Taking a Minute for Meditation

When the Body + Soul team and I discussed my whole-living makeover, the thought of starting meditation terrified me. How on earth would I find time to meditate? I'd been working 12-hour days since starting my job here; just maintaining my exercise routine has been a struggle. Believe it or not, they said, taking time to meditate can actually make you more efficient—not to mention mindful, centered, and less stressed.

To kick off my practice, I met with Tracy Gaudet, M.D., director of the Duke Center for Integrative Medicine in Durham, North Carolina. She was warm and encouraging and made me feel instantly comfortable. I left Duke with an arsenal of meditation CDs and breathing techniques to use as "minimeditations."

For the next two weeks, though, every time I sat down to meditate, I couldn't seem to clear my head of thoughts—the business calls I didn't get to, what I should cover on my next radio show, you name it. Within a few minutes I'd lose focus and give up.

The next week, however, I was stuck in a tortuously slow-moving line at the Los Angeles airport. I grew increasingly frustrated as my flight time neared but thought about the breathing techniques I'd learned at Duke. I closed my eyes, took several deep breaths, and when I opened them, the stress seemed to have evaporated. I was relaxed as I boarded the plane.

The following week I took a two-hour seminar with Sharon Salzberg, a renowned meditation teacher. No matter how long you've been practicing, she said, thoughts will come and go; you just need to accept them, let them go, and start over. This was a revelation for me. I'd been focusing on the goal of meditation—clearing the mind—not the process.

"I wish I could meditate lying down," I told Sharon during a one-on-one session a few days later. There are several ways to meditate, she said: sitting, standing, lying down, or even walking. This got us talking about my experience as a competitive swimmer. Every week, the coach would guide the team through a visualization exercise. After having us lie down on a towel, he would take us slowly through all our muscles, head to toe, and then have us see the upcoming race in our mind's eye.

"In a way," I told her, "we were doing a kind of meditation." She nodded and said we were doing a "body sweep"—a technique that makes you aware of the sensations your body is feeling during meditation.

That night I did a few minutes of meditation, focusing on my breath. Thoughts entered my mind, but I cleared my mind and started over. Then I did a body sweep, starting with my head and ending with my toes. I fell into one of the best night's sleep I'd had in months.

I'll certainly never be a meditation master, but I now realize that even a few minutes here and there can help me clear my head. When it feels like nothing is happening, I remind myself that at least I'm practicing mindfulness. Did that just come out of my mouth—"mindfulness"? I must be learning something.

Pilates: Perseverance Pays Off

For me, exercise has always been about intensity. I’ve thrived on pushing myself beyond what I thought was possible. I love the sweat, the elevated heart rate, and the feeling of accomplishment after a hard workout. So when the editors of Body+Soul suggested starting a “mindful fitness” routine, I was skeptical.

Despite being given several good reasons to try Pilates, my excitement dwindled minutes into my first session. The machines—the Reformer, the Cadillac, the Wunda Chair—looked a little like medieval torture devices. And I could not get the hang of exercises like the Stork, in which you stand on the Reformer, raise one foot off the ground, and bring your knee to your chest. Even with my trainer, Taylor Phillips, guiding me through each of the exercises, I felt uncoordinated.

Given the choice, my first class would have been my last. But I was warned that it would take several sessions before I would feel comfortable doing the exercises. Plus, I promised Howard Sichel, chiropractor and founder of New York City’s Power Pilates, that I would complete at least two months’ worth of classes, and I’m a woman of my word.

The next three or four sessions brought more of the same awkwardness. “This is my grandmother’s workout, not mine,” I thought. I began to dread going.

And then I went to session six. I can’t pinpoint exactly when or why, but something “clicked” in my body, and I started enjoying myself. I also started to use my core rather than the other stronger muscle groups—one of the fundamental principles of Pilates. And I noticed small changes in my body— more flexibility, more definition in my abdominals, better posture.

It wasn’t a fluke. By the seventh session, I felt fully present, and I thoroughly enjoyed the class. I now look forward to going and feel rejuvenated and more centered when I leave. I notice that I sit straighter and stand taller. And I focus more on being present in the moment—something that only Pilates has been able to teach me.

If you want to learn more about Pilates, here are some links:
Pilates with Christina Gallo [marthastewart.com]
The History of Pilates [pilates.com]
Find a Pilates instructor [pilatesmethodalliance.org]

On The Go!

This past weekend I was a guest speaker at the Snowmass Wellness Expo.  Although it was a great event (one that everyone should go to next year), I’m starting to feel like I live on a plane more than I live in New York or Florida. In the past 6 months, I’ve been on nearly 60 flights. Yes, I counted!  Granted, I’m counting a one-way trip as one flight, but it’s still more than I’m used to. I notice that when I fly a great deal, I never feel 100 percent healthy. I’m not sure if it’s the constant change in time zones, dehydration, sitting still or simply the magnitude of germs that I’m coming in contact with.  For those of you who are flying as much as I am (hopefully less), here are a couple great articles that you should read: Flying: Bad Air Up There? by Dr. Andrew Weil, and Keeping Healthy While Flying, from WebMD. Traveling or not, if you're feeling low on energy, check out 20 Ways to Revitalize Your Life, from Body + Soul magazine.

