Try Meditating Upside Down, Nikki Starr Advised

I went to bed early last night with a cold stuffing up my nose. I woke up to 16-degree temperatures but feeling well rested.  I have added a new activity to my morning routine that I think will prove to be especially helpful.

I have been wanting to learn how to meditate for ages; my father Nat has been able to do this, and so many smart, successful people have told me about their meditation rituals.  Comedian Jerry Seinfeld is one of them, although he didn’t tell me that.

While walking around the NY Times Travel Show, I found the Wellness section, and here, I saw a woman holding another woman up by the legs.  Nikki Starr was warm and friendly and she told me about the benefits of being upside down, even for a  short period.  I thought that the woman must be having a hard time down there, but no, she was happy, and it was clear this was a regular part of her fitness regimen.

Nikki told me about a good way to start the day…meditating while you’ve got your feet touching the wall, and your neck and head resting on pillows. She explained that this caused blood to flow down to your head, because the heart is raised up higher in that position.  So today I gave it a try, after picking out some mellow music that eventually switched to the sound of hard rain, and then of sleet falling against a window.

I set my timer for 10 minutes and followed Nikki’s advice–concentrate on just breathing, focus on just that, and you are able to “shut out the chattering monkeys” in your head. She was right.  I thought about my breaths, listened to the sound of rain, and was very relaxed and meditated for ten minutes.  I think I’ll try it tomorrow for a bit longer.

I am in a whole new place in 2017. I am not drinking alcohol, I am working on these meditations, and I am regularly exercising by running. I think I’m on a good track.