each party barbeques and boling temperatures aside, summer is the perfect season for regaining clarity and developing healthier habits. We’ve got a few handy suggestions on how to truly make this the “best summer ever”. These mental detox practices can light up your life, even on an overcast day, and leave you with good feelings for years to come.
1. Meditative Walking
It sounds simple and it is. This most basic of actions can help entirely change your mindset. Also called walking meditation, meditative walking involves being mindful of the experience of walking. For those who enjoy movement and have trouble “being still” during meditation, meditative walking may be the key to enjoying meditation.
Often performed alone, the key to meditative walking is awareness—of your body, mind, and natural environment. Tune into the sensation of walking and notice the muscles in your legs, bum, and back working, expanding, and contracting with every step. As expected, many thoughts will come and go throughout your walk, but don’t focus on them. Allow your thoughts to pass into, through, and out of you mind.
For more information on meditative walking, check out two books written by Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh:
- Buddha Mind, Buddha Body: Walking Towards Enlightenment
- Walking Meditation (includes a DVD & CD-Rom)
2. Yoga
Often seen as another form of “moving meditation”, Yoga is another versatile practice in which there is something for everyone. Whether a beginner or advanced practitioner, a home Yoga practice is well within your reach.
Two particular websites are at the top of our list: YogaToday.com and YogaJournal.com (yes, the magazine). YogaToday.com has a new weekday Yoga class video available for free on their website. Everything from Restorative and Power Yoga to activity- and experience-specific classes are available. Sign up to receive outlines of each week’s classes.
As the online home of Yoga Journal Magazine, YogaJournal.com is a great resource. In particular, I recommend YogaJournal.com/podcast which is full of audio and video programs hosted by San Francisco instructor Jason Crandell. Download these classes to your MP3 player and head to the park for your practice. If you’ve never done this, just give it a try—don’t worry what others think; they’re more likely to be intrigued than freaked out. On the subject of detox, check out their collection of twisting poses, which are perfect for “wringing out” mental stress and physical tension.
3. Journaling
What’s so great about writing down your thoughts? Many things. In the past decade, the medical community has discovered that the therapeutic benefits of journaling include catharsis, immunity boosts, and improved mental health. Journaling gives you the chance to slow down and think rationally and with unexpected clarity. Putting your thoughts on paper make them easier to understand and provides you with the enlightening benefit of being able to view your experiences more objectively.
All you need is a journal (pick a hard-cover version that you find attractive), a pen (or pencil, depending on your preference), and a small block of time. Journaling in the morning gives you the chance to start the day with a fresh perspective and new opportunities. Conversely, evening journaling can release your thoughts from the day, allowing you to sleep more soundly. There’s nothing to say that you can’t write both before and after you sleep—and any other time during the day! Try it for a few days and see how much more nimble your mind feels without all those thoughts and emotions weighing it down.
4. Gardening
Gardening provides a deep connection to the cycles of nature. If that’s not enough to convince you to dig into some earth, the medical community has proven that “horticultural therapy” provides physical, emotional, and mental benefits. In addition, it has been proven that gardeners eat healthier than non-gardeners, so the benefits go far beyond the enjoyment of planting and watering. Gardeners also develop a sense of achievement for the impact of “growing something from nothing.”
5. Rekindle Your Hobbies
Taking time for yourself is a key aspect of wellness. Caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, we can forget to set aside time for our favorite hobbies and as a result eliminate much needed rest, relaxation, and “me time”. By rekindling an old hobby, or delving into a new one, your life will feel more stabilized, squelching those feelings of what could have been accomplished.
Need some inspiration? Here is small collection of fulfilling hobbies that are easy and affordable to try:
- Knitting
- Crochet
- Hiking
- Cooking
- Baking
- Drawing
- Painting
- Scrapbooking
- Reading (visit your local library!)
- Bird watching
- Photography
- Volunteering (visit VolunteerMatch.org to find the best org. for you)
By Deidre, May 22, 2009
Great ideas! Outdoor yoga is the best when the weather is this nice.
