Meditation. Let’s file that under Strength training.

Meditation is exercise for the mind.

Well, that’s what they say anyway, I’m just getting started.

I use (and love) the MyFitnessPal app. Put in what you eat, how much you exercise, etc., has loads of charts, graphs, and stats. It’s a list-keeper’s dream app. But I’ve been wanting to have something of a time tracker app recently too: what DO I do all day? But in a graph or table or pie chart. There are two categories for exercise (maybe if I knew how, I could make more), but I didn’t know where to put meditation. There’s cardio and there’s strength. I suppose it could be cardio for the brain … but it’s really about slowing down and not going so fast, not getting your heart rate up but getting it down. So what’s left? Strength training. Later I thought, it actually fits just right.

It takes practice and patience, but you’ll get better at it. You’ll get better at most anything with practice and patience, right? Well, you’d hope so. I don’t really know much about meditation so I think I’m pretty good at it so far. But it’s hard. It’s hard to be in the moment and block out anything else and focus on your breath. Actually, focusing on your breath is the easy part, then there’s something to be doing. Maybe that’s why they suggest you focus on your breath because while you’re doing that, you’re, by definition, not focusing on other things.

It’s amazing how much the mind wanders. It’s a kid in the candy store. Just let it go and it runs around the shop with no care about what it might break or bounce into. Sheesh, who knew.

I can work with weights and do the stairs and keep at the cardio, but building muscle in the mind? This is going to be fun.

Meditation is Brain Exercise