Take Care of your Body.

I started meditating consistently during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. It was a very stressful period, and I was looking for a tool to help with my anxiety and state of mind. I stumbled upon a YouTube ad campaign by the mindfulness app Calm that featured four-time NBA champion Lebron James. The calm session featuring Lebron: Train Your Mind with LeBron James was so good that I immediately signed up for a premium version after finishing the session.

Lebron James was drafted by his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, as the first overall pick of the 2003 NBA draft. He is in his 20th season as an NBA star and still playing at a very top level. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest NBA players of all time. One of the insights Lebron shared in his Calm session is the amount of time and resources he spent on maintaining his body. Lebron reportedly spends around 1.5 million dollars yearly to care for his body. The 38-year-old NBA superstar takes care of his body using hyperbaric chambers, cryotherapy, NormaTec leg boots, trainers, personal chefs, and a consistent routine.

Success leaves clues, and Lebron shared many keys to his longevity and success as a superstar. He prioritizes caring for his body and mind by training hard, resting, meditating, and consistently believing in his greatness. The Lebron James Calm session made me convert to meditating and understanding the value of having a deliberate routine regimen. My meditation journey has not been smooth sailing. I started meditating in July 2021 and missed some days, but with time, I got into a groove with it. As of today, I have meditated consistently for 718 days non-stop for at least 15-20 minutes per day. Meditating is one of the most life-transforming activities in which I have engaged in the past five years. My anxiety levels have reduced, and I feel a significant serenity between my body and mind.

Meditation, Exercise, Diet and Sleep (MEDS)

I have participated in and finished fifteen full marathons in the past two years: six in 2022 and nine in 2023. In the process, I reduced my marathon personal best from 3:59 – 3:44 – 3:20. Running a marathon is a very tough endeavour as it requires a lot of training, resting and synchronicity between one’s body, mind and soul. One of the frameworks that has helped me in achieving my fitness goal is the Meditation, Exercise, Diet and Sleep (MEDS). Here is how I use the framework daily.

Meditation: One of the first things I do immediately after waking up is meditating. I use the Calm App guided meditation of my three favourite instructors: Daily Calm with Tamara Levitt, Daily Jay with Jay Shetty, and Daily Trip with Jeff Warren.
Exercise: Depending on the season, I train for 2-3 hours daily. During summertime, my training regimen is usually intense as I run a lot outside. I cross-train across various sports activities such as playing basketball, pickleball, badminton, swimming, volleyball and running.

Diet: I try to eat a balanced diet that is comprised of a lot of protein and I also hydrate a lot by drinking lots of water.
Sleep: Sleep and rest are some of the most important attributes that many successful athletes, such as Lebron James adhere to. I try to sleep for six hours daily, and it is something I am still trying to work on.

In her book Slow: Simple Living for a Frantic World, author Brooke McAlary attributes the Meditation, Exercise, Diet and Sleep (MEDS) framework to Behavioral consultant Nicholas Bate, who refers to the concept as “taking your MEDS,” or, more specifically, paying attention to:

Wellness is about balance.

Meditation: Take time to think, reflect and focus on your breath.
Exercise: Move your body daily.
Diet: Increase the nutrients in your diet and reduce the junk.
Sleep: Sleep for an average 7-8 hours daily.

In his 2013 memoir, Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story, former bodybuilding champion, actor and former governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger remarked that one of the keys to his success was his ability to take care of his body and mind. In the book “Arnold Rules” section, he advised, “Take care of your body and your mind.”

Some of the earliest advice that stuck in my head was Fredi Gerstl channeling Plato. “The Greeks started the Olympics, but they also gave us the great philosophers,” he would say. “You have to build the ultimate physical machine but also the ultimate of the mind.” Focusing on the body was no problem for me, and later on, I became really curious to develop my mind. I realized that the mind is a muscle and we should train it too. So I was determined to train my brain and get smart. I became like a sponge, absorbing everything around me. The world became my university, I developed such a need to learn and read and take it all in.

For people who are successful with their intelligence, the opposite applies. They need to exercise the body every day. Clint Eastwood exercises even when he’s directing and starring in a movie. Dmitri Medvedev worked endless hours when he was president of Russia, but he had a gym at home and worked out two hours each day. If world leaders have time to work out, so do you.”

“You have to build the ultimate physical machine but also the ultimate of the mind.”

Meditations

Daily Calm with Tamara Levitt – Widening
For the most part, it is our instinct to try to control our experience. We cling to what we like and reject what we dislike, but this effort to create pleasant experiences and resist unpleasant ones can intensify our unhappiness. Meditation teaches us to accept the unavoidable, unchangeable, and difficult. As we practice, we widen our capacity to accept whatever arises: the emotions, sounds, sensations, and thoughts. We learn to welcome everything into our experience.

“Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different; enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes (which it will); being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way (which it won’t).” – James Baraz

Daily Jay with Jay Shetty – Make Clearer Requests
Daily Trip with Jeff Warren – The Central Training

The core principle of meditation is learning just to be. Equanimity is the subtle skill of being open and not getting uptight about imperfections in our immediate environment.

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