Take the six week meditation challenge!

All you need to get started, right here

Photo by Chelsea Gates on Unsplash

Of all the life-enhancing practices I know, regular meditation is without question the most powerfully transforming. And as the months, years and decades go by, it just keeps getting better and better!

If you are a lapsed meditator or completely new to the practice, curious about (re-) starting your practice, this post is for you!

I have recorded a twenty minute video with all that you need to get going. You don’t have to become a member of anything, sign up anywhere or commit to anyone - except yourself. Just click the play button on the video below.

I have also shared three guided meditations that you can download immediately, to get started. They talk you through posture, both mental and physical, at the start of each session.

I began meditating in 1994 to help manage stress, and it has changed my life in numberless ways, not least of which, I am no longer the stressed out, depression-prone person I was then. I have been teaching meditation to groups for well over a decade, and have written a couple of books on the subject which I mention below in case you’d like further resources.

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In the 20 minute video I talk about:

The six week meditation challenge as a great tool for habit formation;

Some parallels between training the mind and training the body;

Practicing single pointed focus;

The results you can expect after 6 weeks of consistent meditation practice, namely improved stress management; greater clarity and more vivid sensory experiences;

The nuts and bolts of meditation - where, when, how?

The use of guided meditation downloads;

The need to focus on the experience rather than the outcome. You can do it!

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If you do not see the video with a ‘play’ button above this line - some readers can’t access it for technical reasons I don’t understand - you can also find it on Youtube here:

There are many guided meditations available from apps like Insight Timer, Calm, Headspace, Smiling Minds, etc. Here are a few 10 minutes sessions I have recorded which you may like to click on, download and use to get started right away:

Breath counting meditation

Nine cycle meditation (a different breath-based meditation)

Coccoon visualisation (visualisation meditation to enhance wellbeing)

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My two, non-fiction books on meditation are: Hurry Up and Meditate, and Mindfulness is Better than Chocolate.

Both books are available in all formats both online and off. Hurry Up and Meditate is a short, snappy read, right to the point. Mindfulness is Better than Chocolate offers broader context, more advice for the nature of mind, and has a special section on the benefits to organisations.

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To be a free subscriber, click the button below and choose the right hand colum.

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About half the money readers help me raise through subscriptions goes to the following four charities. Feel free to click on the underlined links to read more about them:

Wild is Life - home to endangered wildlife and the Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery; Twala Trust Animal Sanctuary - supporting indigenous animals as well as pets in extremely disadvantaged communities; Dongyu Gyatsal Ling Nunnery - supporting Buddhist nuns from the Himalaya regions; Gaden Relief - supporting Buddhist communities in Mongolia, Tibet, Nepal and India.

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