How Do I Start a Meditation Practice?

Oftentimes we are encouraged to utilize a meditation practice as a way to de-stress. Meditation is a great tool to both calm the mind and body, but to cultivate focus. Meditation can also be challenging and for some, very frustrating. Newcomers may have a difficult time sitting still for any length of time and trying not to let the day’s tasks and events encroach on the experience. Frustration is certainly not very helpful in terms of creating a calm sense of being. 

“Equal part breathing (or as those familiar with yoga may know it as, sama vritti breathing)” is a great gateway to a meditation practice and can also help to calm the body and mind during instances that tend to trigger a stressful reaction. Equal part breath is really just a fancy way of saying that the length of your inhale matches the length of your exhale. The best part about this technique is its convenience. It can be practiced anywhere (for example: sitting in traffic or in your office/cubicle) and can be adjusted to your capability. If you’re new to this technique, start with a 3-5 breath count (inhale for 3-5, exhale down to 1). If you feel very comfortable with it, see if you can take it all the way up to 10. Neither option is wrong. It’s simply about what best suits you and your body at the time. Try to notice the subtle differences in your body when you inhale versus when you exhale. 

If you’re using this technique as a gateway to a more traditional meditation practice, choose a quiet space to practice. You’ll hear a lot of yoga teachers tell you to find a comfortable seat with good posture when meditating, but guess what? That is sometimes easier said than done. For one, many of us spend a lot of time in rush hour traffic and sitting at a desk in front of a computer. “Good posture” may have flown the coop and unfortunately, having proper postural alignment is key to breathing and in the yogic sense, pranayama (control of vital energy in the body). Furthermore, sitting on the floor in a traditional meditative seat for any amount of time may be extremely uncomfortable. Truthfully, sitting period for any amount of time may be extremely uncomfortable for any number of reasons. The fact remains is that if you’re physically uncomfortable or in pain while trying to meditate, you’re already setting yourself up for difficulty, especially if a meditation practice is new to you. Set yourself up for success. Why place unnecessary roadblocks in your way?

I use a meditation cushion seat. Literally. That’s what it’s called. As you can see in the photo, Isolde loves it when the meditation cushion seat comes out. The large, thin cushion at the bottom is firm and supportive, but soft enough so that my ankle bones do not feel pain from pressing against the hard floor. The round cushion that I sit on is also firm and supportive, but just high enough to tilt my pelvis into its natural base angle, eliminating pressure from my lower back. The meditation cushion seat works for me. It may not for you. You may need a straight, hard-backed chair to keep you in posture or maybe sitting is just not for you. And that’s totally okay. Yoga is for every single body on the planet and not every single body is the same. We are all unique. You just need to make yoga work for you and your body.

There are some traditionalists will tell you that you can’t lie down and meditate, but I think that’s bs. If you cannot sit in a single position with good posture or without discomfort or pain distracting you from the whole purpose of meditating, then it’s not worth it. I can’t stress this enough – set yourself up for success. Go ahead and lie on your back. It’s okay. Experiment with leg position to see what feels best for you – legs straight or knees bent with your feet on the floor. Experiment with your hands/arms placement – arms alongside you, hands on your belly or chest, or one hand on your belly and one hand on your chest. All of these options are fine as long as they don’t provide a distraction.

Once you’ve assumed your position, set a timer for 3-5 minutes. Don’t worry about the number of rounds of breathing you accomplish in that time frame. It’s not a contest. Just focus on the breath. As you become more practiced, you’ll find that you can surpass the 5 minute mark. You might find that you no longer even need to set the timer. Eventually, you’ll come to notice that you don’t need a specific breathing technique to get you into the mindset to meditate. You’ll just get there on your own. It’ll become more natural.

Don’t become too attached to the outcome or a specific goal. Unlike weight lifting or running, there’s no physical goal that comes with a meditation practice. There’s no, “I want to be able to deadlift this weight by this date” or “I want to be able to run a marathon in this time limit.” It’s not like that. Meditation practices are different for everyone. What works for one person may not work for another. Everyone has different experiences. It’s important that you allow the practice to be what it is for you and no one else.

Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups of organic pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1 cup almond flour (alternative option: 1/2 cup almond flour + 1/8 cup teff flour)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp natural raw honey
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp flaxseed
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp pumpkin spice

OPTIONAL: dark chocolate chips

What is teff flour?

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven 400 degrees
2. Pour pumpkin puree into a bowl
3. Mix all ingredients
4. Divide into 12 muffin tins
5. Bake for 15-17 minutes

The Trick is to Keep Breathing

Labor Day is often considered the unofficial start of fall even though the Autumnal Equinox does not occur until September 22. In many parts of the country, the school year begins right after Labor Day as well. For those of us with children (or those of us in school ourselves), this comes as a huge change to the daily routine we may have developed during the summer. While change can be beneficial, it can also be stressful and nervewracking. Your breath literally can either contribute to anxiety or help manage it. When you "overbreathe" or hyperventilate, the heart rate elevates and the muscles tense. You may even experience dizziness or feel lightheaded. On the other hand, long exhalations or slow breathing can shift the nervous system towards a more restful state, resulting in positive changes like a lower heart rate and lower blood pressure.

Every system in the body relies on oxygen. From cognition to digestion, effective breathing can not only provide you with a greater sense of mental clarity, it can also help you sleep better, digest food more efficiently, improve your body’s immune response, and reduce stress levels. When you inhale, the muscle on the bottom of your ribcage, called your diaphragm, contracts and moves downward. This allows the lungs to have ample room to expand. The muscles between your ribs, called the intercostal muscles, contract to pull your ribcage upward and outward. As your lungs expand, air is sucked in through your nose and mouth and travels down your trachea to your lungs. After passing through your bronchial tubes, the air finally reaches the air sacs where oxygen is passed into the blood stream. At the same time, carbon dioxide travels into the air sacs from the blood stream and is expelled from the body as you exhale. On average, this process is repeated between 17,000-30,000 a day, every day, as long as a person is alive.

Breathing not only fuels the body with oxygen, it can also clear a foggy mind and help strengthen the muscles. Yet few people learn how to breathe in a way that allows the body to function the way it should. Posture has an important impact on our breath. Sitting up straight allows the lungs to expand quickly and efficiently with every breath. Proper posture also helps air to travel into the lungs and carbon dioxide to travel out of the lungs unimpeded. If you are sitting at your desk and feel foggy or otherwise uninspired, take a moment to reposition your body with a straight back to notice an immediate improvement at how well oxygen is reaching your bloodstream and thereby your brain.

While many people focus on completely inhaling in order to improve their breathing, most people only exhale 70% of the carbon dioxide in their lungs. Think about pushing all of the air out of your lungs as though you are blowing bubbles. Not only will your body reward you with instant energy, you will notice how much more efficient you are in filling your lungs.

In order to train yourself to breath properly, like with any skill we aspire to learn, practice makes perfect. Close the mouth and take a slow breath in through the nose, while feeling the abdomen rise and inflate like a balloon. Breathe out slowly through pursed lips, as if blowing bubbles, with each expiratory breath taking about two to three times as long as each inhalation. Repeat these steps for 5–10 minutes.

Egg Omelette Muffins

*Serves 12 

Ingredients:

8-10 eggs (organic, pasture raised)
1 cup organic baby spinach - chopped
3/4 cup diced bell pepper
1 onion, diced
8 oz mushrooms, thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste (additional spices optional: turmeric, paprika, basil, oregano, cayenne pepper)
OPTIONAL: 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350F
2. Lightly coat a standard 12-cup muffin tin with coconut or avocado oil.
3. Divide the chopped vegetables among the cups (~ 2/3 thirds of the way full).
4. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs and seasonings until well combined.
5. Fill each muffin cup 3/4 of the way to the top with the egg mixture. Sprinkle the feta evenly over the tops of the cups.
6. Bake for ~ 20-24 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Let cool for a few minutes. Use a butter knife to loosen the eggs around the edges before removing from the tin.
8. You can store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days or store leftovers in the freezer.

