Meditation can be as simple or as complicated as you want. I recommend taking a class first to get the basics, but you can do meditation on your own once you know what you are doing. Most meditation focuses on breathing to clear the mind, but there are other ways to do this like a repeated word or phrase. Yoga uses simple movements or postures for the same effect. Then there are guided meditations that ask you to imagine places or activities. My favorite meditations were in my sunday school where we would meditate to Beatles music. Once you start you'll realize meditation allows you more control over your body and your mind. I don't often do formal meditations anymore, but I'll use it to calm myself before getting a shot or to help get myself back to sleep if I wake up in the middle of the night. It can take a couple of tries to get into the right frame of mind. A formal class setting can really help with this as you won't be as tempted to give up early or to fall asleep. But once you have the basics down you can design your own meditations that work best for you.

lisa i did not know that! believe it or not we used to live down that back road that runs along the westside of the Y (just north of the dam where people fish) and around the back corner in a townhouse subdivision, from 1999-2001. until a couple of yrs ago we would drive back to jay blanchard on sat & sun to walk our dogs there. we go occassionally now. my dh was bite by an alligator there lol. we did our class at SCC sanford and that is where the tai chi course is starting late March. i am right by red sun(formerly red door) yoga in winter springs and if i knew i'd go alot i'd join there for $100 a month unlimited. they are famous for their classes in several types of yoga & meditation. i wore sweats, tee shirts and sweat jackets to yoga. i can not be cool at all, i like to be warm and we were in a large workout room that was cool. definitely bring your own matt or atleast a towel to throw on a used matt for the first class. definitely go, i was surprised at how relaxing it was lol ~ liz Here is a link that might be useful: red sun yoga

Me? I'm exhausted watching hours and hours and hours of the British open....need to finish reading 'The Help' by Monday morning and just started it this morning. I get a line or two in between shots.

Fascinating topic :). I have never been interested in make up, and so never got into much of it. Daily routine is, after washing face, to apply an SPF 30 moisturizer, brow pencil since I plucked most of mine as a teenager and they never grew back, and a dot of Dermablend cover on a small but very pale and noticeable circular scar above one eye where I had a skin cancer removed. Quit bothering with eye shadow and blush years ago, ditto with foundation which is also nasty to wear in the Miami subtropical weather; feels to me like wearing a greasy mask, yuck. Actually the climate here strongly mitigates against the multilayer face 'painting' I read about; cannot imagine plastering on primer/foundation/powder and then leaving it to bake all day especially during what I call our double 90 season (heat and humidity). Have never used lipstick, rarely mascara and never tried eye liner. Have never had an interest in Botox or any other type of intervention or surgical options and probably never will. I did Invisalign orthodontia several years ago; had lived with crooked teeth until I was 50+ YO and the feeling about my improved appearance/smile, along with the greater ease in keeping up with dental hygiene due to straight teeth has been immeasurably positive. I have my hair professionally cut and highlighted every 10-12 weeks. Wash and blow dry it every other day, use a straightening iron too often--as I'm aging my hair is developing that brittle overprocessed look that I hate to see. I need to up my use of hair treatments but just haven't bothered. What else--do my own pedicures, no manicures or nail polish on my hands. Did fingernail polish for years on my own but didn't like how it discolored the nails and prefer natural. I am in major stall on exercise; was doing Pilates regularly with a trainer but she closed her studio and I haven't found a group class with a good instructor on a schedule that works for me. At 58, I badly need to get myself into a regular schedule of cardio, stretching and weight training. Have never had to worry about weight but the tone and fitness lack is worrisome. I'd call myself diligent in keeping clean, tidy and looking reasonable but in many ways I like being in the stage of life at which I've become 'invisible'. It's very freeing in a lot of ways not to worry about trying to live up to whatever i social acceptability standard for appearance is out there for women these days :).