{"id":59318,"date":"2017-06-12T07:15:34","date_gmt":"2017-06-12T11:15:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=59318"},"modified":"2021-05-14T05:54:21","modified_gmt":"2021-05-14T09:54:21","slug":"moving-meditations-hiit-holly-rilinger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/fitness\/moving-meditations-hiit-holly-rilinger\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Moving Meditations to Take Your Workout Higher"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo: Matt Doyle<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Slowing down is getting stronger in disguise, according to Holly Rilinger, founder of LIFTED, a HIIT and meditation class at Studio B in New York City. In her new book, Lifted: 28 Days to Focus Your Mind, Strengthen Your Body, and Elevate Your Spirit<\/em><\/a>, Rilinger shares a HIIT workout<\/a> program with meditation<\/a> woven in to help you build a deeper mind, body and spirit connection.<\/p>\n

So why\u2019s Rilinger dialing down the intensity instead of cranking it all the way up<\/em> like the rest of the fitness industry? We\u2019ve forgotten how to appreciate what rest and recovery can do for you, she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cSlowing down is one of the most underrated things about wellness. From recovery<\/a> to sleep to breathing to days off<\/a>, people just aren\u2019t doing enough of these things,\u201d Rilinger says.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Meditation Meets HIIT in New Mindful Fitness Approach<\/a><\/p>\n

A Focused Mind Means a Stronger Body<\/h3>\n

As meditation subtly becomes more integrated<\/a> into fitness classes, like LIFTED, Rilinger is hoping people embrace the softer side of wellness. \u201cIn the last five years, the average person has become interested in being an athlete and training like one. But now, we see people exploring the other extreme, and they\u2019re curious about what mindfulness and meditation can do,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

The Nike master trainer discovered the power of meditation four years ago when a friend invited her to a meditation class. Rilinger confesses she was a non-believer when she did her first meditation. But she quickly realized how it helped her reduce stress<\/a>, gave her more clarity and put more thought behind each movement in her workouts.<\/p>\n

\u201cI noticed how much more calmness [meditation] has brought to every part of life,\u201d she says. That got her thinking about designing a workout that does both. \u201cFor many people, especially New Yorkers, getting someone to go to a 30-minute meditation class and skipping a workout is a big ask. But if you could sprinkle it into your workout, it\u2019s the perfect way to use your hour,\u201d Rilinger says.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>7 Ways to Carve Out Time to Meditate<\/a><\/p>\n

Get Lifted: 28 Days to a Stronger Mind, Body and Spirit<\/h3>\n

Rilinger designed the 28-day HIIT and meditation program, detailed in her book, for people who aren\u2019t able to take her class at Studio B, or want to do it at home or at the gym. \u201c28 days is short enough to follow along and adopt positive habits<\/a>, but long enough to make lasting change and see results. You\u2019ll start to have more mental clarity, your body will get stronger and overall you\u2019ll feel happier,\u201d Rilinger says.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re new to meditation<\/a>, Rilinger shares her foolproof strategies on how to gradually incorporate the practice into your lifestyle. \u201cStart small. 30 minutes is a lot, but five minutes? That\u2019s a great place to start. It\u2019s all about making meditation approachable and sustainable,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

In addition to the workouts, Rilinger shares tips on how to create a dream board for manifesting any health and fitness goals. \u201cAs a former pro athlete, I\u2019ve always been someone who knows the upside of hard training, but I also had to learn how to visualize and be really strong mentally,\u201d says Rilinger, who used to play professional basketball internationally. She also provides her own goal-setting and positive thinking exercises to help you overcome physical and mental challenges. And to tie in nutrition, Rilinger shares some of her favorite nourishing recipes.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>8 Signs You\u2019re Way Too Stressed (and How to Deal)<\/a><\/p>\n

3 Moving Meditations to Infuse Mindfulness Into Your Workout<\/h3>\n

So what does a LIFTED moving meditation look like exactly? Rilinger designed these meditations for the beginning, middle and end of her workouts to help you catch your breath and prepare yourself for what\u2019s next. \u201cWhen we calm down and give ourselves the luxury of the workout, we\u2019re going to do a push-up better, lunge deeper and squat lower,\u201d RIlinger says.<\/p>\n

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GIFs: Tiffany Ayuda \/ Life by Daily Burn<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

1. The Reset<\/h3>\n

Rilinger opens up her LIFTED workout with a five-minute savasana-inspired moving meditation to help you leave the chaos of your day behind you and turn off all distractions. \u201cIt\u2019s separation from what\u2019s out there and what\u2019s in here. You\u2019re sitting down and closing your eyes, and you\u2019re dedicating yourself completely to the workout ahead of you.\u201d  While the first meditation in LIFTED is done in a seated position with your legs crossed, you can do this moving meditation as a variation to wake up your joints and muscles. Lying with your back flat on a mat, you\u2019ll bring your hands over your head. As you roll up to sit, fold your arms over your legs and reach for your toes. Be sure to keep your eyes closed.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>3 Guided Meditations for Productivity, Sleep and Cravings<\/a><\/p>\n

\"3<\/p>\n

2. Bottle It Up<\/h3>\n

“This gives you the luxury of sitting in that magic moment.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

After 40 minutes of intensity, you can feel your chest rising and falling, and the sweat pouring down your face. Rilinger says, \u201cIn most workouts, that\u2019s the end, and people are mentally moving on to Facebook, Instagram, email. But this gives you the luxury of sitting in that magic moment.\u201d The second meditation in LIFTED allows you take a moment to close your eyes and catch your breath, Rilinger says. Take this moment to prepare yourself for the last two songs of the workout \u2014 or the last 10 minutes of intense exercise.  In this moving meditation variation, you’ll be sitting on a mat with your feet out in front of you and your eyes closed, lean back and reach for the left edge of the mat with your left hand. Then return to sitting before alternating sides.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Is a Lack of Self-Awareness Keeping You From Happiness?<\/a><\/p>\n

\"3<\/h3>\n

3. Sun Salutation<\/h3>\n

Rilinger says the last meditation allows you to bask in that victorious moment of completing a workout and giving it your all. \u201cJust like yoga, it\u2019s that dreamy savasana<\/a> at the end. You\u2019re letting go of all the frustrations from the day and connecting to what\u2019s important to you,\u201d she says. Rilinger explains if you could bottle up this feeling and take a sip of it later, that\u2019s what it is. In this sun salutation-inspired moving meditation, you’re slowing down your breath, while stretching out all the muscles you just worked.<\/p>\n

Get your own copy of <\/em>Lifted: 28 Days to Focus Your Mind, Strengthen Your Body, and Elevate Your Spirit<\/em><\/a>, available now wherever books are sold.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What\u2019s the secret to a low squat and a deep lunge? Better focus. These moving meditations from Holly Rilinger will enhance your mind and body connection.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":90,"featured_media":59358,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,24,6,14,19],"tags":[173,229,82,341,343,100],"class_list":["post-59318","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cardio","category-exercise","category-fitness","category-strength-training","category-yoga","tag-meditation","tag-mindfulness","tag-recovery","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2exercise","tag-workout"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59318","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/90"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59318"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59318\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/59358"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59318"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59318"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59318"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}