Meditation Archives - Fever | Yoga Cycle Strength

Is Meditation the Missing Piece in Your Fitness Journey?

When most people hear the word meditation, they picture someone sitting cross-legged in a quiet room, eyes closed, trying to “empty” their mind. It sounds boring, uncomfortable, or even impossible — especially for those of us who thrive on movement, energy, and connection.

But what if I told you meditation isn’t actually about emptying your mind at all? What if, instead, it’s about training your mind and body to create the future you want — in the same way you train your muscles in the studio?

That’s exactly what I’ve been exploring through the work of Dr. Joe Dispenza. His approach to meditation goes far beyond stillness or stress relief. It’s about becoming the creator of your life. You don’t just sit there waiting for something to happen — you set an intention and give your body and brain a new blueprint to follow.

Why is meditation so hard for so many of us?

We live in a world that constantly pulls us outward: workouts, work schedules, social feeds, family demands. We’re always doing, but rarely being. Even in fitness, we can get caught in that endless loop — pushing harder, adding more classes, trying to outdo ourselves.

The problem? You can’t truly build strength or find balance if your mind is running the same old stories. That’s where meditation comes in as the missing piece.

Meditation as mental strength training

Think of meditation as mental strength training — the same way you strengthen your glutes or core. In Dr. Joe’s approach, you’re not just relaxing; you’re rehearsing a new future. You’re teaching your nervous system to feel elevated emotions like gratitude, love, joy — before the physical evidence shows up.

When you practice this consistently, you start to move differently, teach differently, and live differently. You become less reactive, more creative, and more aligned with your goals — in and out of the studio.

When you change your energy, you change your life.” – Dr. Joe Dispenza

Where to start (even if you’re skeptical)

You don’t need hours on a cushion or a silent retreat. You can start small:

Set an intention before your workout or your day. Ask yourself: How do I want to feel today? Who do I want to be when I leave this room?
Take five minutes to breathe deeply and visualize yourself already living that intention. Perhaps you invite this in at the end of your yoga practice in Savasana.
Notice your patterns — are you telling yourself you’re too busy, too old, not good enough? What if that story is exactly what’s holding you back?

These small moments build up. Just like lifting weights or practicing your yoga poses, each repetition rewires you.

Ready to explore this with me?

I’ll be sharing more about integrating these practices into my own life and into classes in the future. Please note I am not a Neuroscience Change Solutions provider and can only offer support on these practices. For now, I invite you to start playing with this idea. If you’re curious to go deeper, you can explore Dr. Joe Dispenza’s work here https://drjoedispenza.com/

How to Express Gratitude Everyday

October 21, 2022/in Fever Yoga Cycle Strength, Meditation, Practice Yoga Every Day, Yoga Breath, Yoga Grand Rapids, Yoga Teacher, Yoga Teacher Training /by Shannon Austin

How to Cultivate Gratitude Every Day

The practice of gratitude strengthens our health, steadies our hearts, and connects us to what matters most. It’s a discipline of noticing — of seeing the gift in the simple, the sweat in the effort, the silence between breaths. Even in seasons of uncertainty, we can choose to live as if everything is a gift. When we do, our world truly expands.

As we move toward the holidays, here are nine ways to cultivate gratitude — both in and out of the studio — inspired by the classes and practices we love at Fever Yoga Cycle Strength.

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In the Studio

1. Set Grateful Intentions

Each time you unroll your mat or clip in for class, begin with one simple intention: I am grateful to be here.

In your yoga practice, this might mean feeling appreciation for every muscle that lengthens and every drop of sweat that falls. In Cycle, Barre or Pilates, it’s recognizing your body’s strength — the rhythm of your heart, the steadiness of your breath. Gratitude deepens when we notice the details.

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2. Meditate or Rest in Sound

Meditation means to watch your thoughts or to “become familiar with” – sit down for 5 minutes a day and meet yourself – your nervous system will thank you and so will your loved ones who will immediately notice the calm change within you. Meditation doesn’t always have to be silent — it can hum, pulse, and vibrate through you. Join us for a Sound Healing session every Wednesday and Sunday – or simply explore stillness after your class. Let the vibration of sound bowls or music settle the nervous system and open space for reflection.

In that resonance, gratitude naturally rises.

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3. Count Blessings, Not Breaths

During a long hold — whether in half-pigeon, a Pilates plank series, or a climb on the bike — try shifting your focus. With each breath, think of one thing you’re thankful for. You’ll be surprised how much lighter the work feels when gratitude joins you in the effort.

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4. Never Skip Savasana (or Cool Down)

That final rest or release is where gratitude lands. In yoga, savasana is a time to surrender; in Cycle or Strength, the cooldown is a time to honor what your body has done. Don’t rush it — linger in those few quiet minutes. Let your practice integrate.

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Out of the Studio

5. Wake Up With A Grateful Heart

When you wake up, instead of grabbing for your phone, place your hand over your heart and watch your breath flow in and out as you deepen your connection to the emotion of gratitude. Notice the warmth, the pulse of being alive swirl through this center. When you wake up to your heart, you are waking up to your life, not your problems.

