This is a 21-day meditation Challenge posed by Deepak Chopra. The experience so far has been rewarding-In this journey, I traveled everywhere, from my house, to the oceans to the cosmos. I’ve tasted every bit of my food and experienced it in my body. I’ve seen my heart glow green and felt light enough to fly over the world. This journey has taken me on experiences, that I never thought were possible before. After all, its the power of the mind and your mind can take you anywhere if you surrender to it.
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Day 1: “Have your attention on what is and see its fullness in every moment. The presence of the divine is everywhere. You have only to consciously embrace it with your attention.” ~ The Vedas
Notes: Always return your mental state to homeostasis. Say “so” when breathing in and “hum” when breathing out.
SO HUM means ASK AND IT IS GIVEN. It is a mantra of manifestation and spontaneous fulfillment of desire – the universe is in us.
The So Hum meditation is a simple but powerful technique that uses the breath and the repetition of a mantra to quiet the mind and relax the body. This meditation will help take your awareness from a state of constriction to a state of expanded consciousness.
Day 2: Health Consciousness
A vital aspect of health consciousness is our relationship with our ego, which is the self-image or identity we’ve crafted over the years. The ego is that aspect of our self that doesn’t realize that at the deepest level, there is no separation . . . and that it is part of an infinite source of love and abundance. The ego’s sense of separateness is what causes it to seek security through its attempts to control, win approval, and accumulate material goods and possessions.
In today’s meditation we will focus on cultivating acceptance of the ego. Instead of letting its fears drive us or trying to squelch its impulses, we will approach it as we would a scared child – with love and kindness. And as we quiet our mind and accept our ego, our sense of self will unfold more innocently. Then we will discover a new clarity about all aspects of our being – physical, emotional, spiritual – and be able to make more conscious choices for our health and wellbeing.
Day 3: Making Peace with Stress
Someone once told me that there are only two times when we feel stress – daytime and nighttime. Let’s face it. Stress is part of our everyday life. We experience some level of stress every time our needs are not met. In today’s meditation, we are going to transform our relationship with stress, learning to let it go and cultivate more peace, joy, and calm in its place.
What Is Stress?
Stress has been part of human life since our earliest days on the planet. Although we no longer experience the stress of living in cold, dark caves and fighting off saber-tooth cats, we do experience emotional turmoil in our relationships, challenges balancing our daily lives, and a multitude of physical health concerns. When we encounter situations that we interpret as stressful, our body has the same reactions our ancestors had tens of thousands of years ago. Our blood pressure rises, we begin to perspire, our breath becomes shallow, and our blood platelets become sticky. Our body activates its fight-or-flight response, and it takes at least twenty-four hours for the body to recover its equilibrium. Many people live in a state of chronic stress and imbalance, which contributes to emotional and physical dis-ease.
Through the practice of meditation, we can activate a different response, one of restful awareness, intuitiveness, and creativity. Meditation takes our body and our mind from a place of hyperactivity, fear, unrest, and uneasiness to a state of inner calm, peace, and silence.
In meditation, as we cultivate the ability to witness the activity of the mind, we spontaneously make more conscious choices. We’re able to access the response that best supports our own health and wellbeing. Stress then becomes something that we can observe and release.
So let’s get comfortable and enjoy our meditation!
Day 4: Relieving Stress and Anxiety with Present Moment Awareness
In today’s meditation we will tap into the power of present moment awareness and experience all the gifts available to us when we intentionally shift our awareness to what is happening right now, in this very moment. By getting grounded and putting our attention on “the now,” we naturally release the scary thoughts, stories, scenarios, and interpretations that give rise to stress and anxiety.
Meditation is one of the most powerful tools we have for going beyond the continuous thought-loop in our mind . . . into the peace of present moment awareness. As we meditate regularly, we cultivate what is known as witnessing awareness. It becomes much easier to see when we’re getting embroiled in stress-provoking thoughts – and to gently release them and return to the present moment. And the present is the only place where we can experience happiness, healing, and love.
Join me in this process of allowing our breath to be our guide and our true nature to be our destination.