Another suggestion -- cleaning up your diet. I find that reevaluating what I've been eating can be an eye-opening experience. By trading out processed convenience foods with fresh fruits and vegetables that are so abundant (and affordable) in the spring / summer, I feel better both mentally and physically.
By Victoria Klein, May 22, 2009
Of, of course - a diet overhaul is a good idea no matter the season. :) I was trying to focus on things a little less obvious, but food is always key!
By Carolyn Schlicher, May 22, 2009
This article got my mind working--"Mental Detox"...really great phrase to turn over and over. Thanks for these suggestions. The meditative walking is one I should try more. Too many times, I'm walking just to get the walk done!
By Laci Chiodo, May 22, 2009
Great article! Yoga and journaling are my two favorites. I find that both really help me to clear my mind and mellow out. I think taking time for yourself is important as well. We often forget to do this, but summer is the perfect time to start remembering.
By Victoria Klein, May 23, 2009
I used to do a similar thing when I take a walk, Carolyn - I usually stick some headphones in my ears and just bust my butt around my neighborhood. Now, I leave the music at home and say Hi to everyone I see along the way.
By Holly C, Jun 01, 2009
I think William Butler Yeats used to compose his poetry while on long walks... I just moved & miss the little park I used to walk at, four or five times a week.
It was a few miles away, but a perfect little 3/4 mile oval- it was nothing to walk three or four miles, I'd hardly realize it.
Where I moved to, there's a nice long riverwalk but I tend not to use it much. It's very wide open, and it feels like being on a giant conveyor belt. The river view is pretty, but it makes me feel like an ant or something! Also the fact that I can't just loop back to my car spontaneously or decide to do another loop, but instead have to walk in a straight line is somehow much less enjoyable. It's also very very hilly & somewhat rural so even in the city limits there isn't much in terms of sidewalks, except downtown.
I have to find a new walking spot! Thanks for the reminder, it's really one of my favorite things to do. Gotta crack out my pedometer & shine up my somewhat neglected since we moved MBTs! :D
By Karyn Polewaczyk, Jun 03, 2009
I've got 4 out of 5 down - gardening isn't a readily available option in an old, brick pre-war building with gravel for a backyard. There are great community gardens in Greater Boston, though the wait lists are pretty obscene. Another great mental activity is being completely unplugged for a day - no phone, no TV, no Internet - and really giving full attention to these activities.
By Amy E, Jun 10, 2009
Most anything outdoors helps me detox. I have found that as much as I like running, sometimes I need to slow it down a little and just take a nice stroll to clear my mind.
By Cece, Jun 11, 2009
I like the idea of Meditative walking...I've always found it hard to focus on meditating when there are so many distractions at home or while remaining still. I started walking/jogging on the urban trail system in my area and found it to be completely relaxing! I love the way my mind and body feels after being out in the sun and being able to take in the beautiful natural surroundings. I would highly recommend finding a trail system or outdoor park in your area to try this out!
By Stacy Larsen, Jun 16, 2009
I love summer gardening .. we have honeysuckle blooming right now, and raspberries and blueberries and strawberries coming on. I look at my little planters and garden boxes and imagine the basil and tomatoes I'll be enjoying in a few weeks. Sometimes there is no better day than getting the boombox going and digging in the dirt.
By Janee P, Jun 17, 2009
Just did Meditative Walking on the lake front in Chicago this morning. It was great!!!
By Kate Sellar, Jun 18, 2009
I love walking around to clear my mind. After work, I usually walk to a metro station a few stops further than I need to in order to clear my mind.
By Krissy, Jun 29, 2009
love it!!!! i totally need a mental detox i think i have way too many thoughts floating in my head... im going to start a journal tonight!!
By cnyspagirl, Jul 02, 2009
Love all the suggestions. I have a bit of trouble with the pen and paper journal, but I love to journal electronically (aka blog). I find myself doing my best "writing", in my head of course, when I am walking. I always write my best articles after a long, peaceful walk where I've had lots of time to think and clear my head.
By Zena M, Jul 28, 2009
Thanks for sharing the Web Site and the books I must check those out!. I just started learning about Nichiren Buddhism and I know yoga helps to bring about your Buddha Nature (peaceful, insightful thinking).
~Zena~