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6. Read Something That Expands You

Step away from the scroll and into a page. Whether it’s a poem, a memoir, or an inspiring book on wellness, give your mind something nourishing. Reading slows the pace of the world, helping you remember the beauty in stillness and curiosity.

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7. Write It Down

Keep a small gratitude journal or note on your phone. Each day, list three things — people, moments, or sensations — that made you pause with appreciation. Over time, you’ll start to see how much goodness threads through even the ordinary days.

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8. Practice Self-Care as a Ritual

Gratitude starts with how we treat ourselves. Nourish your body with wholesome food, rest when needed, and seek experiences that ground you. Book a massage, soak in a bath, or step into a Restorative or Sound Healing session. Every act of care tells your nervous system: I am worthy of feeling good.

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9. Give Back

Gratitude completes its circle when we give. Offer your time, your energy, or your kindness — in big or small ways. Volunteer, check in on a friend, or simply share a smile with a stranger at the studio. When we give from gratitude, we become part of the healing we hope to see.

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Closing Thought

At Fever, gratitude is more than a mindset — it’s a practice woven into every breath, beat, and moment of connection. Whether you’re flowing, cycling, or finding stillness, remember that the ability to move, feel, and show up is something to be deeply thankful for.

This season, let your practice be your gratitude.

Meditation: the art of focusing your mind

June 30, 2019/in Meditation /by Shannon Austin

We spend almost every day in the fast lane of life, facing enormous challenges like juggling finances, family, career, and relationships all at once. Ever feel like you’re running on empty?

Keeping up with such a hectic pace produces high anxiety and stress, which causes us to become disconnected, mechanical, and sometimes numb. We end up living in our heads when we were created to live from our hearts.

One solution to this is to develop or strengthen a regular yoga practice. But today, we’re diving into yoga’s sister: meditation.

Meditation is often referred to as the art of doing nothing. While it certainly is an art—in the sense that you must practice it just like you do your physical asanas—there’s a lot more going on in your body and mind than what this catchy phrase suggests.

I prefer: the art of focusing your mind. And it does take work to quiet your busy mind. But the more you practice and the more you’re able to quiet your thoughts, the more you will experience a sense of true presence – creating the mind-body connection yoga is known for.

Meditation offers a wide range of amazing benefits, including:

Stress and anxiety reduction
Enhanced self-awareness
Lengthened attention span
Reduced age-related memory loss
Improved sleep

There are two major styles of meditation:

Focused-attention meditation: concentrates attention on a single object, thought, breathing pattern, or mantra.
Open-monitoring meditation: encourages broadened awareness of all aspects of your environment, including thoughts, feelings, or impulses you might normally suppress.

The following 7 meditation styles all fall within one of these two groupings.

Transcendental: In transcendental meditation, you remain seated with your eyes closed and breathe slowly while repeating a mantra (a word or phrase) with the goal of rising above your state of being. If you choose to try this meditation style, practice twice a day for 20 minutes each session. This allows time to settle inward to a profound state of relaxation and rest.

Breath awareness: Have you ever found yourself in your driveway with no recollection of your drive home? Breath awareness meditation ensures that this does not happen while you’re practicing. The goal is to keep your mind fully focused on the present. It builds patience for your everyday life. For example, rather than reflecting on the annoyance of a traffic jam, a skilled practitioner will simply note the delay without judgment.

Zazen sit: Similar to breath awareness meditation, the zazen sit style focuses on sitting in concentration while counting each breath. When zazen is deeply integrated, you should not feel that each part of your body is separate from the others—you should feel a sense of wholeness.

Walking meditation: This style will improve your cardiovascular health, boost your energy, stabilize your mood, and help you embrace the present. Begin by walking at a normal pace, tuning into your natural breath and noticing what it’s like. Then, refine your breath so it’s nasally and free of irregularities. Coordinate your breath so that you’re inhaling for four steps, then exhaling for another four. These should be short puffs of air. Continue for five minutes, then walk and breathe normally for three before repeating.

Guided meditation: For this meditation form, you don’t need any prior experience or knowledge; you’re simply required to listen to an instructor (a real person or via headphones). The goal is to form mental pictures based on situations and experiences you find relaxing. Use as many senses as possible—smell, sound, and texture—to evoke calmness.

Devotional or mantra chant: In this meditation style, you’ll chant a mantra (a sound like “om”) to keep your mind busy while you focus on breathing. This is a powerful and effective method because of the vibratory effects of the sounds that stimulate your body.

Yoga nidra: Also known as progressive relaxation or body scan meditation, the goal is to move through your body noticing areas of tension—then releasing that tension. You’ll start at one end of your body (usually your feet) and work all the way to the other end. You might envision a wave drifting slowly over your body. Because this meditation style slowly and steadily relaxes your body, many people use this to help them fall asleep.

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As you can see, there are many different styles of meditation to choose from. I encourage you to give a few of these a try, while keeping a journal or log on your reflections about each type. You can truly practice meditation anywhere – from a quiet corner of your home to a crowded grocery store! So what’s stopping you?

photo courtesy of Shannon Austin