Ready to live a stress-free life? Meditate! OK, it’s probably not that simple, but daily meditation can definitely help you reduce stress and find peace in your day-to-day. (Greatist CEO Derek Flanzraich added daily meditation to his schedule and hasn’t looked back.) And you don’t need to head to a silent retreat in India to be centered—you only need to find a comfortable position in a quiet place where you can close your eyes and breathe! (You can do that, right?)
So grab a seat and join this month’s meditation challenge to take advantage of all that meditation offers! The calendar below is simply a guide to motivate you to mediate for five minutes daily—how you meditate is up to you. Check out the different methods below the calendar, and feel free to test a new one each day to find which works best for you or mix them up depending on your mood.
Share your progress using hashtag #letsmeditate, and most of all, don’t stress over it! And be sure to check back in November for a totally new challenge.
30-Day Meditation Challenge
Meditation Styles
Silent meditation: Simply sit in silence, focusing on your breath and observing any thoughts that come up. Jeff Cannon from Simple Truth suggests considering each thought that comes into your mind: If it is an unpleasant thought, let it go, and if it’s a pleasant thought, sit with it for a moment, then push it aside and let it go.
Mantra meditation: While “Om” is a popular mantra to repeat, any positive word or phrase works. Cannon says “Om mani padme hum” is a popular mantra from Tibetan Buddhists. It invokes the powerfully benevolent attention and blessings of the diety Chenrezig, the embodiment of compassion.
Guided meditation: If you prefer a voice leading your meditation, then Headspace is the perfect app for you, or you can try this guided meditation Cannon put together. Relaxing sounds more your thing? Check out the Calm app.
Music meditation: Play your favorite relaxing tune. We are fans of K-Love’s music!
