5-Day Meditation Challenge

Getting Set Up:

• Use your personal meditation space -- (if you haven't yet created it, jump over to our Facebook Group Page and grab the mini-course we created to help you do this!
• Get some kind of timer you can set.
• Decide on a specific amount of time, between 10 minutes (absolute minimum) to 30 minutes. (You can add more if you already have a strong practice in place.)
• Have a clock visible (you'll see why in a few minutes!)
• Have a journal and pen available.

Getting Set Up:

• Choose a pace where you can walk without being interrupted. This can be in your home, outside in a wooded or quiet area, on a labyrinth, on a hiking trail, etc. The only limit is your own imagination.
• Decide on a specific amount of time, between 10 minutes (absolute minimum) to 30 minutes. (You can add more if you already have a strong practice in place.)
• Have a journal and pen available to use after you finish your walk.

Getting Set Up:

• Use your personal meditation space, where you can be relaxed and uninterrupted during this practice.
• We suggest that you do not set a specific time for this practice, since the process unfolds at different times for each person. You do not want to feel rushed, or be interrupted during it. So allow plenty of time to move through it. You will know when it is complete.
• Have a journal and pen available.

Here's how it works:

• Mentally clarify the focus of your meditation. It may be an issue with which you are struggling; an area on which you would like Divine guidance; a question you are dealing with; or any other specific area where meditation will be useful for you. The more focused your area of intent for this particular meditative experience, the better.
• Prepare yourself by taking a few deep meditational breaths. We use 3 OMs as our entrance into this meditation. Allow your attention to gently move from your thoughts to your heart center as you relax.
• Reflect on the issue you have brought into this meditation experience. Sit quietly with your issue, without trying to force anything. If you find yourself becoming distracted, simply thank the distraction for sharing, and then bring your focus back to the meditation practice, using a mantra or following your breathing.
• When you feel relaxed and ready, simply invite your Intuitive Wisdom, your Guides, your Higher Self (you choose what helps you feel comfortable) to share some wisdom with you. Take a pen in your hand and hold it ver lightly. Begin writing in your journal. Do not stop to think about what you are writing. Simply let the words flow. Don’t worry if it feels like you are making it up. Just allow the process to unfold. No judgment -- no critical review -- no questions. Just write as the pen moves across the paper.
• You will know when you are done. There is a sense of closure, of completeness -- a breath or sigh of gratitude. Lay the pen down, express gratitude, and breathe deeply and easily.
• Spend a few minutes in quiet reflection, simply feeling grateful for the guidance. As you feel guided, open your eyes and read what you have written. We encourage you to write comments in your journal related to your experience, and your reaction to the guidance you were given.

Debrief: This activity is designed to help you access the deeper wisdom that is always available to you. This is particularly useful when you feel stuck, or unclear about a decision you have in front of you. You may notice that the handwriting looks different from yours, and even the wording sounds like another person. Just allow yourself to take in what you write, and reflect on what it is saying to you.

Getting Set Up:

• Use your personal meditation space, where you can be relaxed and uninterrupted during this practice.
• The meditation is done in two stages. Each stage can be anywhere from five minutes to an hour, and the stages do not have to be equal in length.
• Have a journal and pen available.

Here's how it works:

Stage One:

• Sit in a comfortable position, with eyes open.
• Take a few deep breaths to relax and focus.
• To begin, just laugh out loud, and when you stop, just start laughing again. It may help to think of humorous situations, to think of jokes, to pull funny faces, and even to think how silly it is to do a laughing meditation. The key is to laugh out loud for as long as you can.
• Allow the body to move and express itself with the laughter.

Stage Two:

• When you reach a place where you feel a sense of completeness, remain sitting in a comfortable position, with eyes closed.
• Take a few deep breaths to make the transition from Phase One to Phase Two.
• Become aware and mindful of your mind, body, and emotions. Notice any changes that occur, and become attentive to any intuitive messages you may be receiving.
• When you feel ready, take another deep breath, focus for a few moments on the words JOY and GRATITUDE, then take a few more deep breaths, and come back to the present, refreshed and renewed.

Debrief: This activity is designed to help you experience the total body release that comes from laughter. While it may feel awkward and forced at the beginning, you'll discover that the more you laugh, the more you laugh! And your body lets go of stress, tension, worry, doubt, and other negative emotions. It also frees you to make a stronger connection with your Divine, Higher Self that lasts throughout the day!

Getting Set Up:

• Choose a place where you can eat without any interruptions, noise, or interferences.
• It is fun to set up your eating space for this activity, by choosing pretty dishes and napkins, adding flowers or a candle, and preparing your meal ahead so your total focus in on the eating process.
• Have a journal and pen available.

Here's how it works:

• Once your eating area is set up and your food is in front of you, take a few minutes to appreciate your food. Reflect on how it looks: the colors and textures; the way it is arranged on your plate. Experience a sense of thanksgiving and appreciation for the gift of the food you have in front of you.
• Begin eating, in a slow, meditative manner. Become aware of your movements as you begin to eat. Notice how your hands move, and relate to the food. Experience the sensations in your mouth as you anticipate eating the food. Pay attention to the way the food, the utensils, your hands and fingers, all feel as you begin the process of eating.
• Be fully aware of your sensations as the food enters your mouth. Notice the flavors, the textures, the interaction of the food with your teeth and mouth. See if you experience any judgments as you eat: (This is too spicy, or this is not what I expected. I like this better than that. I don’t like these things in combination with one another.) Emphasize your intention to really enjoy your food, as you pay attention to every bite.
• During a mindful eating meditation, it is best to complete the experience in the silence. Notice how this feels. Does it detract from your enjoyment of eating, or does it bring a new sense of awareness to your meal?
• Continue to pay attention as you finish your food. See how your sensations and awarenesses change, as you become more familiar with what you are eating.
• When you are finished, spend a few minutes in grateful silence, allowing your heart to send out energy of joy and appreciation for the experience of Mindful Eating.
• We encourage you to capture this experience in your journal, so you can remember what you felt, thought, and did.

Debrief: This activity is designed to help you experience more mindfulness in the mundane acts you go through each day. It can help you recognize that meditation can become a way of living rather than a specific action you "do." By slowing down and being fully present in each moment, you can experience a new level of control and empowerment, as you connect with your High Nature and the Truth of who you really are.