How We Started Meditating
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Do We Still Meditate? How Long?
On today’s episode of Live Lean TV, we answer a viewer question who asked how we started meditating, do we still meditate, and how long do we do it for.
This was a question from #AskLiveLeanTV Ep. 009.
Here’s today’s viewer question:
Mike McDonough on YouTube asks: Do you guys meditate? If so, for how long? Brad, I’m learning a ton of good strategies from your new book, Think And Live Lean. I’m almost done with it. It’s all about taking action baby.
First of all, I know Mike has been a regular viewer and contributor in the comments, so sorry for butchering your last name in the video.
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If you see this, send me a snapchat or instagram video pronouncing your last name so we don’t butcher it next time.
Secondly, thanks for reading and taking action on the steps from my book, Think And Live Lean.
You are 100% right about taking action.
How We Started Meditating
Here’s our honest story on how we started meditating.
I was really into meditation, about 13 years ago, and then unfortunately, I fell off.
Back in 2017, I picked meditation back up again, but fell off towards the end of 2018.
Did I fall off because meditation didn’t work?
No, I actually really loved meditating.
When I first stopped mediating, maybe it was because I actually accomplished what I was seeking.
In other words, meditating actually worked for me.
I’m not saying I’m now perfect, but honestly, a lot of the things I was meditating on became more clear to me.
My Meditation Journey
When I first started consistently meditating, I wasn’t yet an entrepreneur.
At the time, I was actually looking for clarity on if the path to becoming an entrepreneur was right for me.
Looking back at it, I really believe meditation helped me visualize and manifest my goal.
Again, I’m not saying all of my problems were solved, but I did get more clear on what I needed to do.
Then I Stopped Meditating
Now I can’t remember the exact time or reason why I stopped meditating, but I did.
Then in 2017, I was looking for clarity with my business, so I started meditating again.
Once I picked it up again, I was consistently meditating for 20 minutes every morning, and was loving how my meditations were making me feel.
But eventually, as a busy entrepreneur working from home, with two young screaming kids, and a barking dog, I found my stress and anxiety actually increased.
The reason was obvious.
Every time I tried to meditate, I was interrupted.
But with all that said, I definitely want to get back into meditating soon.
I also recommend you do it as well.
Meditating Is Most Useful In Your Time Of Need
I repeat, meditating is most useful in your time of need.
This was the same way for Jessica.
Jessica meditated most when she had a life circumstance that she was not happy with you.
That’s when you really need it.
It’s similar to what we say about making a body transformation.
When you need to transform your body, this is when you really need to ignite the focus on your goal, and dial it in by cranking it up a notch.
So in the past, we used meditation to get to a place where we were happier.
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Once you’re in a happy place, it doesn’t mean you don’t need meditation, but for us, it is just needed less.
Meditation Also Helps You Manage Stress
We also recommend meditation for stress management.
One of the causes of stress occurs when your mind is constantly going.
This can often put certain people into situations where then they self-sabotage.
For example, binge eating due to stress.
When this happens, we always recommend you take some time to close your eyes and meditate.
If you’re new to the concept of meditation, you don’t necessarily have to do it religiously every single day.
Meditating can simply be used to clear your mind and allow your brain to slow down from all of the stresses and distractions that you visually have going on around you.
How Long Should I Medidate?
If you’re looking to get started with meditating, start with 2 minutes.
Don’t set a goal in the beginning to start meditating for 20 minutes.
For most beginners, starting with 20 minutes of meditation can feel like you’re driving yourself insane.
When I started meditating, I first started with 2 minutes.
Even during these 2 minutes, your mind is going to race, and you’re going to feel like it was a waste of my time, because nothing happened.
But I’m telling you, once you’re consistently mediating, eventually something will click.
Once it does, your mind will eventually get clear.
Again, from a length of time perspective, start slow.
For some people, we don’t even recommend setting a timer, because there’s no magical length of time for meditation.
Rather than starting with 2 minutes, just start with two focused thoughts on what you’re trying to achieve in your life.
That’s how informal it was when Jessica started meditating.
In fact, she would actually do a lot of her meditation during workouts.
Working Out Can Be A Form Of Meditation
For example, as Jessica was working out, she’d be thinking about the body that she wanted to create.
To her, working out was a form of meditation, and I agree.
If you think about it, for most people, working out at the gym is a form of meditation, as it includes focused breathing and concentrating.
However, if you’re the stereotypical gym douche, you may not be meditating 😂 .
If you want to go watch the funny video we did with Jeremy called, Top 6 Douchey Things Guys Do In The Gym, click here.
Try to take the mystery out of meditation and think of it as focusing your thoughts.
Hopefully that is a really helpful tip for you.
Thanks again to Jeremy Reid for joining us on this episode.
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Brad Gouthro is the founder of Live Lean TV, a media company focused on helping men and women “Live Lean” 365 days a year. Brad’s programs and content have helped millions of people all over the world learn how to get in shape, and more importantly, sustain it for life.
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