The Meditation Challenge—Join Us! There’s a Prize!
Ask any healer, therapist, acupuncturist and MD who knows anything about anything, and they will tell you that meditation is good for you. It can reduce stress, depression and your perception of physical pain, it increases compassion, feelings of empathy and even rational thinking. It can improve your relationships with other people, and make you be nicer to yourself. Heck, it even changes the physical structure of your brain after just eight weeks of regular practice.
You’ve been told a million times you should meditate and we bet you’ve dabbled with it here and there—until you got bored, or your legs fell asleep, or your butt was sore, or you suddenly realized now was the perfect time to sort your entire closet by color.
If you don’t meditate every day, we think you should give it a shot. We’re going to do it too!
Truth is, the world would be a much better place if everyone on the planet meditated every day, but since that isn’t going to happen, gotta start with ourselves. If you already do this daily, please cheer everyone else on in the comments with your happy stories about how now your life is better in every way imaginable, K?
So let’s go! Let’s do this thing. There’s strength in numbers, and if the Beatles can do it, so can you. What we’re asking is this: Seven days. In a row. Some time in the next two weeks.
Some rules: Don’t lie.
Instructions: For seven (7!) consecutive days, sit quietly alone for a minimum of 5 minutes—set a timer, it helps a lot. Then write us an email at nomoredirtylooks (at) gmail (dot) com with OHM in the subject line, and include your first name and location, written thusly “Siobhan, Brooklyn, NY” and a brief description of how you felt at the end of your seven days. Send this to us by the end of the day Sunday, September 25th.
Prize: We will pick three winners at random and winners will get a sweet prize in the mail from Essence of Vali, a stunning aromatherapy line. One person will get “Calm—lavender, orange & ylang ylang (for overall stress),” one person will get “Sleep —lavender, marjoram, cedarwood & ylang ylang (for anti anxiety and sleep issues),” and one person will get “Fortify—cedarwood, rosewood & spruce (for grounding).”
Special favor: Help us make sure this awesome. Tell your friends on Twitter, Facebook, at the gym or at the bar. Friend us, follow us, and then RT us, or whatever. Spread the word!
The reason for the challenge: Meditation is one of the few things everyone can do—and at no cost, for a mere five minutes a day—to improve their wellbeing, their focus, their ability to feel joy and weather hard times. And, I mean, shoot: All that can only make you more beautiful, too, right? Inside and out.
Who’s in?
Image via
In.
I’m in! I’ve dabbled with meditation, but haven’t been able to make it stick yet. This challenge is a friendly reminder that I should give it another try. When I’ve meditated in the past, it was frustrating at first because my mind was so busy, but each day it became a little easier and I felt great afterwards. For the rest of the day after meditation, I felt more patient and even-tempered.
I’m in! I have dabbled before. Quit. Thought about it again. Didn’t do it. But the thought and pull to try again is always there and this is a great push in the right direction. Hooray!
Definitely in! Thanks for giving me the kick in the butt I needed to finally give meditation a try!
I am in!
I will try to meditate every evening (before pilates, wich is 3 times a week). :) i love your challenges btw!
Julia (ps.: i dont even know HOW to meditate correctly. do there even exists a “correctly”?)
Woo! I’m in!
I just FAILED my second meditation challenge. The Deepak Chopra ones are awesome, but I am struggling with dedication to meditation. Uh that just sounded like something a Southern preacher would say in a sermon. haha.
I’m totally in!!!!!
I’m in ! I’ve tried to meditate before but with no success. I am sure a daily meditation will be an asset in my daily life.
Is it ok if we have already started? I hadn’t meditated for years and just started back about a week ago. I have been meditating for 20 to 30 minutes before going to bed. I would hate to disqualify myself for a prize~
Just a quick question: I’m assuming that this challenge is only for US residents? I mean, I am still going to do this challenge just for myself, but I’m from Europe, so I just wanted to clear this up.
Great idea btw!
That’s totally ok!
I needed an excuse to get started on more regular yoga and meditation. This is just the thing. Thanks!
And this reminds me a lot of this TED talks, which I just watched last week:
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/julian_treasure_5_ways_to_listen_better.html
You guys would probably enjoy it too!
I’m in! I meditated frequently when I lived in another city–we had a Buddhist temple in my neighborhood (well, it was a house, but used as a practice space) and I attended weekly. We would meditate for 45 minute intervals. I found myself going through the stages of not-paying attention (daydreaming, nodding off, etc) but the more I went, the easier it was to quiet my mind. When we moved I only gave meditating a half-hearted attempt. There is something to be said in having a group of people to sit with, and a regularly scheduled time to come together.
I recommend this book to anyone interested in meditation: Opening the Hand of Thought
http://www.amazon.com/Opening-Hand-Thought-Foundations-Buddhist/dp/0861713575/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315847127&sr=8-1
It is a book in the Zen tradition, but was wonderful for grasping the nuance between “quieting my mind” and “emptying my mind.” And it reinforces the positive (have a thought, let it go, bring yourself back to attention) rather than the negative (if you can’t quiet your mind you are not doing it right!) In my experience, the act of quieting my mind for meditation is very…active. Which I guess is why it is a “practice.”
I’m so in!
