Power Nap: We Need One This Time of Year

Catch some mid-day zzz's at Equinox's PowerNap. Credit

Holiday shopping. Parties and gatherings eating into our free time. End-of-the-year projects. December's holiday season might be the most wonderful time of the year, but it's also the busiest.

One way to combat all that stress: a power nap. Research shows that those short, mid-day sleep sessions make you more alert, reduce stress and improve cognitive function. But try drifting to sleep for 20 minutes, the typical length of a power nap, at the office and you're bound to run into some issues.

What you need is a class that Equinox created specially for December's hustle and bustle: PowerNap. Offered on Tuesdays from 1:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. at Equinox's Loop location throughout the month, PowerNap guarantees a revitalizing workout. Class starts with yoga flow and finishes with a restorative 20-minute meditation session designed to put your body into a deep-slumber state. During class, a wearable mp3 player called the Playbutton is powered with music by Brain Sync, technology that pairs meditation techniques with harmonically layered brainwave frequencies in soothing music. The idea is to activate your brainwaves through meditation and music, with delta waves helping you drift into a quality nap. You'll wake up refreshed, more patient, more efficient and ready to tackle that project that you desperately need to finish.

And you don't have to worry about getting caught snoozing on the job or at the punch bowl.

Photo grabbed from Martin Cathrae at flickr.

The Meditation Report: Kate's Day Six and Seven

Day 6: Relaxation, calm, serenity. The minute I hit send to turn in an assignment and without meditation, I felt free as a bird. But that also meant packing my evening with a busy--and exhausting--workout at the gym and at Vision Quest. That bird-like feeling persisted when I arrived home from Taste at VQ--lots of core work apparently fueled my system and I needed something to calm me down. I resorted back to the bed to perch and meditate--this time have far greater success than on day one although that could have been from the workout high. I tried focusing on a word and maybe I started daydreaming while meditating but it worked. I wound down and even thought I still had to lay in bed and watch TV, I was no longer feeling like the Energizer Bunny. Liz was right: I would start thinking about skiing.

Day 7: I sound like a record on repeat over here with all these plans and then not 100 percent following through. Here's another (although it has a happy ending): I had to save myself a bike for a packed spinning class at the gym, so I planned to arrive early enough to snag the bike and meditate before class time. Well, I got to the gym early but a friend was there so we were talking about insoles, bike fit and running gait, and I had to save my meditation until later. Much later because I was watching The Biggest Loser and eating dinner. But after a segment on the BL when Tara asked for a five-second breather (and thinking there's someone who needs to relax and meditate), I knew I would be doing my time even if it was five minutes before bed.

I'm a fan of the word meditation: I tried it again tonight and it seems to be working, keeping my mind from wandering in a million different directions. And while the week of meditation is almost up, I might not meditate daily, but when I'm feeling the need to chill out, which is pretty frequent, I'll give myself those 10 minutes to shut out the rest of the world. It helps refocus my energy and I feel more productive in the long run. Posted by Kate

The Meditation Report: Kate's Day Four and Five

Day 4: Ellie Krieger of Food Network fame saved me today. I recently started subscribing to her newsletter and each day in my inbox comes a new tip for healthy living. And the timing couldn't be better because the latest suggested three ways to meditate. I've been focusing on the breathing method--breathing slowly, counting to four as you inhale and exhale, and if your thoughts drift concentrate hard on nothing but breathing. The newsletter also suggested two other methods: word and heartbeat meditation.

I should have tried word meditation, repeating a word or phrase to keep my mind from wandering, when I trying my meditate-at-the-gym method again--I wasn't as successful this time having to listen to the whoops, scuffles and whistles happening on the basketball court below. I have a hard enough time finding my heartbeat and counting it during a workout so I'm not sure how well I'd track it during heartbeat meditation.

My other lesson learned: "Remember, you're not being graded on your performance — you're simply exploring a new way to achieve greater serenity. The more you do it, the easier it becomes to slip into a deeply relaxed, meditative state." I like that thought.

Day Five: I could have used meditation the most today and unfortunately I didn't give myself those 10 minutes when I should have. Knowing a deadline was looming and spending a Sunday afternoon working on it didn't help and I passed on my opportunity to work out and meditate after. My plan was to go to Circular Strength Training at Equinox, which include a 5- to 10-minute cooldown of Prasara yoga at the end of class, then either find a quiet spot at the gym or head home and log those strictly meditation minutes. Sorry to disappoint today. Posted by Kate

The Meditation Report: Kate's Day Two and Three

Day Two: After my attempt to meditate yesterday that had me wishing for sleep rather than relaxation or rejuvenation, I knew I had to take those 10-minute sessions and remove them from the bedroom. With husband at home and watching TV, I planned extra time at the gym and slipped into an empty studio room. While it was quiet, I could not remove my mind--it was racing a million miles a minute, thinking about all of the things I had yet to finish up at home or assignments looming on the horizon. I still felt stressed out, but one thing provided relief when I got home: My husband cleaned the kitchen and folded his laundry making for a clean home (and one item checked off my list!).

