holidays, wherever you are in life, up, down, running in circles.  Compassion meditation is just a great thing to do.  It makes me so incredibly happy to do this with all of you.  Think of love as not only a feeling but as an ability.  This meditation strengthens your ability to love.  Sit back and enjoy it! If you are listening to it while you are driving, just listen and smile, maybe it will give you enough motivation to get to your destination and close your eyes and follow along.  Get ready. I’ll be back with you in a moment.

In today's episode, we will discuss one of the top questions I receive, "Can Meditation and Mindfulness make me more productive and efficient?" The answer is yes, but don't get mad when you discover that the root cause of your distractions may be your fault. But no worries, you can help your brain and your productivity. We will start by looking at your wandering mind and multi-tasking agenda. I am not even going to comment (yet) on the fact that you are probably doing five things at the same time right now. Do three more during my jingle, then let's figure out how to crush your to-do list.

Hey there! Alexa Z here! In under 10 minutes, we will try to figure out how we can be more productive and more efficient by calming our wandering mind. Why am I doing this in under 10 minutes? We all have a lot to do, and studies have shown that our minds are wandering 47% of the time. So, let's round up to 50%, which means I have your attention for about half of this show. Hopefully, you will be able to learn a few tips to slow yourself down, quiet the wandering mind, and get more accomplished this holiday season.  BONUS: your sleep will improve and your immune system, plus you will slow the holidays down so you can enjoy them more. The more your mind wanders, the more you miss critical information, which results in more errors and productivity goes down.

Wondering vs. Wandering

Wondering mind- thinking = questioning mind

Wandering mind = drifts, travels, moves in a direction away from what you want to focus on.

There are many reasons why the mind wanders:

• Boredom
• Stress (not always negative)
• Holidays
• Family/work balance

When you are stressed, and your mind is full, you are probably going to wander in two different directions:

Wander to the future

o   To-do list

o   Worrying/catastrophizing

Wander to the past

o   Reliving

o   Regretting

o   Over analyzing

We are training ourselves to be in the present moment and be fully aware. That means without being muddled up with reactions, as we discussed in the last episode – Emotional Overload.

Wherever we place our attention, our brain will follow. We have to un-hijack our mind and stop it from wondering.

Suggestions:

Meditation trains our brain

• Calms our nervous system
• Handle stress better

Mindfulness

• Buy ourselves an extra second to identify that we are overwhelmed/all over the place

Take a look at what your daily life consists of:  grocery shopping, house cleaning, gift buying, work, email, children, driving around. It can be so overwhelming, you might often think, you should go faster to get everything done and complete that to-do list.  Ask a busy person if you want to get something done.  I recommend asking a busy person who appears to move slowly through their tasks.  We are not built to multi-task. We can multi-task, such as fold the laundry and have a discussion with your spouse, wash dishes, and think about a project, thinking while doing something very rote. If you are sitting down to get something done, you need to use all of your brain. That is why we try to make a unity of our mind through meditation.

You must make sure that you are being mindful that you are not going down that path where you are all over the place. In your conscious and subconscious mind, there are only so many things that can be appropriately handled, and everything is coming at you so fast. You need to slow it down by first being aware that it is coming at you fast and then bringing your attention back to what you want to focus on. In meditation, we talk about the monkey mind, where the mind is pinging all over the place like a monkey swing from branch to branch. Slowing down is going to increase your productivity and efficiency, and help you de-stress. First, I want you to identify that you are going too fast. Then honestly, try to do one single task. Sometimes it can be helpful to use a timer. When you set a time to do one job, you are permitting yourself to concentrate on that one task. Once the timer is done you can take a few minutes to let your mind wander.

Tips to slow down:

• While walking, say to yourself "when I walk, I walk".
• When you are listening to someone, say to yourself silently, "when I listen, I listen."

Try these tips a few times a day. Take a little brain break, 45 seconds; breath in and out three times, relax your shoulders, relax your face, one more breath.

Stop technique:

• Stop
• Take a breath
• Observe what is going on
• Proceed slowly

We will continue to string all these topics together.  If you have listened to a couple of episodes, we always come back to the same thing; we want to take our practice and use it and have a peaceful life. I want you to have peaceful, happy, awesome, filled with love for the holidays.  Go forth, into your busy holiday season but do it slowly.  Don’t fear that you are missing out on everything.  Feel free to say no once in a while. Lots of self-care, more mono-tasking, and I hope you remember every single moment of the holidays.  The upcoming podcast before the year ends, we’ll talk about some goal setting, and I will also do a compassion meditation.  Thanks for joining me, have a wonderful day, have a wonderful week.  Peace out! Later tators!

Quote:

“Did you lose a loved one and miss them terribly this holiday? You are in the company of many others, but it still feels like it is a heavy burden that only you must carry.”

“Maybe you are on social media and you see how incredibly joyous and perfect everyone’s holidays are; we know it’s not reality, but it can make things more stressful.”

“JOMO, the joy of missing out”

“We want to take a step back and use some self-care so that when we hit the emotional rollercoaster of the holidays, we can allow our rational mind to catch up to our emotional mind.”

In this episode, Alexa discusses how meditation and mindfulness can help you navigate the stress of the holidays. We all want to have a perfect holiday season, which can cause a lot of stress and frustration. Alexa talks about how to train your brain so that you can be present and create wonderful memories with your family and also take care of yourself.  

In this episode, Alexa has a fun and entertaining conversation with Rick Ledgett, the former Deputy Director of the National Security Agency, Army Veteran, beagle lover, and meditator.  Learn some fun facts about Rick and his journey in learning how to meditate.  With all his world travels, he describes how he uses Yoga Nidra to overcome jet lag.  Rick also talks about military and meditation and the benefits it has on those who suffer from PTSD.  If Rick can meditate, so can you!