I feel like you girls always know what I’m thinking! I just started natural hair care the day before the hair challenge post. Yesterday, I was just talking to a massage therapist and she said I NEED bikram yoga and meditation! I do sit quietly everyday. I want to learn how to meditate. The massage therapist told me I’m breathing wrong. Hmmm… Well I’m up for this challenge. Count me in!
I did the Deepak Chopra Meditation challenge at the beginning of this year and have been doing it ever since! I love it. I may miss some days and sometimes my morning meditation is waaaay shorter than other days (especially when the construction site next door gets loud) but it’s definitely a new part of my routine for life. I also have to say if you live in New York City go check out the Introduction to Meditation classes at Tibet House on 15th Street, or if Sharon Salzberg is teaching somewhere near you go!!!
http://www.tibethouse.us/programs/full-calendar/114
http://www.sharonsalzberg.com/calendar
I’m in! I’ve recently been toying with the idea of trying meditation as I find it nearly impossible to switch off properly and to be committed to seven days straight I may be able to find a way to do it!
I have always wanted to start meditating, but I’ve come up with excuses all the time. I’m going to put in an effort this week to actually do it. I know I need it, I’m far too emotional and crazy. Emotion isn’t a bad thing, I just need to learn to keep a lid on it and not let it get away from me in some spiral of reactions, and I think meditation will help me do that.
I’m in on this challenge! Like some others, I’ve dabbled in meditation but have not made it stick yet; here’s to the next 7 days:)
I’m in. I’ve had insomnia for over a month now, which is something I’ve had no trouble with before; maybe this is what will do the trick!
Hmmm. I’m a definite maybe. I’ve thought about meditation many times, but never got into it. I find my yoga/biking/running “meditative” in nature, but I have trouble sitting for long (unless I’m looking at shoes on Zappos). Maybe sitting outside would be a good idea.
I’ve done walking meditation. Whenever I try to do sitting meditation, I use 15 minutes as my standard. I certainly think I can make the effort to do 5 minutes. Yes, I am in. Pema Chodron has a CD called Pure Meditation that helps you learn meditation. The main thing, I think (and I’m a novice here), is it to empty the mind, label the thoughts that pop in as “thoughts”, not as a reprimand to remove them, but rather as a way of noticing when your mind fills with thoughts and then watching them float away like clouds in the sky. You can focus on both the in and out breathe or just the out breath, but the main thing is emptying the mind.
I will admit that I have changed the thoughts labeling a bit myself. I quietly say Maitri (which means loving kindness or the practice of loving kindness toward others and yourself). I say Maitri, because I find it is neutral or even loving and less self-critical as saying thoughts. And when you find yourself lost in thought, you are supposed to be grateful that you have the wisdom to identify that and gently move on without beating yourself up, in otherwords practice Maitri toward yourself, even if have preoccupations that prevent you from being fully present. I hope this makes sense.
Whatever works.
This is a terrific challenge. Good luck to everyone.
Five mins I can manage, I’m in! Never attempted before, so good luck to me. I can fit the 5mins in when my son naps.
I’ve been meditating every day for years and I just wanted to stop by and wish everyone luck! It’s totally worth it… and don’t be too hard on yourselves if you find yourself just sitting there quietly for 5 minutes thinking about your manicure. It still counts.
Finally! I stop by this site in time to actually DO a challenge!
This particular one couldn’t come at a better time for me, either. I’ll report back in 7 days…
I’m in! I’ve tried before, but can’t seem to quiet my mind. I’m going through a divorce, my husband is about to lose his job and it’s allover craziness in my world, so I decided this was the perfect thing to try at this time in my life! It can only help…as soon as I learn to quiet all the thoughts in my head! :) I started last night, and my five minutes was cut short to three – because of the kids – but I intend to go at it again tonight!
too serendipitous! i just meditated last night for the first time. and for those of you thinking (as i did)… i want to start but how? what? where? and so on…. check out yogaglo.com.
i just started (FIRST 15 DAYS FREE) and then they charge you $18/month. its basically like having endless amazing yoga classes in your home whenever you have the time for it.
they have a massive meditation section as well… and specifically (and the only part ive tried so far) they have some specifically for beginners in the beginner center.
i really enjoyed it and am already looking forward to tonights stillness.
enjoy everyone. xoxo
in!
This couldn’t have come at a better time. I’m in for the fight of my life.
Thanks for reminding me to center myself before I go into the ring.
I’m in. In more ways than you’ll ever know.
Remember don’t worry about where your mind takes you, just sit still, focus on your inner self and flow with your breath!
Very excited to be starting today. Going to be doing Biblical meditation. Really want to make it a daily thing – not just for 7 days but for life. I find it so interesting that in 8 weeks the physical structure of your brain changes. Thanks for organising the challenge.
I’m in! Fighting off fat rolling bubbles of unrest that keep popping to the surface in my life… perhaps this will help locate the source of my distress. Haven’t done this before, so quite appreciative of the Meditation how-to that you’ve posted. Because I /must/ do it correctly!
I am going to go for it!
Awesome. I’m in
I’m in! Just got back from a festival so I’m starting today.
My name is Felicia. I live in Coachella, California. I wanted to share a website where globaly anyone and everyone can breathe/meditation together FREE.
doasone.org