Day 7: 30 Day Meditation Challenge

Awesome! We made it through the first week! This week, let's increase our post-mediation reflection to include a few more minutes journaling, creating, or art as creativity comes out of stillness. Maybe the creativity manifests in an actual work of art or piece of writing or maybe its just about getting creative in the way we treat ourselves or in some of the self-work we may be doing.

Blessings on your bottom! :-)

Day 4: 30 Day Mediation Challenge

Technique to Try: Heart Breathing

• Lie on your back with your eyes closed and your hands on your heart. Begin breathing and fill your chest with your breath - feel your sternum expand with each breath. Do this for a few minutes.
• Then let your breathing to flow in and out naturally, effortlessly with your doing anything - just keep your awareness in the center of your chest where you hands are -feel what you feel.
• As you practice, let each breath remind your to stay centered and present in the now. When your attention strays, notice, and bring it back to the feeling-awareness of the ever-changing sensations in your check. Don't think about the breath, simply experience what's actually there to be experienced. We are shifting from thinking mode to feeling mode.
• Do this for 10 minutes.

Day 3: 30 Day Mediation Challenge

Technique to Try: Coming Back to Center Motionless sitting is probably the easiest way to learning to be centered, but being centering doesn't require  physical motionlessness. The more you practice, the more you can become familiar with the energetic feeling-tone of stillness. Throughout the day today, back to center as many times as you can. Relax into where you are, breathe, and consciously be present in the moment. Do this in the midst of anything/everything - all day long, and let the joy you feel permeate everything you do.

How did it go? Share your experience with the group here.

Why would you do a 30 Day Meditation Challenge?

Why would you consider a 30 day meditation challenge? A few reasons:

• According to one study, it takes between 18 and 254 days to form a habit and the folks at Google say it takes about 21 days. It is different for everyone. The point is, it takes time to create the neuro-pathways for change.
• It's not easy. So there lies dormant as sense of accomplishment. Setting goals + meeting goals = positive feeling.
• Other people are doing it too. You are not alone. You can connect with, support and be supported by other 30-day challengers.
• Meditation is one big key to unlocking 'higher' levels of consciousness and evolution. Does that seem weird or un-relatable to you? Well, here's some science. We have the limbic brain, the "reptilian" brain - responsible for flight/fight and circadian rhythm - your auto-pilot and we have the pre-frontal cortex responsible for conscious thought - human beings' most incredible gift. Meditation helps to get you off auto-pilot and become fully engaged - which allows for your big brain to serve the highest good.
• It's peaceful and relaxing.
• It's physically possible for all. I'm not sure a 30 days plank or handstand challenge is, but sitting on my bottom everyday and breathing? Sounds like a vacation.

And the most convincing reason? You will find out on day 31!

30 Day Meditation Challenge [Begins Nov 1!]

A 30 day Meditation Challenge?! Who's with me?!!

When: Nov 1 - 30, 2013
Where: Wherever (or at home in a designated spot)
Time: Whenever. Same time everyday (or first thing in the morning/last thing at night)
How Long:  15min (or longer)

Part of the challenge is to meditate and then write a short reflection on the experience. 15 minutes of meditation followed by 5 minutes of writing.

Sign up: Send me an email, like/friend me, and join the 30 Day Meditation Challenge group for inspiration, motivation, and encouragement.

Yeah.