Improve Your Sleep

Sleep is something that tends to fall by the wayside when we are pressed for time and often is viewed more as a luxury than a necessity. However, sleep is more than just an activity that we do when we lie in our beds (or on our couches while streaming Netflix). Sleep has an enormous impact on our overall health and well being, as well as on our productivity.

Studies show that ongoing sleep deficiency has been linked with an increase of obesity, heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, and compromised immune function. Major restorative functions in the body such as tissue repair, muscle growth, and protein synthesis occur almost exclusively during sleep. In addition, without sleep, we tend to have more difficulty concentrating, learning, and communicating. Memory lapses can increase. How many times have we gotten into our cars for our morning commute only to arrive at our destination without any recollection of how we got there? A study conducted by AAA found the drivers who missed two-three hours of sleep a day more than quadruple their risk of getting into an accident compared to drivers who sleep for seven hours. Federal regulators say that the risk of “driving while drowsy” is comparable to driving drunk. Furthermore, the more tired we are, the more likely we'll be to make food choices that aren't aligned with our health and fitness goals and the less likely we'll be to get that workout in. Let's face it, when we're exhausted, it's not that easy to cook a well-balanced meal or workout. We'd rather follow the path of least resistance and do/choose what's easiest. 

What are some factors that interfere with the quality of our sleep?

• Stress – this may seem like a “duh” bullet point here, but our bodies are hardwired to respond to stressful or dangerous situations by remaining awake. Back in caveman times, this helped us to survive. 
• Eating habits – eating before bedtime can cause your body’s metabolism to slow. As our body prepares for sleep, it slows down its functions, including the digestion process. The digestion process itself can keep us awake at night and the slower metabolism may cause weight gain. Additionally, nicotine, caffeine, and acidic foods can also disrupt our sleep cycle. Nicotine and caffeine are both stimulants, while acidic foods may cause heartburn and indigestion. Lying down exacerbates the effects of heartburn, making falling asleep a challenge. 
• External environment such as lighting, your bed, and guess what? Your pre-sleep technology habits. Our body clock adjusts to the changes we observe in the environment. Therefore, it automatically begins to wind down when the brightness level decreases. Bright lights can trick the body clock into thinking it’s still daytime. 
• New environment – many people find it difficult to fall asleep in new places such as a hotel, a new apartment, or even a new beau’s pad. Part of that reason is that you’ve left the safe feeling you get from the “known,” which in this case includes your bed or former residence. In the cases where the environment is a hotel or someone else’s home, the comfort of the bed and pillows is a major factor. It’s not the bed the your body is accustomed to. It may be softer or it may be more firm. The same applies for the pillows.
• Medication – certain medications, including those for blood pressure and many antidepressants contain chemicals that interfere with a healthy sleep cycle. Certain pain relievers for migraines and headache can also disrupt your sleep cycle because they contain caffeine.
• Body aches and pain – again, this may seem like a “duh” item, but if you’re in pain and it’s uncomfortable to be in a particular position at one time, it’s hard for you to relax and fall asleep. It’s likely that the body will continue to move around and shift positions, seeking a more comfortable position and by extension, preventing you from falling into that deep sleep we all need.
• Jetlag – it takes time to adjust to different time zones, thus disturbing our sleep timings.
• An erratic sleep schedule messes with your body’s internal clock. This tends to happen most often to workers with rotating shift schedules. However, this also applies to those of you stay up many nights tinkering or watching television and/or sleep all day. How can you blame your body for not understanding what it should do when you try to put yourself to bed at a normal hour? You’ve hardwired it to do otherwise.

What should you do if you think one or more of these factors are impacting your sleep?

