Oprah and Deepak Chopra team up once again, offering their free 21-day meditation challenge.  The focus of this series is "Become What You Believe."  It starts TODAY, Monday, November 2nd! Here's how it works. Click on the link below to register.  Don't worry, its quick and easy.  You'll receive a daily email with the meditation link so that you can listen  when convenient for you. The meditations are typically less than 20 minutes in length. 

Click here to register for Chopra's FREE meditation series.

How will you fit this opportunity into your day?  Here are some possibilities:

• In the morning before getting out of bed?
• Taking a few moments to yourself after getting the kids off to school?
• Leaving 20 minutes early for work, parking and meditating in your vehicle before entering your work place?
• Incorporating meditation into your lunch hour?  Perhaps with your co-workers?
• Taking time to rejuvenate when you feel that mid-afternoon slump?
• Before or after dinner; perhaps with other members of your family. 
• Meditation coupled with a luxurious soak in the tub.
• Bedtime meditation to help you wind down at day's end.
• And yes, I've even used it in the middle of the night to lull me back to sleep.

Here are some suggestions to help you get the most out of your meditation practice.  Those of you with prior biofeedback training have an advantage, as hopefully, you are using these techniques already.  

• Arrange yourself in whatever position is comfortable.  
• Establish a slow, easy and effortless, diaphragmatic breathing pattern. 
• Do a body scan, moving head to toe, or toe to head, noticing and releasing muscle tension. 
• Use affirmations or your "go to" calming phrase to discourage intrusive thoughts.
• Pull in a pleasant image or memory that brings up feelings of joy, appreciation or gratitude.  
• Start the meditation, allowing Chopra and your breath to guide you to a place of inner peace.  

Per Chopra's website, this meditation series will invite you to "embrace your positive beliefs and step into your highest potential..."  Since November is often associated with a time to take inventory of all you're grateful for, why not turn this meditation series into a gratitude practice.  I wonder if you might come away from each meditation with something about yourself to be grateful for?  What if you were to jot down that thought and place it where you might view it throughout your day.  Let it remind you to talk kindly to yourself.  To send a little self-compassion your way.  I would venture to guess that in doing so, that attitude of compassion and gratitude will spread to others in your life.  

Here's my personal example after experiencing the "Day 1" meditation.  My gratitude list:  "I am grateful for my inner strength."  I am grateful for my sense of self-worth."  I wrote "inner strength" and "self-worth" on a sticky note and placed it near my computer screen.  I sent the following email TO MYSELF: "I admire your inner strength and resiliency.  Take note to see the strength and worthiness in everyone you encounter today.  I am grateful!"

Now this made me think of a Facebook post I saw a couple weeks ago.  It stirred up a lot of controversy and that is not my intent. I'll share the link because I believe if we all did a bit of affirming "mirror work" each day we'd be better able to see our own self-worth.  Click here to check it out!

The force of nature is certainly trying to get our attention this time of year--shouting out her message in vivid colors!  Begging for attention as a falling leaf flutters across your path.  It’s as if the changing of the seasons is her reminder to be mindful of areas in our lives that could benefit from change.  And perhaps a more dramatic lesson is offered as the trees “let go” of their leaves.  Or is it the leaves that are letting go? 

I invite you to participate in nature’s process of letting go.  Be mindful of the trees and leaves, observing their patterns.  Those that let go so easily, being the first to reach the ground.  Those that fall fast and hard.  Those that flutter and scamper across the path.  Those that linger on the tree, soaking up the last glimmer of Indian Summer.  Or are they simply displaying their stubbornness? 

Is there something you’d like to let go of?  Let each falling leaf serve as a reminder to release whatever is not serving your highest good.  Consider both the body and the mind.  I’ve listed some ideas, but you’ll know what’s right for you!

Letting Go in the Body:

• Muscle tension—shoulders, jaw, hands, muscles in the face, back, legs and feet.
• Pain—give it permission to leave.
  
• Fatigue—breathe energy into your body.
  
• A long exhale with an audible sigh can signal the body to let go.
  

