There are a few things that I think every man should do, with no exceptions (except extreme ones like being crippled of course). Things like be physically active whether that is working a blue collar job, lifting weights at the gym, going on hikes, swimming, doing a combat sport, or whatever else. A man’s body was created to move, strain, and strive and when this doesn’t happen bad things happen not just to the man’s body but to his mind and spirit as well.
Likewise I think every man should be a reader. The benefits to reading are numerous and increase you understanding of the world and the people who inhabit it tremendously. I’m talking both fiction and non-fiction as both have their place and both have too many benefits to not include in one’s life. Reading gives you superpowers are transforms the mind. And storytelling reflects so much about how the world and life works that its almost eerie when you start to really study it.
But there is something else that I think every man should be doing that I don’t think I’ve really touched on that much. And that thing is meditating. Because of meditating being associated with muscle lacking, testosterone starved dorks in the woods (don’t get me wrong I love the woods) I never thought it would be anything for me. Thankfully I was able to look past the negative perception and see the many benefits.
Working Out For The Mind
After reading research and learning the benefits of meditation I decided to try it out and have been blown away by the results. Essentially I’d say meditating to the mind is what say lifting weights is to the body. Now obviously this isn’t a perfect analogy but there is a lot too it. However like lifting weights the benefits stretch far beyond the obvious things like building muscle and losing fat. It’s also good for the soul.
The same can be said of meditation. So it does obvious things like increase the feel good chemicals in your brain like serotonin and dopamine, it brings more awareness to your life so you can see yourself accurately, it helps deal with negative thoughts and cravings, it makes you overall happier, it makes you more emotionally perceptive (meaning raises your EQ, which reading fiction also does btw), and a whole host of other great things.
But like great natural things the sum is greater than the parts. And get rid of your preconceived notions of meditation. Just like lifting in the gym doesn’t make you a half-retarded twenty something YouTuber doing meditation will not make you some weird hippy-dippy zen monk. They’re just things that are good and natural for you and that have profound benefits on your body, mind, and spirit.
How To Fit It In.
Go ahead, get your jokes in. But seriously one of the biggest struggles of meditation is finding the time. And that is because you don’t find time, you make time. I’d recommend a minimum of 10 minutes a day to see anything real beneficial from it but you can increase if time permits. But 10 minutes a day will have a profound impact on your life. Look at it like exercising for like 30 minutes would. Do that every day (or even just Monday through Friday) and you’ll be on the right track.
In the morning or right before bed are good times. Of course anytime that you can squeeze it in and that works for you is fine. To meditate you don’t need to be sitting cross legged, chanting, or anything like that. All you need to do is sit somewhere and then just focus on your breathing. Thoughts will come and just acknowledge them then focus back on your breathing without following them.
Focus on the sensation of your breathing and being present in the moment. Not chanting “om”, no finding your chakra, no being some weirdo. just being still. Something that has been lost in the modern world and our mind, body, and spirit all suffer because of it. There is power in the stillness. Never forget that. You can do it anywhere where you can close your eyes for ten minutes. Just like working out don’t expect to do this one time then suddenly have superpowers it takes time, but the benefits are more than worth it.
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-Charles Sledge
