Friday 111111 A Push and a Pull

Looking towards next week's HABIT: I will develop and implement a timed 4-10 minute, daily relaxation technique.  This means taking a complete break from everything else and focusing entirely on relaxing via use of a particular method of your choice.  No phone, no email, no work, no kids- disconnecting for a short period of time for the purpose of relaxing the brain and perhaps the body as well in taking a mental break.  Going for a jog and "spacing out" doesn't count... taking a nap doesn't count... having a margarita (though it hurts me to say it) doesn't count.  From both recent research (Harvard/Mass General Hospital) and personal experience- we know that taking daily mental breaks helps to "reduce stress and tension that negatively affect your ability to think and remember" and "trigger the relaxation response... reducing blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration, allowing the nervous system to calm down and recover."  I mean- we take rest days from the physical stress of CrossFit- why not take a 5 minute pause from the stresses of the day?!

Here are some ideas:
***Sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes, focus on breathing, directing all your attention to air entering and exiting your nose or mouth. ***Lay down on your back- feet flat on the floor with bent knees (so you purposely don't fall asleep!) and look up at the sky/ceiling.  Count from 1-10 slowly, then backwards to 10-1.  Keep a steady rhythm and continue.  ***In a room or outside with no visual distractions, step off about 10 yards.  Looking down at the ground about 10 feet in front of you, taking one slow step at a time, walk out to the 10 yard mark, slowly turn around and repeat.  Concentrate on the feeling of your feet touching the ground... repeat.  Easy?  Good... that is the point.  Take a VERY easy and simple break for the purpose of relaxing the busy mind.  WHEN a thought, problem, issue or idea comes into your head- regardless of the method of relaxation you are using... simply acknowledge it... and go back to the focus of your concentration- the breathing, the counting, the feet touching the ground.  Finally- set some type of alarm to tell you that you are done.  Practice it a few times this week... so that when you put it into practice on a daily basis next Monday- you will get ready.

Friday's WOD; classes at 7, 9, 10am and again at 3 and 5pm.
Complete as many rounds as possible in 10 minutes of:
15 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball
15 Ring Rows
Post number of rounds and scaling to journals/chalkboard.
Amazing.  A record FIVE comments on yesterday's post... that just MIGHT be a record!