• Stress is unfortunately a fact of life. We don’t have control over external stressors, but we do have control over is how we manage our stress. When you feel threatened, your nervous system responds by releasing stress hormones, including cortisol and adrenaline, which amps up the body for an emergency reaction. Your heart rate increases, muscles tighten, blood pressure rises, breath quickens, and your senses become sharper. None of these reactions are conducive for sleeping, therefore you need to reassure your body that everything is going to be just fine. A good way to slow the heartbeat and the breath is to breathe. That may sound ridiculous and a bit obvious, but it’s true. A breathing technique I like to practice when I’m stressed is the Three-Part Breath and if it’s before bedtime, I like to practice this technique lying on my back. Close your eyes and make sure you’re in a comfortable position. Place your hands on your belly. Begin the practice of inhaling and exhaling to the belly first. On your inhale, you’ll feel your belly rise against your hands and on the exhale, the belly will pull away from your hands as you contract the belly button to the spine. Repeat this for five rounds. On the next inhale, fill your belly up with air. When the belly is full, sip in a little more air to feel your ribs expand. On the exhale, first release the ribs and then the belly. Repeat this for five rounds. On the next inhale, fill the belly and the rib cage with air. Then, sip in a little more air until your feel your chest lift. On the exhale, release the air from the chest first, then the ribs, and finally the belly. Continue for another ten rounds of breath.
• It's recommended that our last meal of the day should be 3-4 hours prior to bedtime. If you're someone who gets home late from work or other extracurricular activities, try switching up your eating schedule. Make your lunch your heaviest meal of the day and your dinner, the lightest. 
• Pay attention to your bedtime environment. Is your bedroom window facing a street lamp or a neon billboard? Is there a television/BluRay/Game Controller? A digital clock with bright numbers? Do you live on a busy street with high foot and car traffic? Is your bed maybe too soft, too hard, or too “worn in?” What about your pillows? Sunlight is detected by cells in the retina of the eye and sends messages to the brain that it’s time to wake up. The light triggers all kinds of changes in our physiology and behavior. Melatonin levels lower, body temperature rises, and an activation of the hormone cortisol takes place in order to help us feel alert and ready for the day. If, when you try to sleep, there’s light emitting from your digital devices or from outside, it impacts the message sent to your body that indicates that it’s time for sleep. The same can be said for your television or handheld devices. The blue light emitting from these screens can actual delay the release of melatonin and increase alertness, resetting the body’s internal clock to a later schedule. It’s a good idea to power down these devices an hour or two prior to bedtime or at the very least, dim the brightness level of the screen. Instead of reading from your phone or tablet, try reading from an actual book. If your bedroom window faces a bright light, consider shades, blinds, or even blackout curtains. Perhaps exchange your digital clock for an old school one. If you live on a busy street, invest in a sound machine or play music softly to help drown out the surround sounds of urban living.
• When traveling or sleeping at a new place, bring things from home with me that are a part of your nighttime routine. For example, I have chronic neck issues that are aggravated by pillows that are too soft. Therefore I bring my pillow with me on the road. It’s firm and supportive and since it’s the pillow I sleep with every night, it helps to create the illusion that I am sleeping in my own bed, which makes me feel safe. My pillow is rather large, so I’ve even gone so far as to buy the travel sized version of my pillow for trips that require me to fly and where lugging my giant every day pillow just isn’t practical.
• If you think that your medication is contributing to your insomnia, don’t try to fix the problem on your own. Speak to your doctor and be honest about the issue. He/she may be able lower the dosage or prescribe an alternative medication. You may be able to drop the medication entirely by making a life change such as exercising regularly, making healthier food choices, and reducing your alcohol/nicotine/caffeine intake. But again, consult your physician first.
• If you suffer from chronic pain, it’s a good idea to consult your physician to make sure there aren’t any deeper issues at play here. For every day aches and pains, set up your sleep environment so that you’re comfortable. You may need a firmer mattress or a softer one. You may just need a new mattress if your current one is getting on in years. The same can be said for your pillows. Your sleep alignment may be aggravating the situation. If you’re a side or belly sleeper, see if sleeping on your back is even an option. If that is simply not happening, invest in a body pillow or a pregnancy pillow. The pillow relieves pressure points and help you to maintain spinal alignment during sleep. Studies also show that hugging them can even calm you down and help you sleep better. If you need something more, you can try an over-the-counter pain relieving medication. Other more "holistic" options include CDC oil (topical or sublingual), hot shower or bath, heating pad, herbal medicines, ice pack, etc. 
• The quickest way to overcome jetlag is to basically trick your body into thinking it’s in the correct time zone. It can be a rough go initially, but it’ll jump start your adjustment period as opposed to taking your body several day to adjust. If you’re on vacation, several days can mean your entire vacation before having to return home gain (and having to start the adjustment period all over again). When flying to Europe, for example, it's usually an overnight flight so in that scenario, try your best to get some sleep on the plane. Set yourself up for success. Bring a travel pillow, ear plugs, and an eye mask. It’s important that you sleep on the flight because this is the time frame that your body would normally be sleeping anyway. When you land, it’ll be morning at your destination. Don’t go to your hotel to sleep. You can check in and drop your stuff off, but do not sleep no matter how exhausted you are. Force yourself to do a light itinerary to keep yourself moving. You’ll probably go to sleep earlier than usual that night, but you’ll at least be going to sleep at night, which is vital for your body’s internal clock. On the return flight, try NOT to sleep during the flight so as to not disrupt your home routine. This will help you readjust to your normal schedule post-vacation. 
• Develop a consistent bedtime routine. This is especially important for you shift workers who have no choice in the timing of your shift. Developing a consistent bedtime routine informs your body that when you perform this routine, it’s time for bed. For those of you on a normal schedule, make it a point to practice this routine every night at the same time. The body is very good at adapting. The more consistent you are, the more your body learns that this routine signals sleep. 