Letting Go in the Mind:

• Busy mind chatter  
  
• Negative thoughts and self-talk
• Anger, resentment, unforgiveness
  
• Worry, fear or other pent up emotions
  
• Perfection and the need to please
  
• Let go of one needless “to do”
  
• The sense that there is “not enough time”
  
• Confining beliefs
  

Having said this, perhaps there are situations where we need to let go of the need to let go!  What about just accepting what is?  Sitting with uncomfortable thoughts and emotion as you breathe and offer yourself some acceptance and compassion. 

Some of my favorite meditations are those of Jon Kabat-Zinn.  His CDs can be purchased online and I highly recommend them.  Another of nature’s lessons can be found within his Lake Meditation.  He presents an image of a lake, noting that at times the surface is smooth and still.  At other times, it is “disturbed, choppy and stirred up.”  Despite this unrest on the surface, there is stillness and life below.

He suggests that we “be the lake”, being aware of uncomfortable thoughts and feelings and holding them with acceptance and compassion.  He asks, “Isn’t having a rippling and wavy surface part of being a lake?”  Can you be still, breathe, and find the calm deep within your inner being, despite external circumstances?

Dr. Russ Curtis, PhD, LPC, has adapted Kabat-Zinn’s lake meditation in his 4 ½ minute YouTube video.  Be the lake!  

This is a longer post and contains a bit of science regarding the benefits of meditation.  If that’s not for you, just trust me!  Then skip to the last two paragraphs for a link to sign up for Deepak Chopra’s 21-day meditation challenge.

Spring.  When used as a verb, according to Merriam-webster.com, spring means to grow or to come into being.  To be resilient; released from confinement.  As a noun, spring implies the ability to return to one’s original shape when pressed down, stretched or twisted.  Compare this to Merriam-Webster’s definition of stress:  “a force exerted when one body or body part presses on, pulls on, pushes against, or tends to compress or twist another body or body part.”   Would you like to grow your resiliency?  To be released from confining conditions such as stress, anxiety, insomnia or other health issues?

Meditation may be a solution to assist you to “come into being.”   A Google search reveals references to numerous research studies regarding the benefits of ongoing meditation.  MayoClinic.org discusses both the physical and emotional benefits, including stress management, increased self-awareness, and reduced negative emotions.  The site states “research suggests that meditation may help people manage symptoms of conditions such as anxiety disorders, asthma, cancer, depression, heart disease, high blood pressure, pain and sleep problems.” 

Research led by neuroscientist Sara Lazar at Harvard University shows the positive effects of meditation on cognition, brain physiology and aging.  Grow your grey matter!  Check out links to her Ted talk and publications at https://www.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu/~lazar/publications.html.

Elizabeth Hoge, MD, is a professor of psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital.  Her research revealed longer telomere length in those who practice loving-kindness meditation.  What are telomeres?  Think of them as end caps on chromosomes.  Telomeres tend to shorten as cells divide.  This shortening is associated with aging, cancer and a higher risk of death (http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/chromosomes/telomeres).  Shorter telomeres have been linked to chronic stress.  Practicing meditation can reduce your stress response and maintain telomere length.  Sounds like a great spring time activity for stretching and growing!

I invite you to join me in a 21-day meditation challenge offered by Deepak Chopra at the Chopra Center.  It’s already day 7 of the challenge, so sign up today.  Go to chopra.com.  Scroll midway down the home page where you’ll find a photo of Deepak Chopra and Oprah. Yes, Oprah joins Chopra for this 21 day challenge.  Click on “sign up here” and you’ll receive a daily email with the meditation link.

“But I can’t meditate!” you may be thinking.  Here are my suggestions to help you get the most out of your meditation practice.  Those of you with prior biofeedback training have an advantage, as hopefully, you are using these techniques already.  Arrange yourself in whatever position is comfortable.  Begin your slow, easy and effortless diaphragmatic breathing.  Do a body scan, moving head to toe, or toe to head, noticing and releasing muscle tension.  Use affirmations to discourage intrusive thoughts.  Pull in a pleasant image or memory that brings up feelings of joy, appreciation or gratitude.  Aah.  “I can calm my body.  I can calm my mind.”  Now, hit the start button and invite in the wisdom of your higher self as you continue to breathe, relax and be...