The culture we live in today here in the U.S. of A. have brought ourselves to the brink of epedemic proportions of stress related health problems.
Relax! An easy enough solution but tougher to follow through with.
I am a writer of devotionals and part of my time and inspiration comes from taking time out doing simple relaxation techniques (go to about.com and look up "meditation and relaxation"). Not only is this beneficial for my writing but it has enormous health benefits as well. Health benefits include not only mental but also physical, emotional, and spiritual.
So what does all this have to do with naturism? It has to do with furthering the relaxation response. Being nude in natural surroundings while listening to the wind in the trees, feeling the air and sun on your body breathing in slowly, concentrating on each breath, breathing out and so on. This is the begining of meditation. Taken even further, meditation thoughts can be on anything around you. Not changing it, controlling it or trying stop it but rather being in the moment and experiencing it. This is called mindful meditation. It works!
Time does not permit me to go into details and other "think on these things" (Php. 4:8) Let it suffice to say that if naturism is an exercise in srtess busting why not take that experience and take time out, a few minutes each day, to reduce the stresses in your life through meditation.
I'm reading the new biography of Benjamin Franklin. He was fond of "air baths," sitting nude for an hour or so in front of a window for relaxation while he meditated or read.
Thanks for the thoughts on this. We all need meditation and time out.
The bible teaches "timeout and meditation" all the time. Jesus had to get away from the crowds to regenerate. I'm sure as he was walking on the water towards the boat, he had a nice long walk. (We just got the story after he arrived at the boat half way across). He took the time to pray and meditate. Probably looked around and enjoyed the scenery, the water, the fish going by under his feet, and of course, away from the crowded country side.
We go canuding to do the same thing. Only, we can't get out as far or as long.
Now that we have a baby in the house, noise is going to be the norm. I will need to get up earlier if I am ever to enjoy a little quiet time.
I used to walk nude in my yard at night or early in the morning to meditate and pray. Now I am in an apartment in the middle of town, don't feel comfortable doing that here. I try walking and meditating here, but it just doesn't seem the same.
But I am trying to get back into good habits again. I let myself slip badly since we had the baby and have moved back to town.
But here we are, now to move forward and get on with life.
And lose weight....again.
Boyd "I wonder if I can meditate weight off?" Allen
I know that you guys know, but just in case someone is hanging around that might not:
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
It matters greatly on what one meditates!
We have all heard the old bit tossed around, "practice makes perfect", but few realize how true it is until they have practiced wrongly and find themselves perfectly wrong.
Bearone
I am a bachelor about to lecture you on kids and quiet time. Kinda hurts my credibility doesn't it?
But I am an uncle and I have seen my bleary-eyed brother stumble to the coffee pot every morning for a few years until my niece and nephew learned to sleep through the night. Now the kids are bigger, he can relax quietly with a Bible in his lap. WRONG!!!!!!!!
He's got kids climbing him like a tree.
It's a tough job. He works all day and his kids are glued to him the minute he comes home from work. It's a blessing, but also very tough.
I agree that arranging a time to take a walk or go meditate is essential. For a while I worked in the middle of the city. Before it got too hot, I would eat a Slimfast bar for my lunch and spend the whole lunch hour walking up and down the city sidewalks. About 10 minutes into my walk was a small city park and I could sit down on a bench and pray for a few minutes. It wasn't long, but it really did an fdisk and reformat to my brain. It was a few precious minutes with my Savior and I could count on that time.
Dude, if you fdisked your brain, wouldn't that be splitting it into partitions for multiple personalities? LOL. J/K. I thought it was cute how you used computer terminology in such a way; not used to seeing it on this forum.
Kevin,
If you do an "F-disk and format" on your brain, be sure not to set it up for FAT32 if there is to be any hope for staying slim!
Being trim and in shape is as drastic as a reformat. It is a new way of life that includes permanent change, not just a crash diet. The junk food calories that I burned so easily as a teen won't go away so easily now that I am middle-aged.
Right now the morning is my time for personal care. It's the dog days of summer and I don't dare go out jogging in the 90 degree heat and humidity of midday.
When fall comes, the day is cooler, but also shorter. Then I have to figure out how to get in enough time on the joggers trail before it gets dark. (I live 5 miles from a lighted track, so that is an option). Some nights a workout at the local gym will substitute for jogging (and I should do that anyway).
But doing nothing is not an option. I want to be a good steward of the body the Lord gave me.
Actually I'm 21 and I can no longer eat what I'm used to. I used to eat whatever my stomache could handle. I still exercise, but have gained weight. My metabolism started to die at age 20. The funny thing is, I'm still not that fat, I just have a gut I'm not used to having.
I've started to over-come my fear of water, and am learning how to swim bit-by-bit. I'd still drown if tossed overboard, lol, but I'm making progress evertime I'm in the water. I have to say: what a workout! I'd paddle away for a minute or two, take a breather, and start paddling again. I deffinitely don't want to go in too deep of water.
Do you have a park nearby? I like to pray and walk. I call it prayerwalking. Sunrise is a good time to get exercise and be in quiet time with the Lord. You can always be naked under your clothes if you have to wear clothes where you're at.
I don't know if you can meditate weight off but maybe God will bring to mind diet tips. I've been told prayer works for losing weight. The bible has a healthy diet plan in Daniel chapter one.