Quotes From Mr. Legett

“Let me just say, it (Yoga Nidra) works great!.... One way is that sometimes I wake up at 2:00 am in the morning and I will do Yoga Nidra for 20 minutes and I am back to sleep, with no issues and not needing to take any drugs.”

“… focused on the science behind meditation or more accurately, the science that is being discovered because of meditation.  It was fascinating and it gave me, someone who is concrete and analytical, something that I could really relate to.”

“I think it’s great for PTSD.  Back in World War I, they called it Shell Shock and thought it was a physical thing and didn’t realize it was a mental thing.”

In this episode, Alexa discusses Compassion Meditation also known as Loving-Kindness She discusses the benefits of that can be felt within one’s self and those you interact with.

Highlights:

01:50 Dali Lama quotes

03:37 Sympathy, Empathy, and Compassion

05:55 Four Virtues and Meditation Practices

07:55 How to start your Loving-Kindness Meditation

08:25 Three of Alexa’s go-to phrases for Loving-Kindness Meditation

10:38 Guide to creating your own Loving-Kindness Meditation

SUMMARY 

In this episode, Alexa talks about silent retreats and the importance of having quiet time alone. She explains what it means to go through a noble silent retreat.

Alexa tackles some common misconceptions about retreats. She shares some wisdom from swamis, stoics and intellectuals that justify the normality and need for finding silence and stillness in one’s life. She talks about her recent experience going on retreat at Bon Secours and shares what she got out of it. Alexa also provides some tips on how to put together a silent retreat.

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HIGHLIGHTS

3:58 Bon Secours

8:14 Why go into retreat? 

11:24 Alexa’s retreat experience 

18:04 Scheduling retreats 

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RESOURCES

Free checklist to create your own retreat

www.alexazmeditates.com/retreat

Information on Bon Secours

rccbonsecours.com

SUMMARY

In this episode, Alexa talks about Yoga Nidra, a yogic practice that some call the sleep meditation or “the art of doing nothing.” It is an ancient technique that helps relieve stress and improve sleep.

 Alexa explains what to expect in a Yoga Nidra class. She explains how people benefit from this practice and how it is different from a seated meditation. She explains what Sankalpa is and talks about the importance of having intention.

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HIGHLIGHTS

2:16 A little history of Yoga Nidra

4:50 What to expect in a Yoga Nidra class

9:10 Who can benefit?

13:28 Yoga Nidra and hypnosis

15:54 What is Sankalpa?

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RESOURCES

Full Blog 

https://alexazmeditates.com/podcast Learn to Meditate Try Day One FREE www.alexazmeditates.com/free

Joan Cappiello Livingston (A teacher and a friend - we teach the same Amrit Integrated Method) Her Youtube Station

Free Yoga Nidra Download  (scroll to middle of the site) https://www.alexazmeditates.com

More Info on Kamini Desai and Richard Miller

www.kaminidesai.com

https://www.irest.org

SUMMARY

In this episode, Alexa talks about Yoga Nidra, a yogic practice that some call the sleep meditation or “the art of doing nothing.” It is an ancient technique that helps relieve stress and improve sleep.

 Alexa explains what to expect in a Yoga Nidra class. She explains how people benefit from this practice and how it is different from a seated meditation. She explains what Sankalpa is and talks about the importance of having intention.

---------------

HIGHLIGHTS

2:16 A little history of Yoga Nidra

4:50 What to expect in a Yoga Nidra class

9:10 Who can benefit?

13:28 Yoga Nidra and hypnosis

15:54 What is Sankalpa?

 ---------------

RESOURCES

Full Blog 

https://alexazmeditates.com/podcast Learn to Meditate Try Day One FREE www.alexazmeditates.com/free

Joan Cappiello Livingston (A teacher and a friend - we teach the same Amrit Integrated Method) Her Youtube Station

Free Yoga Nidra Download  (scroll to middle of the site) https://www.alexazmeditates.com

More Info on Kamini Desai and Richard Miller

www.kaminidesai.com

https://www.irest.org

In this episode of the Alexa Z Show, speaks with Indira Sharma. Indira is a practicing lawyer and is a partner at the law firm Saul Ewing Arnstein and Lehr. She practices meditation along with her husband. She’s a mother of three kids and is based in Baltimore, Maryland.

Indira talks about her journey going into meditation and how she incorporated the practice in her daily life. She shares the struggles of being an attorney and raising the family and how meditation has helped in these aspects of her life. Alexa and Indira go in-depth into the physiological and mental benefits of meditation. Indira also talks about the Mindfulness In Law Society. 

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HIGHLIGHTS

2:45 What got Indira to learn meditation and her daily practice

6:30 Exercise and getting rid of stress

8:34 Benefits of meditation for Indira

10:36 Falling off the path

11:45 Mindfulness In Law Society

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RESOURCES

mindfulnessinlawsociety.com

warriorone.com

alexazmeditates.com/free

In this episode of Alexa Z Show, Alexa speaks about the importance of getting a quality night’s sleep.  Many of her listeners express needing more sleep, unable to fall asleep, can’t stop thinking, etc.  She highlights the effect of stress and of other external factors on your brainwaves and the overall quality of your sleep.  You will also gain some tips and tricks to apply to your sleep routine, to train your brain to learn the Beta, Alpha, Theta, Delta dance. Alexa also throws in a bonus treat for all listeners! 

https://alexazmeditates.com/sleep