Meditative Cardiovascular Exercise

Many types of meditation involve focused activity or focused non-activity with the intention of concentrating and clearing the mind. The benefits of meditation are manifold, but it remains something of a fringe activity in the United States and other western countries. One possible reason for this is that the most widely known types of meditation are derived from Eastern philosophies and religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism.

Culturally, it can be difficult for westerners to incorporate meditation into their lifestyles due to an increased value on individualism and proactive problem solving compared to some eastern cultures. However, taking some lessons from meditation and incorporating them into daily workout routines could yield an improvement in training and in quality of life for many of us.

As stated above, one of the ideas behind regular meditation is to clear and relax the mind. In meditation this is often accomplished through slow walking or stillness in sitting. The type of mental relaxation aimed at by meditation can also be sought through more vigorous exercise.

For many people, regular exercise can act as a form of meditation. However, in order to productively engage in meditative exercise, it's important to understand a few factors, including how not to overdo it.

Exercise, particularly cardiovascular activities such as running and swimming, can provide a great meditative experience provided that you allow yourself to take it easy enough.

Workouts can be meditative at many different levels of exertion, but if you work so hard that you have to struggle too much, the intended stress-reducing effects of meditative exercise will be lost.

For example, if you attempt to run too fast or too far during a workout session, you will find that your mind is spending too much energy keeping your body going.

Sometimes, it can be difficult to achieve a truly "zen" workout experience because of the challenge of finding the right workout zone. Although it's important not to overdo it, some people may find that if they don't work hard enough during exercise sessions their mind tends to wander or become bored.

In fact, this is a challenge encountered by those who are new to meditation of all types. When engaging in more traditional meditative activities, such as sitting meditation, it can often be even more of a struggle to keep the mind clear of outside thoughts.

Luckily, engaging in a routine physical activity like swimming can make this a little easier by giving you something to think about and a way to focus on the present moment.

For those trying to reduce stress and increase mental clarity through regular exercise, one issue to consider is how to know when it's working. The answer to this question is, of course, different for everyone, but there are a few telltale signs that will let you know when a workout has been sufficiently meditative.

First, if you finish your workout and find that your sense of time passing has slowed or stopped, you will know that you've been focused entirely in the present moment. After a good workout, some people feel that no time at all has passed when in fact an hour or more has gone by. Note that this requires you to choose an activity that does not require too much concentration or thought. For this reason, team sports are often not good choices for meditative workouts.

A second sign of success is that you feel better after the workout is finished. Contrary to common belief, a good meditative workout should make you feel invigorated and refreshed, not tired out or restless. Finally, remember that if you notice a marked improvement in your stress level or feel happier in general during your daily life, you are doing something right and should be careful not to change too much too quickly.