Join us for our 30 day Mindfulness Challenge! Absolutely no Equipment required, just you, yourself and some time you need to allocate to do something nice for yourself.
Day 1 - Finding a comfortable position - 5 minutes
Today is all about finding a comfortable position that will serve you will for your 30 day mindfulness challenge. Pick a good spot, either on the floor against the wall with a towel to elevate your back or just on a chair. Close your eyes and spend 5 minutes just feeling the position. You should pick a position that you can rest in for 10-15 minutes without feeling uncomfortable.
While you are down (or up) there, take the time just feeling the position, how it feels to take some time for yourself, feel your breathing - just do what feels right to you. I suggest you end with giving yourself a little smile for the next 30 days of self care you are now starting! :)
Day 2 - Get used to Basics - 5-7 minutes
We will start of with getting accustomed to the basics first. Spend 5-7 minutes in your chosen position. Close your eyes, let your breath go naturally and try to focus on nothing else but your inhales and exhales. To make it easier, try counting - inhale: 1, exhale: 2, do this till you get to 10 and then repeat. Goal should be to have one count from 1 to 10 without having thoughts interrupt you. (Totally ok if you don't manage this the first time)
Adjust your picked position if you feel it wasn't entirely right after all.
Day 3 - Get used to Basics - Scan your body - 10 minutes
Today we are going to learn the Basic skill of scanning your body. To do so, we will listen to an instructed meditation by the Daily Calm
Day 4 - Try yourself - Scan your Body - 5-7 minutes
We will put to practice what we learned yesterday: Try getting in to your comfortable seating position and try the scanning your body yourself (from the very top of your head over your face, neck, shoulders, arms and fingers, the front and back of your torso all the way down towards your toes). Afterwards you should hopefully start the day feeling just a bit more relaxed and calm.
Day 5 - Get used to Basics - Practice Start and End - 5 minutes
Before you really get in to your mindfulness - sit down in your spot, keep the eyes open and take some really big breaths. As you breath out, your eyelids will get heavier, embrace that feeling and continue with big breaths in and out till you feel comfortable closing your eyes. Let your breath go back to normal rhythm without forcing it. Notice the spots where you touch the ground / seat. Spend a few minutes in this position letting the mind wander with eyes closed, just observing but not “catching” any of your thoughts (like cars traveling by on a road, you looking at them from a window). Stop when you feel you had enough.
Before you open your eyes, give yourself some sort of goal for the day - e.g. to be mindful throughout the day, keep an open mind, etc.
If you want, put your palms together in front of your heart as you formulate your goal for the day. If you want - lean the head forward towards your hands and thank yourself for having started / ended the day in this way.
This should give you a nice way to start and end your practice going forward.
Day 6 - Putting things in to practice - 15 minutes
Let's connect what we have learned so far:
Start with eyes open and deep breaths till your eyes are closed from getting heavy.
“Ground yourself” by being aware of the points that touch the ground or seat.
Scan your body from head to toes.
Go in to your breathing routine - count from 1-10. Try to manage 1-2 cycles where you only count the breaths and no wandering thoughts “kidnap” you. A good tip is pushing yourself for 1-2 more cycles after you feel you have had enough.
Before you return, phrase your goal for the day.
if you want - thank yourself for your practice, give yourself a smile, be proud of yourself.
Do some nice stretchies and get up and rock the day!
Day 7 - Break & Reflect - 2 minutes
Throughout the day reflect on the first week and draw your own conclusions as to how it felt, whether you can note a difference, do you feel more calm, more in touch with yourself, etc.
Day 8 - Start the Week with the full routine - 15 minutes
We will once more practice the full routine as we had in Day 6. If you forget anything as you go along, don't stress about it, it will take some practice to remember the different steps:
Start with eyes open and deep breaths till your eyelids close automatically from getting heavy.
“Ground yourself” by being aware of the points that touch the ground or seat.
Scan your body from head to toes.
Go in to your breathing routine - count from 1-10. Try to manage 1-2 cycles where you only count the breaths and no wandering thoughts “kidnap” you. A good tip is pushing yourself for 1-2 more cycles after you feel you have had enough.