Day 5: Releasing Negative Patterns and Addiction
As David Simon observes, we all are addicted to something. While you may not have a destructive relationship with alcohol, nicotine, or gambling, if you closely observe your thoughts, emotions, and behavior, you may notice that you have more subtle addictions, such as an addiction to approval, perfection, or control – or a compulsive need to be right. At the root of every non-nourishing behavior is a desire to fill unmet needs for security, comfort, self-esteem, and love. Yet acting out a pattern of addiction or compulsion will never fulfill our deepest needs. As the Sufi poet Hafiz advised,
“Learn to recognize the counterfeit coins that may buy you just a moment of pleasure,
But then drag you for days like a broken man behind a farting camel.”
One of the greatest gifts of meditation is the clarity and peace it opens in our lives, allowing us not only to recognize the counterfeit coins, but to no longer feel compelled by them. Meditation helps us realize that all our happiness, love, and wellbeing reside within. In meditation, we tap into our own, inexhaustible source of good as we release the need to seek it outside of ourselves. This doesn’t mean that we don’t enjoy our possessions, relationships, and activities – only that we know we aren’t dependent on them for our happiness. In today’s meditation, we will experience the gifts within and begin to release any negative patterns in our lives.
Day 6: Creating Wellbeing though Mantras and Affirmations
Today we will put our attention on the transformational power of mantras and positive affirmations. The Sanskrit word mantra literally translates as “mind tool” or “vehicle of the mind.” Traditionally, a mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is thought of as being capable of creating transformation, from the inside out, through the power of our thoughts. As Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, famously said, “All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think, we become.”
If we take this concept to the root of our lives, we begin to cultivate an awareness of our inner dialogue and can see how it affects our experience of the world. In our daily lives, simply by infusing mantras and positive affirmations into our thinking and routine, we will become powerful co-creators of our experiences.
In our meditation today, we will focus on positive affirmations, including the beautiful Sanskrit mantra sat chit ananda (pronounced saht chit ah-NAN-dah). As Deepak Chopra discusses in his book The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire, the three words that make up this ancient mantra mean truth, knowledge, and bliss. The mantra sat chit ananda reminds us that by mastering our inner dialogue, we can transform our reality.
Day 7: The Mind-Body Connection: Putting It All Together
As we explore the mind-body connection, today we will focus on letting go of constriction and opening to our essential unbounded nature. We are not our limited ego mind and we are not our body; we are an inextricable part of the infinite field of pure potentiality. Our true self is expressed in the ancient Sanskrit sutra aham brahmasmi (pronounced ah-HUM brah-MAHS-mee), which means “I am the universe.” When we can accept that we are the universe, we can transcend any limiting belief and any emotional turbulence.
When you feel grief, fear, anxiety or stress, pay attention, for your feelings are the universe speaking to you through your body and your mind. And the lesson or message that it gives is the one to follow. Trust, believe, and surrender as you let go of blame and criticism. Own your gifts and celebrate your impact.
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Day 8: The Body-Mind Connection
Nothing holds more power over the body than the beliefs of the mind. This is the quantum worldview, which teaches that we are all part of an infinite field of intelligence, which is the source of our thoughts, mind, body, and everything else in the cosmos.
In every moment, our cells are eavesdropping on our thoughts, feelings, and perceptions and being changed by them. This gives us an immense opportunity to use our mind and intentions to transform our biology.
In today’s meditation, we will enter a space of inner quiet and put our attention on divine qualities, including love, gratitude, compassion, joy, ecstasy, peace, and equanimity. When we evoke these qualities, ego steps out of the way and we feel our connection to spirit. In this expanded state, the immune system is strengthened as the body repairs the damage caused by toxic experiences, relationships, environments, and substances. We come fully into the present moment, which is the only place in which we can experience our innate wholeness and wellbeing.
Day 9: Healing the Heart
The four needs of the heart are attention, affection, appreciation, and acceptance. The heart is a perfect tool that lets you know how you are feeling and if its needs are being met. In today’s meditation, rather than sorting out all the ways in which our needs are not being met, let’s drift our awareness to our connection to source, spirit, the universe, divine awareness, God . . . or whatever term you prefer for the infinite realm of creation. Let’s bring some attention to all the needs that are being met in our life. From there, we will have a strong foundation for gratitude and healing to unfold.
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Day 10: Digesting Our World
Most of us think of digestion as simply the process of breaking down food within our bodies. Ayurveda takes this a step further and says that we not only assimilate food, but also our experiences, feelings, sights, sounds, and other sensations . . . basically whatever is in our environment. This is in congruence with the Ayurvedic philosophy that we are inextricably connected to our environment.
