Meditation Challenge Brought To You By RESCUE Remedy®
Meditation Challenge Brought To You By RESCUE Remedy®
Forget what you thought you knew about meditation! Unless you’re a practised meditator, in which case, please remember everything you know about meditation.
With World Meditation day falling on May 20 this year, we’re here to celebrate meditating, break the stereotypes of what meditating looks like, and set a challenge to you to help get your mindfulness on.
What is meditation?
The image in your mind may be that traditional meditation pose – legs crossed, hands on knees with thumb and middle finger lightly pressed together, eyes closed, saying ‘om’. This is one way to meditate, and it works for many people. There are many more ways to approach this relaxation method, and the most important element is finding something that works for you.
The first few times you try to sit still with your thoughts, you may feel uncomfortable and anxious. This might not match how you pictured meditation feeling, but it’s all part of the process. Slowing down and reflecting can be challenging for some, and you may feel restless or irritated to begin with. That’s where mindfulness comes in.
Rather than aiming to ‘empty’ your mind, try to be aware of what is entering your mind. If you’re feeling uncomfortable or distressed, acknowledge the thought and let it float on through. You may like to keep a journal nearby to record any thoughts that stick with you after your meditation.
As for sitting still, you can ditch the idea of the cross-legged-on-the-ground position if you’re not into it. Find a position that’s comfortable for you, be it sitting with your back against a wall and legs out, lying down, or doing chin-ups. Okay, that last one isn’t the most realistic, but in all seriousness, your form of meditation may be exercise! Whatever helps you feel present, focused and calm can be your meditation.
Meditation challenge
Whether it’s exercising, sitting down, reading, your favourite mindfulness technique, walking or traditional meditation, we challenge you to this two-week practice:
DAY ONE: Fit in 10 minutes of meditation. Figure out the kinks – do you need to change positions? Locations? Lighting? Sound? Time of day? TIP: Help calm your mind and find balance by taking RESCUE® Remedy right before meditating.
DAY TWO: Try again, making any adjustments from yesterday. TIP: aim to meditate (the sitting still kind) on not-too-full a stomach.
DAY THREE: Hopefully, you’ve found a method that suits you now. Try again, but this time bump it up from 10 minutes to 15.
DAY FOUR: Try for 20 minutes today.
DAYS FIVE TO 7: 20 minutes each day.
Congrats on one week!
DAY EIGHT: Aim for 30 minutes today. Today, try it for 15 minutes in the first half of the day and 15 in the second half.
DAY NINE: Aim for 30 minutes in one go today.
DAY 10: Which did you prefer? Whether you enjoyed two sittings or one longer sitting, do the same today.
DAYS 11 TO 14: What felt the best for you? Did you get the most out of shorter or longer sessions? One or two sessions throughout the day? Decide what you benefited from the most and set the goal of doing this every day for the rest of the week.
How did it feel? Now you’ve tried your hand, could you work meditation into your normal routine?
No matter how meditation looks for you, taking the time to be mindful and present can help improve your mental and physical well-being. Happy World Meditation Day!
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