Most people come to the gym to tone their body, lose weight and boost their energy. Many also come to find the healing and strength-building powers of yoga and Pilates.
But how do you find your calm? How do you prepare your mind and body for exercise? How do you cool down your brain after a workout?
Michael and I strongly believe that meditation is a way to nourish our minds and our souls as well as our bodies. We continue to incorporate meditation into our fitness offerings to enhance physical stamina, improve mental health and help us all find balance, joy and gratitude in our lives.
We asked members of our Island Fitness family about the power of meditation at the gym. Specifically: How has mindfulness and meditation helped you? How can meditation be a benefit at a gym? Do you associate working out or being fit with meditation?
Here are their mind, body and spirit musings:
“Meditation has kept me calmer, happier and lighter. It has been a valuable tool in dealing with the messes of daily life as well as being with the unknown of our times.
— U. S.
It is all about balance. A traditional gym may provide the opportunity to build raw strength and speed – adding meditation may provide grounding, lightness, quiet and reflection. We can work on our bodies, but there is nowhere to go but in!
Especially as I am aging, I am finding that I need to find kinder and gentler modes of staying in shape. This entails a holistic approach that includes all aspects of health: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. It is a paradigm where my exercise is non-competitive and less about how it “looks” and more about how it “feels”. ”
“Both mindfulness and meditation has helped me in so many ways. It was immensely helpful when recovering from difficult surgery by giving me a nurturing mind space for healing. It was helpful during the beginning of the pandemic when so much of our lives changed so quickly and gave me comfort to face each day. It was helpful during the groundhog days of the pandemic when days blurred into months and the shape of the future became blurry.
And it continues to be a tool for deeper understanding of myself and the world around me.
Why would a gym offer meditation? Because a gym is a place to strengthen and nurture one’s mind and body. Aren’t we going to the gym to be our best selves? And being that best self includes knowing oneself in every part of the body and mind. Sitting meditation provides a simple space for a very intricate process of quieting the mind and noticing all that surrounds you. Once I started noticing more, I found I was fully inhabiting my mind and body regardless of the activity: sitting meditation, lifting weights, yoga, or running on the treadmill.”
— BAF
“Like stretching before a workout, meditation prepares my body and spirit for my overall well-being. It has kept my sanity in check during the pandemic, cleared the cobwebs from my brain and given me the strength and energy for my physical workouts.
— KW
Meditation comes in many forms for me. I hear Alexa’s “let the sound be your anchor” when I’m sitting at the beach. I hear her “breath in, breath out,’’ when I’m waiting in line at the post office. And, her “just be in the present,’’ when I’m walking my dog.
Practicing meditation doesn’t always come easy for me. I tried it a few years ago when it was first introduced at the gym. Now, I try to incorporate mindfulness and meditation into every aspect of my daily life.
I was intimidated at first. Will my legs cramp up? What if I can’t quiet my mind? Will I get dizzy? Can I sit still for an hour? In front of other people?
I must admit I had a hard time ignoring those pesky thoughts that kept interrupting the silent conversation I was having with my breath. I still fight them off, but I also have learned to welcome the distractions. One night during a virtual guided meditation with Alexa, my husband decided to do some weed whacking right outside my office. After my initial irritation, I focused on the buzzing sound and found myself breathing through it.
I am grateful that the Island Fitness family is making sure we all have access to nourishing our minds and our souls as well as our bodies. ”
“Like stretching before a workout, meditation prepares my body and spirit for my overall well-being. It has kept my sanity in check during the pandemic, cleared the cobwebs from my brain and given me the strength and energy for my physical workouts.
— KW
Meditation comes in many forms for me. I hear Alexa’s “let the sound be your anchor” when I’m sitting at the beach. I hear her “breath in, breath out,’’ when I’m waiting in line at the post office. And, her “just be in the present,’’ when I’m walking my dog.
Practicing meditation doesn’t always come easy for me. I tried it a few years ago when it was first introduced at the gym. Now, I try to incorporate mindfulness and meditation into every aspect of my daily life.
I was intimidated at first. Will my legs cramp up? What if I can’t quiet my mind? Will I get dizzy? Can I sit still for an hour? In front of other people?
I must admit I had a hard time ignoring those pesky thoughts that kept interrupting the silent conversation I was having with my breath. I still fight them off, but I also have learned to welcome the distractions. One night during a virtual guided meditation with Alexa, my husband decided to do some weed whacking right outside my office. After my initial irritation, I focused on the buzzing sound and found myself breathing through it.
I am grateful that the Island Fitness family is making sure we all have access to nourishing our minds and our souls as well as our bodies. ”
“Meditation came before mindfulness for me. I was introduced to Transcendental Meditation (TM ) in 1972. It came with one’s own “personal” mantra word to repeat over and over to keep one’s mind occupied for 20 minutes every morning and every evening. It was a good way to learn the discipline of sitting and begin to see benefits of quieting and centering through “new” spiritual practices coming to the west.
— HH
My regular sitting routine waxed and waned over the next 30 years, though it was always something I could go back to – or maybe pick up with where I’d left off, and each time I did, I discovered more about what made it “work” for me. I learned and grew in my practice through reading, workshops, classes, retreats, teachers, and groups to sit with and share. All of which has led me to mindfulness – paying attention to how the mind works, to not believe everything I think, to “mind the gap” that exists between stimulus and response…a gap that allows us to respond rather than react. To being mindful of every moment as a gift, that the only constant is change, to be in awe of how the breath is always present to anchor me in a moment or an hour.
Mindfulness lets me let go of sharp edges, black-and-whites, and how things are “supposed” to be – as opposed to how they are! (The ever-useful equation: Happiness = reality minus expectations.) Mindfulness and meditation together help me take care of my body – i.e., where I live, and remind me that my body is more than just physical, but all our wondrous layers. Mindfulness and meditation help me appreciate that emotions come and go, and that “good” and “bad” aren’t often useful judgements but rather use labels like the Dalai Lama says, “There are wise and unwise actions.” I think these two practices help me be a kinder, more grateful person – they certainly improve my sense of humor!
The benefit to me of offering meditation and mindfulness practices at a gym is that they respect and honor the fact that our physical selves contribute to the well-being of our whole lives, just as our emotional and mental conditions help our bodies to be healthy. A gym that offers Whole Person Well-being offers so much more than just muscles and outward appearances. The gym provides connections around shared interests, forging many friendships, and when a gym offers exploration of other aspects of our selves – the levels of mindfulness and meditation – there’s a larger impact on individuals and deeper connection within our community and beyond.
Working out – cardio or strengthening or flexibility or centering routines such as yoga – help us live in the moment, be present in our bodies, and leave us refreshed for returning to the world beyond the gym or studio. And that hit of endorphins, that sense of balance and ease, can add grace to our every waking moment (and probably help us sleep better too!) ”