Our lululemon ambassadors have great ways that we can all use to help us stay present during this crazy time of year!
REGAN
The best way for me to stay present is to take a few deep breathes. This keeps me grounded and allows my thoughts to stay in the moment rather than getting away from me.
Being with the people I love also keeps me present. I try to surround myself with friends and family I adore and have positive energy. When I am with the people I love the most, I do not even need to think about being present, it just comes naturally!
Being with the people I love also keeps me present. I try to surround myself with friends and family I adore and have positive energy. When I am with the people I love the most, I do not even need to think about being present, it just comes naturally!
ARIEL
What being present means to me:
Being present means giving my full attention to life as it is in any given moment... as opposed to how I think it should be or wish it was.
How I maintain presence in my life:
I practice two types of meditation: One type is the formal practices in which I withdraw my attention from as much as possible and focus the part of my mind that I can direct (awareness, attention) towards a specific point or activity such as my breath, my asana practice, a visualization or recitation of a mantra. In the other, I combine a meditative focus with my every day actions – redirecting my attention to work, eating lunch, talking with other people, teaching or simply being with my own thoughts and feelings. My day-to-day life has become both my laboratory and my practice arena.
Maintaining presence in this way is also the most challenging and beneficial work of my entire life. The benefits have been the incentives to continue on this path. Although it is a rigorous, and at times lonely, path, I have never regretted being ever-more present and ever-more conscious. Ultimately, being present just makes my life easier, more fulfilling, and less complicated.
JULIA
Stepping out of my comfort zone brings me into focus. Getting into the vertical world is one of the best ways for me to do this.
My life is in my hands and that of my partners holding my rope.
To maintain safety, we have to be ultra aware of our surroundings for things like potential rock fall and to make sure our climbing systems are done properly.
Senses are heightened and sometimes there is a tingle that goes through my body at just how alive I feel.
Trying to replicate this in everyday life like when I am driving down the road is the hardest part, but at least knowing what it feels like to be alive is something I have experienced.
This amazing photo was taken by Mike Schirf
WHITNEY
Here's a quick mantraI I have during the days that helps me stay focused and present:
"what gets the best of me & what gets the rest of me?"
If I am focused on those things that are the most important in my life ("my village")- they will get the BEST of me......and the rest of life just gets the REST of me.
But if my focus is on rushing around, making a ton on commitments, little whatnots, long to do list etc- then, those things get the BEST of me.... and my "village" just gets the REST of me.
This helps me keep my focus in both big moments and little ones throughout my days.
Everyone's getting a bunch of big presence for Christmas this year! :) xoxo
HALEY
We are always thinking about the next great adventure, what life will be like when we hit our next big break or crush one more goal. But, what about today? What about how great this moment is right now?
I often tell my class, "This is your hour. You can't hit the rewind button and come back to this moment. Make it count."
During a tough sprint series on the bike, in the last few miles of a tempo run or in the midst of a hard conversation with a friend our minds wander when things get challenging and uncomfortable. We move away from the moment we are in and start focusing on to do lists, what life will be like when we get that promotion or what is on Instagram. By taking us away from the uncomfortable our mind thinks it's protecting us. Unfortunately, the only thing it is protecting us from is change. Our greatest self lies just beyond our comfort zones, and we constantly have to battle our mind to get there. Life is what is happening right now. Our goals and dreams can only be reached by the moments we live and thrive in today. You can't skip ahead to get where you want to be, and you can't hit rewind to try a little harder; to give a little more.
So, stay present in the good, the bad and the uncomfortable. Celebrate the good. Fix the bad and revel in the uncomfortable. On an indoor bike, just like in life, we only find change when it hurts a little. We have to stay present to the burning in our legs and the thumping of our heart to reach our fittest. Those moments that challenge us to stay focused and fight through are the moments that change us. If we can't stay present in the uncomfortable now, we won't be able to celebrate our best self in the future.
Take an hour for yourself during the holiday craze and join Haley 6pm December 18th or December 19th at 6am or 8:30am at Basin Rec for a one hour indoor cycling class focused on being in the moment to reach your best. Her entire fitness schedule can be found at runfortheloveofit.com.
#locallovePC