Are You Happy?

Last week on my radio show, Health and Fitness Talk, I discussed finding happiness.  Sometimes I think we’re all so busy that we forget to slow down and ask ourselves if we are truly happy.  During my research for the show I found a really great on-line happiness test and thought I’d share it.  Find out how happy you are by going to: Happiness Test

Let me know if the results are surprising or if they’re what you expected.

Small Changes Make a Difference

Getting in shape this summer doesn’t have to mean endless hours on the treadmill.  Simply making some small changes in your daily routine can make a huge difference.  Add 5-10 minutes to your current exercise routine, go for an evening walk, park the car at the end of the lot or take the stairs instead of the elevator.  If you really want to get into bikini shape, try doing some sit-ups before bed – 3 sets of 10-15 sit-ups is all it takes to start seeing results!  To find out how to sit less and move more go to: body + soul - Stop Sitting

Summer!

Are you trying to shape up for the summer swimsuit season?  Remember it’s not just about exercise.  You need to focus on consuming a healthy diet and not taking in more calories than you burn.  Summer is the perfect time to add berries to your diet.  Raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and blackberries can be found in abundance this time of year.  In addition to being low in calories berries are high in antioxidants.  Try adding them to salads or to your morning smoothie.  For more information on the benefits of berries and some great berry recipes go to: body + soul - Berry Treat

If you want more health and fitness tips listen to my radio show, Health and Fitness Talk, every Monday at noon Eastern on Sirius 112.

Column Research

I’m spending a couple days at Miraval Resort and Spa in Arizona to do research for a future column in body + soul magazine.  I have to say this is one of the best perks I’ve ever received!  Yesterday I did something called the Equine Experience.  By working with horses you get insight into your personal and professional relationships.  It was an amazing experience.  One thing that stood out for me is that I always want to help out those who are struggling but sometime what I need to do is let people figure it out on their own.  I always feel like it’s my responsibility to take care of and save those around me.  I know it sounds a little deep but it made perfect sense.   Tomorrow I’ll be trying some new activities like Aqua Zen, Thai massage and Holographic Memory Resolution.  Has anyone ever done a Thai massage?  I’m not sure what to expect. 

Dawna

Reunion Update

As I mentioned, I had my 20-year high school reunion last weekend. I had no idea what to expect. I ended up having a great time. I spent most of the night with one of my best best friends from high school and her husband. It was so strange seeing everyone. I have to say, the women looked much better than the men. I wonder if we just tend to take better care of ourselves? I've attached a photo from the reunion dinner. From left:  Chris, Michelle, me, Matt.

If you have a reunion coming up, I would highly recommend going!

High School Reunion

This weekend I'm attending my 20-year high school reunion. Boy does that make me feel old! I missed my ten-year, and I'm not sure how I feel about going to this one. I haven't kept in touch with many of my high school friends. I recently went to my 15-year college reunion, and, last year, I went to my ten-year graduate school reunion, and I had a blast at both. I keep in touch with all my college friends, and seeing everyone together was incredible. 

High school is different for me. I spent most of my time swimming. I swam 5 to 8 hours a day and didn't do much of anything else. I missed most of the late-night parties since I had to get up so early (3:45 a.m.) for morning practice. Don't get me wrong, I had some great friends, but instead of being voted most popular or best dressed, I was voted most athletic.

Have you gone to your high school reunion? Were you glad you went? Was it worth going?

It's My Birthday!

Today's my birthday. I can't believe how fast the year has gone by. Last year on this day I was once again away from home -- filming "The Apprentice." I remember being so worried that I might lose the episode's task on my birthday and get fired. Luckily, I won the task as project manager, and the team was rewarded with a dinner at the Four Seasons with Susan Lyne (MSO CEO) and Charles Koppelman (MSO chairman) -- not a bad birthday! 

Everyone keeps asking me what I have planned for tonight, and honestly, I don't have any plans. I just got back from a wonderful vacation, so I can't complain. I don't really know many people in New York City, and I tend to be on the shy side when I meet new people. Don't get me wrong, I'm really outgoing, and most of my good friends now laugh about how quiet and shy I was when we first met. I just may have to stop at Crumbs cupcake shop and get myself a huge vanilla cupcake with buttercream icing and sprinkles!

Everyone at MSO has been really great today. When I came into my office this morning, my next-door (office) neighbor, Jill, had flowers, a chocolate croissant and a big bag of Godiva chocolates waiting for me. It was so sweet! Thanks, Jill!

What's the best birthday you've ever had?