90 day Squat Challenge

Day 1: 6/5/2016
Day 90: 9/3/2016


Day 17

AM: 20
Mid: 0
PM: 0
Total: 20

Grand total: 425

Habit: Daily meditation
Restarts: 1

Day 12: 10 minutes
By the time I stopped reading and jotting down prep notes last night, I'd completely forgot my intention to try a mantra meditation. I didn't remember it until I popped in here and copied my entry for yesterday to start this one. I'm writing it on a Post-It now and putting it on top of my floor pillow so I won't forget again.

^^^ Ditto!!!

Mantra meditation is really any sound, word, or even phrase that's repeated internally during meditation. Om is one mantra sound that can be used -- another variation is 'om shanti shanti om'. There's a whole list that can be picked from by people who practice transcendental meditation (actually, in that practice the teacher picks the sound...once you pay them $1000). My understanding of it is that the effect is almost like a self-hypnosis. Hypnosis in any form has never worked on me, but I'm willing to give this flavor of meditation a try just to see what happens.

My understanding of zazen is that there are three variations, or some people call them steps. First is focusing on the breath, which is where most people start. There's another that has to do with focusing on, or exploring a zen koan -- I've never done that one. And last is not focusing on anything, but simply trying to find a place of non-thinking. When thoughts come up, the intent is that you observe them and let them go without mulling them over. The last is the intent of my own practice...but I think that's highly influenced by my mother's practice, since it's what she taught me as a child.

(Note: I'm not an expert in any of this. There's a decent chance I've gotten some of it wrong. Haha! A book I like that talks about zazen is Sit Down and Shut Up, by Brad Werner. He's also written some other books on the topic, but I haven't read those.)

Tues: 25 push ups

There are many different forms of meditation with the difference in techniques often having to do with the difference in the purpose of the meditation. In the many Buddhist traditions there are many different techniques with many different purposes. Zazen is the term used in the Zen form of Buddhism to describe sitting meditation that first focuses on the breath and eventually leads to a perfectly still mind free of all extraneous thought. I am not sure how koans fit into all this although they are certainly part of Zen practice. I follow Tibetan Buddhism and my knowledge of Zen Buddhism is pretty sketchy although all forms of Buddhism have things in common.

It is important to understand that mindfulness meditation that is used for stress relief is different from Buddhist forms of meditation that have a spiritual motivation that corresponds with the Buddhist world view. Externally all these different types of meditation may look very similar but the results will be different depending on the intention of the practitioner and the nature of the instructions.

To practice mindfulness meditation in order to relieve stress does not require any belief in Buddhism. Calming the mind can be a completely non-sectarian activity.

Jean

Thank you both, Dex and Jean.

I've tried reading books on meditation, but I apparently chose the wrong ones. They tended to take a more scolding tone, which doesn't sit well with me.

I learned more in the few paragraphs from the two of you than in the several chapters I forced myself to read.

Goal:
>10k steps, >100 oz water

Done:
10,084 steps, >100 oz water

I'm traveling for work and flew to San Jose yesterday, and was in meetings until later last night. Then meetings till 1 today. So logging yesterday now. Will log today a bit later.

Yesterday was a bit of a challenge. But I completed both and feel good.

Challenge Goal:

- Net Carbs: 45 or under for 90 days
- Calories: 2500 or less everyday as well
- Daily upper body resistance training
Restarts: 1

Today:

Net Carbs: 24
Calories: 1732
Weights: Gave my arms a day off. One 2 minute plank and 25 sit-ups.

Day 12 - Eating slower

Success!

Restarts - 3

Dinner last night - Mexi-beef Ceasar salad
Lunch today - my usual salad with garden greens and other veggies, feta, smoked nuts, olive oil and acv.
__________________

Habit: exercise 5 days/week

Day 1: June 12
Day 90: Sept 10

Day 10 (Tuesday): planned rest day

Front Plank: 60 sec + 30 sec rest + 45 sec
Side planks (elbow/knee): 35 sec each side x 2

Day 11(Wed): 1 hr pilates

No planks today (may go to every other day or 3x/week) - progress seems faster with a rest day

11 down, 79 to go.

Day 17 - No playing hearts on the computer
Day 14 - no eating after 6 PM
Day 9 - in bed by 10PM

My 90 day "no snacking between meals" habit I'm developing.

Day 8: complete
Restarts: 2

Wednesday day 16 hunger VS appetite
day 8 planks

For some reason, possibly stress from the noise of construction in the yard, I was really hungry about 2 yesterday. Ate a piece of bacon, and was fine till dinner.

Did one 60 second plank.

Habit: Daily meditation
Restarts: 1

Day 13: 6 minutes
I've been having persistent nausea for the past couple of days, for reasons unknown. It abates a bit when I lie down, so I had a hard time with sitting still for meditation.