Breathe and Stop.

Hey! Have you heard any of this before? 😬

“Try it out! I’m not as stressed with work and life.”

“I manage my emotions so much better now!”

“I can speak to the universe whenever I want to!”

Not that last quote. Well, maybe someday. But I’m sure you’ve heard others say something similar to the first two when talking about a mindfulness or meditation practice.

It was a combination of athletic performance and woo-woo astrology stuff that led me to start a mindfulness practice.

I’m no professional but I enjoy working out and occasionally testing the upper limits of my body’s capabilities. Breathing obviously plays a huge factor when it comes to that. So I learned how to breathe better through my nose specifically to increase my performance.

Breathwork is legit. I wasn’t gassing out as quickly at the gym, runs and hikes were more manageable, and my karaoke singing was easier on the ears.

My friends are really cool. I'd call some of them infinitely curious. They're some of my favorite people to converse with because of the interesting tangents we dive down. Being open-minded is highly undervalued.

Over a conversation about astrology, one of them introduced me to a podcast called Mysterious Universe. It covers weird science, paranormal, new-age topics in a very entertaining yet interesting manner. Definitely worth checking out.

The first episode I heard was about how meditation literally changes the brain and mind.

The proverbial light bulb turned on.

I can use breathwork and meditation to train my brain and improve its performance?! I was all in.

This happened around the time Headspace made a splash landing within the self-help community. Knowing the benefits of proper breathing in sports performance plus the carryover into meditation and building a mindfulness practice with Headspace guiding me felt very serendipitous.

Everything kind of fell into place. I didn’t check where the stars were in the sky that day.

Let's clear up a few things first. 🩻

I did the research for you and there is a difference between mindfulness and meditation.

Meditating, a purposeful and concentrated act usually done in solitude, will allow you to be more mindful.

A mindfulness practice is unique to each person and can be applied in almost any situation, at any time.

Being more mindful opens the door for you to live a more efficient life.

Efficient in what specific way do you ask? Almost everything.

I hate to say it this way but think of mindfulness as a mindset.

Respond rather than react in your interactions with people. Manage better relationships with your emotions and thoughts. Discover what inner peace looks like to you and maintain it.

Life is not the life our parents experienced. 🙃

Even if some of us have a plan, we’re still figuring it out as we go.

A mindfulness practice can make parts of our lives easier to manage, just keep in mind results are unique to each individual.

Looking back, it allowed me to handle certain situations with more clarity and receptiveness.

I'm definitely more at peace with things in my life. From work to friendships and hobbies, I’m able to appreciate and value those aspects.

Because of that, I am able to create a balance where I can work on my growth while also making time for outer things that matter and add value to my life.

There was an issue carving out time for this practice but seeing the positive changes in myself made it a no-brainer. I’m more efficient, finally.

This brings us to this newsletter.

I’m pivoting to full-time copywriting. I’ll share challenges I’ve faced in changing careers, my experiences with the impact mindfulness has on my life, and things I’ve come across I find valuable.

This newsletter will evolve over time but I want to keep it centered around mindfulness as I feel it offers so much for everyone.

My experience with it has taken me down uncommon avenues but know this: it doesn't need to be spiritual or religious for you to get something out of it. I promise it’s way more exciting than you think.

I’m looking forward to your feedback and thoughts about anything related.

A Piece of Mind. 📡

Something I’ve read over the past week which I hope you find value in.

Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body - Daniel Coleman & Richard J. Davidson

The featured book on Mysterious Universe which changed everything for me.

You plop down on the couch after a long day. Unfinished tasks, problems from two weeks ago, and daydreams all fill your mind. Your brain has entered Default Mode.

Default Mode Network(DMN) activates in the brain when you’re not focused on a task requiring mental engagement. Things dealing with the past, future, and self-image become take center stage.

Researchers have discovered links between activity in these parts of the brain with depression, anxiety, and other related mental conditions.

But studies show meditation can lead to reduced DMN activity. Most benefits are short term which suggests consistent practice would be the more beneficial.

While the DMN is complex and handles multiple functions in the brain, meditation was found to not have any negative impact on brain function.

What this all means: While meditation is not a complete solution for depression and other mental conditions, it does offer worthwhile benefits. Researchers have found there is no significant impact when suppressing the DMN with meditation. Our mind, like our physical body, is more efficient when we train it more.

*I only have a Driver’s License. Please seek a licensed professional therapist if you or someone you know are experiencing depression or other mental conditions.

I’d love to hear from you, even if it’s just saying “hi”.

Thanks for being here and I’ll see you next week!

-Matt