Day Three: This time I had planned to go to a 15-minute meditation session at Equinox; that failed when 5:30, 6, 6:30 rolled around and didn't want to work out much less leave the house. Boo on me since I thought I needed someone leading me through the meditation. So once again I was on my own--I must have been incredibly tired though. I had dozed off and woke up thinking it was the middle of the night. When I realized it wasn't even 10, I figured I could meditate and then go for a late-night workout. I'm not even sure what I thought about for those 10 minutes, just that by the end of it I was ready for more sleep. The bed won and my ambition was sacked. Posted by Kate

The Meditation Report: Kate's Day One

Let's just say I desperately needed the meditation today (Liz, thanks so much for choosing this dare!) and on multiple fronts. Woke up too early to drive husband to work, couldn't fall back asleep, then woke up STILL tired, zero concentration at work and anxious about how I would finish several projects (and lengthy ones at that) by Friday. And it didn't help that it was raining and unpleasant outside--thanks Mother Nature for the tomfoolery.

So I had an easy plan for meditating today--go to PowerNAP at Equinox, a 30-minute class that focuses on meditation, breathing, stretching and even a little sleeping if your body needs it (I realize I'm not writing much here but stay tuned for a more in-depth look soon). I attended class last week and it was the perfect refresher for my system. Well, the only problem: I dozed off and slept for 2.5 hours instead. With my focus still off-foot, and knowing I needed to meditate, I tried some of the PowerNAP practices at home. I sat indian-style on the bed, turned off the encore of Top Chef and set my alarm for 10 minutes. I think I still need to go somewhere and have someone tell me what to do because I'm not sure how effective my attempt was. Quiet but almost too silent, my mind still felt like it was racing and thinking about something other than the goal of meditation. Maybe I need that music that alters the brain waves to the same levels as sleep, maybe I need an instructor walking me through the steps. But taking that breather helped a little, I was pumped for finishing up some work that I put on the back-burner when the need to nap took precedence.

Good news: I can go to a Meditation class on Friday and a PowerNAP on Monday at Equinox. Score for a schedule that will encourage me to meditate. Posted by Kate

The Meditation Report: Liz's Day One

I had two things going against me with first day on the challenge. 1) It was raining in the morning and I was a little obsessed with making sure I caught an early bus--they run more regularly the earlier I stand outside. So, I was tempted to ditch my 10 minute time-out for an earlier bus ride. 2) And this is not unique to any day--it's a constant in my life--I really struggle with sitting still. I get antsy, fidgety, etc. Still, I'm determined to give the meditation a try so I swallowed my angst and didn't check CTA bus tracker and sat on a couch for 10 minutes of nothingness. 

Except, the moment I closed my eyes and imagined a mellow, serene beach scene, my mind started to whir. How will I describe this experience? How long have I been sitting here? What work am I going to do on my 20 minute bus commute? What should I make for dinner tonight? Did I put X, Y and Z on my to-do list? And so on. So, I didn't feel mentally refreshed or focused, but it was helpful to note that this is probably really good for me....I don't think it's healthy how OCD I am about making the most of every second. I tend to run-around like a chicken-with-my-head-cut-off (pardon the gross expression) and most of the time--I think--it's self-created. The world is not going to come to an end if I have to stand in the rain to wait for a bus or if I put off thinking about taking the pizza dough out of the fridge so it's thaw for dinner or if I don't add a new line-item to my to-do list at this exact second. I also found that I had an easier time chilling out when I opened my eyes and focused on a lamp. Something about "using my imagination" didn't click with me, and it put my brain into overdrive. When I made myself zone in on something with my eyes open, I felt the internal whirring slow substantially. One more thing I learned: Going forward, I'm going to set my kitchen timer for 10 minutes so I don't constantly check my watch to see how many minutes have passed. Posted by Liz

Change One Thing Challenge: Meditate for 10 Minutes A Day

Stressed? Anxious? Hyped up? Between work-related deadlines, upsetting newspaper headlines, job insecurity and never-ending to-do lists, it's no wonder we're all feeling more blah than Buddha these days. Executive decision: We all need to relax. In an effort to tame our tension and feel more...ahhhh....serene and peaceful, Kate and I are embarking on a new Fit-Dare: 10 minutes of meditation for the next seven days. Join us!

Studies have found that meditation can help lower heart rate and blood pressure and boost cognitive performance. And other research suggests that tapping the Zen within improves well-being, heightens focus, elevates mood and increases self-confidence. So, besides 10 minutes of the day, what is there to lose?

More good news: Meditation is a cinch to add to your daily routine (ahem, here's hoping it's easier than logging eight hours of sleep!). How to chill out, in a nutshell: Find a comfy spot, close your eyes, slowly relax your muscles from head-to-toe, and focus on either 1) your breathing, 2) a comforting visual image (perhaps Kate will choose the manicured trees on the ski slopes at Deer Valley; for me, it'll be a white sandy beach with plenty of sunshine and waves) or, 3) an object such as a painting or a vase of flowers. Extra points if you log onto a site like Wildmind.org for some downloadable meditations and more tips on zoning out.

Okay, here we go again: The challenge--10 minutes of meditation every day--begins tomorrow. Photo grabbed from sattva yoga on Flickr. Posted by Liz