A funny thing happened at the gym the other day.
I caught myself smiling as I pounded the elliptical. In fact, this has been happening all week.
That’s not all. These days, I’m actually looking forward to going to the gym. It’s something I want to do. And in just the last week, my workouts have become more intense. I’m working out longer — 45 minutes as opposed to 35 — and at higher levels of difficulty. Also, I’m not checking the clock every five minutes to see how much longer I have to endure.
So I asked myself: Self, what gives?
I think the answer is: Meditation.
For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been meditating nearly every day, anywhere from 10 to about 45 minutes, depending on how much time I have and my powers of concentration at the moment. I took up meditation a little over five years ago, but haven’t been practicing with any real dedication or discipline until fairly recently.
I know it’s made a big difference in my emotional health. And, although I can’t prove it, I think it’s making a difference in my physical well-being as well.