Before you return, phrase your goal for the day.
if you want - thank yourself for your practice, give yourself a smile, be proud of yourself.
Do some nice stretchies and get up and rock the day!
Day 9 - Adjust - make your very own favourite routine - 10 - 15 minutes
Today we will get personal! That is, we will make our very own routine with what we have learned so far. Repeat Day 6 and 8, BUT - make your own adjustments. Day 6 was my favourite own routine that I can always do and take with me. This is my personal routine that works best for me, so put together what you have practiced so far and adjust based on what you think works best for you.
Day 10 - Play with your own ( ;) ) - 10 minutes
Practice your own meditation once more and see if there is anything else you want to tinker with
Day 11 - Your Own Routine - 10 - 15 minutes
Based on what you found in the 2 days before, practice once more your own routine and “save it” as your personal so you can dig it out in the future whenever you are traveling, visiting family, etc.
Day 12 - Follow the flow - Daily Calm - 10 minutes
Sometimes it's nice to not have to think, not have to guide yourself. For those days its really helpful to have some videos in the back of your head, e.g. your favourite “daily calm” - here one suggestion:
Day 13 - Bedtime meditation - 10 minutes (in the bed before going to sleep)
Do your own meditation routine - Step 7 and 8 - but after you have gotten ready for bed. Instead of ending the meditation with setting goals for the day, try reflecting on positive things of the day so you can fall asleep with positive thoughts.
Day 14 - Break & Reflect - 30-60 minutes (open)
Just for yourself do something that feels like mindfulness to you (helps you relax and reflect) - gift yourself a bit of time just for yourself, taking a walk, doing a puzzle, writing some stories, etc. It is very personal, just remember to pick something where you don't occupy your mind with other things (e.g. if you take a walk, try doing so without music), so you feel present in the moment.
If you can reflect about your 2 weeks of meditation - awesome, but in itself this should already help relax and ground you, so even if you think about all sorts of other things - still perfect.
Day 15 - Start a new week - Daily calm - Santosha - 10 minutes
Start your new week under the topic of Contentness (Santosha) - remember, you are enough just the way you are!
Day 16 - Your Own Routine - 10 - 15 minutes
Do your own routine that you have build the weeks before - try to remember to end the routine with setting yourself some targets for the day (at the start of the day) or reflect on some good things of the day (end of the day meditation).
Day 17 - Breathing Exercise - Alternate Nostril Breathing - 5-7 minutes
Today is gonna be exciting - we will start with the first breathing technique called "Alternate Nostril Breathing! I hope you are just as excited as I am!
There is actually some research (which I obviously haven't double checked, so take it with a big pinch of salt) that alternate nostril breathing should help you stimulate different parts of your brain and if you use it correctly, you should be able to e.g. boost your creative side. Anyway, even if that may turn out to be "Humbug", it is still a nice and relaxing exercise.
To practice alternate nostril breathing:
Sit in a comfortable position with legs crossed or on a chair.
Place left hand on left knee.
Lift right hand up toward nose.
Exhale completely and then use right thumb to close right nostril.
Inhale through left nostril and then close left nostril with your fingers.
Open right nostril and exhale through this side.
Inhale through right nostril and then close this nostril.
Open left nostril and exhale through left side.
This is one cycle.
Continue for up to 5 minutes.
Always complete the practice by finishing with an exhale on the left side.
If this was a bit too complicated for you - I sometimes skip a lot of these difficult steps and then I just stand out on the balcony, let the morning sun wake me up as I just do these exercises without focusing too much on all the technique above.
Day 18 - Sofia’s favourite Meditation - 20 minutes
Sofia is a lovely lady from MS (She is working at the enemy-company though...) and she has recommended this meditation. I haven't tried it yet, but lets give it a shot together!
Day 19 - Daily Calm (Repeat) - 10 minutes
Try revisiting this routine from the start and see if it feels different now that you have practiced mindfulness for almost 20 days :) Maybe it was easier, more difficult or you felt exactly the same.
