I was a meditation faillure until this

Meditation stresses me out.  While I’m fully on board with all meditation can do for me, I couldn’t find a way to work it into my life. Some people meditate first thing in the morning. That’s great but I like to write at that time. Others suggest meditating before bed but at that point, I just want to go to bed. I’ve spent money on apps and programs and nothing stuck until my most recent discovery.

One of my favorite things in life is a sauna. I love the dry heat and the quiet. I find it to be one of the most relaxing things but I don’t have a sauna at home. I do have a steam shower, which was never my thing (more of a bath girl). Marc insisted on it when we renovated. I’ve slowly come around and find it sauna-esque, now I set the steam for 10 minutes whenever I shower.

I’ve been pretty anxious the last couple of weeks. It’s nothing major but the usual not enough hours in the day stuff that comes with the kids being back in their routines and work kicking up for me.  I’ve noticed my heart racing a bit. And so, when I found myself with five minutes left on the steam shower, I decided it was an opportunity (and all I can say to the person who thought this sentence meant something else is it's a MEDITATION post). I sat down (we have a bench in our shower, another Marc request), closed my eyes and “focused on my breath”.  If that sounds a little woo woo to you, I agree. You see I’m not someone who can focus on my breath. The only thing that works for me is counting. I count five counts to inhale and another five to exhale.  I think there’s something to be said for being locked in the shower. Even if my eyes open there’s no computer screen or phone. There’s nobody who will walk in (surprisingly this is the one safe haven in my house) or distract me. And I’m only aiming for five minutes at this point.  I’m ok with that as I read (in People which made me feel better about my People habit too) the Dalai Lama quoted saying, “there shouldn’t be any strict rules. It’s not good to push oneself too much.” So there.

Do you meditate? When and where do you do it? For how long? Do you like saunas?

The whole "dad bod" thing

Have you heard the term dad bod? I had heard rumblings but I looked into it further when Kaitlyn Bristowe (the latest Bachelorette) remarked to my beloved People magazine that she didn’t want a mate with the “dad bod”. Even as someone who feel looks matter and fitness definitely matters my “uh oh antennae” activated.

OK so first this “dad bod” term. Dad bod is said to be coined by college student Mackenzie Pearson. At least she’s credited with it but she also says her friends had been using the descriptor so I can’t be sure. Who really cares? What’s interesting is that “dad bod” refers to a man “with a nice balance of a beer gut and working out.” Basically, a guy with a normal body. I cannot even for a minute imagine if “mom bod” was used. I think of mom jeans and a total backlash “this has nothing to do with having kids” etc.

As usual, I digress. The truth is I think dad bod has been widely accepted for a long time. Washboard abs are not on many women’s list of requirements especially if you are in a relationship with a “dad” and I mean married or just in a long-term relationship (not with your dad, someone else’s dad etc.).  If I’m speaking personally (and my husband has never been overweight, very active etc.) a) that “I spend my life lifting weights” look isn’t my thing and b) would any woman seriously want all that goes along with a guy who is more neurotic than you are? No thanks, I've got that covered.

So the dad bod concept isn’t new. The dad bod is actually a step up from what many men (over 25) look like.  If I’m dreaming I wish men would come out and say “we don’t like a woman with a super flat stomach, perfection is not what we’re after”…but that would require I go back to sleep and dreamland.

What do you think of dad bod? Ladies, single and otherwise, do you want washboard or dad bod? Do you think says something that Kaitlyn doesn’t want a guy with a dad bod? Please tell me you knew who Kaitlyn was. And guys do you like women saying that chiseled isn’t crucial or do you even care?