One of the things I like most about lifting is that it demands my full attention. You can not lift heavy if you're not focused and ready to resist being crushed. A wise woman once told me that "thoughts of the future breed anxiety and thoughts of the past cultivate guilt, shame and regret". I find this to be sooo true to me. Such that any efforts aspiring to spend mental time in the present is effort well placed. In the gym, I practice full engagement with the task at hand. I systematically repeat and focus my attention on my lifts. Breath, bracing, hand position, foot position, my cues...etc...Lifting becomes a meditation like practice and can often be the "quietest" mental time of my day. At home, mindfulness can be practiced informally by focusing your attention on your everyday activities. You do this by single tasking. Do one thing and give it your full attention. Be fully present as it unfolds. When you notice your thoughts drifting, your mind has wandered, gently bring your attention back to the task at hand. I've developed this little mindfulness test that I like to take most mornings. A way to check how engaged with the present moment I am. Its become a kinda ritual. The kids call it "Black Toast Again?" which gives you a good indication of how well I do with the single tasking most mornings. Sometimes I don't burn the whole loaf piece by piece though, so I'm making progress.
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This week is de-load week on the Average to Savage program and that means AMRAPs.
Gah. I'm pretty much always excited to do an AMRAP when it's the only working set of the day. I like that it's open ended, I like the opportunity to surprise myself and I like how my thought process slows down to really concentrate on how I'm feeling and I like watching how my mind kind of bails before my body is actually finished... Mostly though, AMRAPs feel like I'm setting off in the middle of the night, naked, down a bush track looking for Blair Witch... I didn't die yesterday though so, Yay. Squatz 1 x 7 @ 106.5 Bench that has gone to shit 1 x 5 @ 66.5 |
AuthorAnna Brown is an average though super keen Archives
January 2018
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