Hiking Trail Guidelines

Whenever we explore a local hiking trail, we'll post a review to our blog here so that you can use it as a guide for future hikes. All of our hiking posts will include the following information (if possible): 

🔥Intensity

🌲Length

🌄Elevation

👟Recommended Footwear

🌞Sun Exposure

🚙Parking

🚽Restrooms

🏃Crowd Level

🐕Dogs Friendly?

⏰Hours of Operation

Cold Spring Harbor Trailhead

This hilly trail is part of a larger trail on Long Island, NY known as the "Nassau-Suffolk Greenbelt Trail." From the municipal parking lot across from the local harbor to Lawrence Hill Road and back again is just shy of 3 miles and depending on your fitness level, can be completed in under an hour. This makes it a great trail choice for individuals looking for a challenging hike, but are also short on time. 

The municipal lot is quite small and during the warm weather season and on weekends, this trailhead is very popular and the lot tends to fill up quickly, which leaves local street parking, a secondary municipal lot further up Main Street (which can also fill up quickly), or the Cold Spring Harbor Library parking lot located up the hill next to the trail's parking lot. This lot is much larger and is rarely full, however it is often inaccessible on Sundays. Also noteworthy is the fact that there is an alternate start point to the the trail behind the library near the public restrooms (the only restrooms accessible from this section of the trail, so if you're borderline on whether or not you need to use the bathroom, definitely make a pit stop here or else you'll be stuck without any alternatives while on the trail). It does shave off a chunk of the trail, which can either be a blessing or a curse depending on your goals and/or fitness level. 

The trail's intensity is considered to be moderate, meaning it can be done with standard athletic sneakers, but we do recommend wearing trail shoes/sneakers or hiking shoes/boots. 

Deer is very common in this area, so ticks are a problem. It's recommended that you stick to the marked trail and avoid rummaging through the bushes or going off trail. 

Dogs are allowed on a leash. 

Trail Overview:

🔥Intensity: Moderate

🌲Length: Under 3 miles roundtrip

🌄Elevation: 377 ft

👟Recommended Footwear: Trail or Hiking shoes/boots

🌞Sun Exposure: Minimal

🚙Parking: Minimal

🚽Restrooms: Public restrooms off trail behind library

🏃Crowd Level: High during peak season

🐕Dogs Friendly?: Yes, on a leash

⏰Hours of Operation: 6a - 6p