Day 20 - Stretch for Mobility and Relaxation - 17 minutes
For Day 20 we have a special treat for ourselves. If you are like me, you don't treat your body the nicest throughout the day, maybe you are having a physically demanding job or like me you spend most of the day idle on your bum. In any case, lets not forget about our body as we dedicate this time to our mind. For that reason, lets take this time to stretch a bit and of course remember to be mindful ;)
For this, we will be joining Mady, my favourite virtual Yoga Instructor.
Day 21 - Your Own Routine - 10 - 15 minutes
Do your own routine that you have build the weeks before - try to remember to end the routine with setting yourself some targets for the day (at the start of the day) or reflect on some good things of the day (end of the day meditation).
By now it hopefully really starts to feel like your own, it is maybe easier to keep track of what are your different steps, you may need accidentally skip some anymore and it just becomes a bit natural.
Day 22 - You Choose - 5 minutes - Open Ended
One really important goal of this 30 day challenge is just to get more in touch with ourselves and some sensitivity to feel how our mind and body is and what might be needed when we feel a specific way. So today, choose yourself what you feel could help you. Either some short breathing exercises, some meditation, listening to a video or a mindful walk in the forest - everything goes!
Day 23 - Your Own Routine - 10 - 15 minutes
Do your own routine that you have build the weeks before - are you happy with it or do you need to adjust it? Do you need to rethink your seating position or is it still comfortable for you?
Day 24 - Your Own Routine - 10 - 15 minutes
Do your own routine that you have build the weeks before - focus on letting thoughts go. You are just standing at the side of the road and letting the cars drive by without really focusing on them individually. Its normal to have thoughts pop in to your head, but try not to hold on to them :)
Day 25 - You Choose - 5 minutes - Open Ended
Choose yourself what you feel could help you today. Maybe your body or mind is sending you some signals of what might feel good or be needed today.
Day 26 - 4-7-8 breathing - 5 minutes
Finally our next breathing exercise! Now we will try the fantastic relaxation tool that is 4-7-8 breathing. To do so: Sit Down or Lay down and do the 4-7-8 breathing:
emptying the lungs of air
breathing in quietly through the nose for 4 seconds
holding the breath for a count of 7 seconds
exhaling forcefully through the mouth, pursing the lips, and making a “whoosh” sound for 8 seconds
repeating the cycle up to 4 times
Like the other breathing exercise, I sometimes also do this standing up. There is actually no nicer feeling than the sun kissing your face after you just got out of your tent in nature and then starting the day with a bit of yoga or a breathing technique like this one.
Day 27 - Anti Anxiety and Relaxation Breathing - 5 minutes
Now we are getting to our last and my current favourite breathing technique. I do this a lot on the go, in the train, when I am walking and even when I am out for a run. It should have a lot of benefits (which I have again not checked). But for sure it works for anti anxiety and relaxing your entire body and mind.
For this exercise, try to control your inhales and exhales and extend these. The goal should be to get to approximately 6 seconds per inhale and exhale, but its totally normal to start e.g. with 3-4 seconds till the body gets used to it and then slowly increasing the time.
I currently do this randomly throughout the day when I remember it or feel I need a bit of "calmness". The best thing about this is that no one around you notices if you just extend your inhales and exhales. I really suggest giving this a shot on the go, e.g. when you walk through a busy walking street, it is amazing how the world suddenly seems to slow down!
Day 28 - Take a break at work - 5 - 30 minutes
Take a break from work. Go to the bathroom and do some breathing exercises as you have learned above or do some of your own breathing exercises or maybe some mindfulness. If the day is nice - maybe go for a walk in nature if that is possible. More than ok to invite someone to tag along if you want :)
Day 29 - Your Own Routine Before going to bed - 10 - 15 minutes
Lay down on the bed, a yoga matt or the ground. Do your own routine that you have built the weeks before - pay special attention to how your body touches what you are laying on and use it to help you being aware of your body when scanning it.
Day 30 - Finale - Your Choice - Open Ended
Choose yourself how you want to end your very own 30 day meditation challenge. End the session (whichever you choose) with thanking yourself for having done something this good for yourself. Think about what you would maybe like to take with you and what was not your cup of tea.
Hopefully this has had a lasting impact on your life and has given you some interesting new things to take with you. Of course feel free to refer to this challenge again should you at a point need the links to some videos, remember some concepts, etc.