With this in mind, it’s important to begin cultivating a more conscious awareness of what it is you are taking in on a daily basis. It will also become important to begin noticing how you are metabolizing the energy and information you are ingesting from the world around you. Ideally, you want to extract only the most nourishing aspects and eliminate that which takes you away from a life of joy, vitality, and love. In our meditation today, we will explore how we can make the most life-affirming choices to nurture our body, mind, and soul.
Day 11: Tapping into the Energy of Food
In today’s meditation, we will focus on the gift of nourishment that is provided to us through our food. By making conscious choices, we can tap into the healing energy and information of our food. Our cells depend on the vibrant energy and information that healthy food provides.
Our bodies are simply comprised of molecules that temporarily make up our cells, tissues, and organs. We are constantly transforming these cells, tissues, and organs by exchanging energy and information with our food. In fact, our food is the most intimate connection that we have with our environment. When we begin to appreciate this constant exchange, we can become more mindful of the choices we are making.
Day 12: Daily Rituals for Wellbeing
In today’s meditation we will explore rituals that enrich our daily lives. These rituals are important daily practices that allow us to connect with body, mind, and spirit. Many of our rituals are automatic, such as brushing our teeth or eating breakfast. So often we go along without really stopping to think of what actions we can take on a daily basis that will add greater health, success, joy, and peace of mind to our lives. This meditation focuses on consciously creating rituals that will serve our body, mind, and spirit.
Day 13: Laughter
Laughter is a natural part of our being. During the first few months of life, a newborn will smile and laugh. As children we laugh freely, without judgment. As adults, however, we take ourselves more seriously and often lose that childlike ability to laugh heartily, even though we know it feels good.
Research has shown that laughter (both real and “fake”) can lower blood pressure, decrease stress hormones, and strengthen our immune system. These benefits complement our daily meditation practice and remain with us for twenty-four hours after just twenty minutes of sustained laughter.
In today’s meditation we will experience the bliss of laughter and release endorphins into our system, which will bring joy to our mind, body, and spirit.
Day 14: How Light Can You Get?
Today’s meditation is all about finding the bliss , comfort, and lightness of being that awaits us when we let go of everything that’s weighing us down.
If we can allow our physical body to get a bit lighter, we will breathe easier. Our life will feel more fulfilling and we will experience greater happiness when we are willing to surrender and let go of some of the weight that burdens our body and our mind. We can do that every day through meditation! We could all probably benefit from letting go a little bit more, so let’s get started!
Day 15: The Mind-Body-Spirit Connection
The body is a self-repairing aspect of the field of intelligence. Its original state is perfect balance and order . . . it is pure consciousness, pure light, and pure energy. It is part of the extended body of the universe.
In today’s meditation, we will experience our light body and the extended body of the cosmos.
Day 16: Quantum Healing
Quantum healing involves healing one mode of consciousness – our mind – returning to the memory of wholeness in order to bring about healing in another aspect of consciousness – our body. When we realize our true source, we see that we are not our thoughts and we are not our body; we are pure, unbounded consciousness. First, let’s accept this moment exactly as it is. Once we accept, we can heal. The key is giving ourselves permission to accept our constrictions.
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Day 17: Chakra Energy Centers and Healing
Chakra is a Sanskrit word that means “energy wheel” or “center”. It is a junction point that exists between consciousness and physiology. Each energy center is associated with a core human need, and when a center is open, the energy that flows through it allows us to better meet those needs. We activate and open our energy centers by placing our attention on the center’s location, human need, and corresponding color.
When our energy is open and free from blockages, our mind-body-spirit lives a life of vitality, security, creativity, loving expression, and universal connectivity.
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Day 18: Emotional Freedom through Forgiveness
In today’s meditation we will center our attention on the emotional freedom we experience through the act of forgiveness. For many of us, the act of forgiveness wields a heavy hand. The toxic residue left over after we experience loss, heartache, disappointment, or abuse on any level leaves a deep scar – an imprint – in our heart, our psyche, and our physical body. It makes perfect sense that our basic survival instincts would lead us to build protective barriers to keep certain experiences out while carefully shielding our most vulnerable aspects within.
We learn early on that, as an added measure of protection, we can consciously choose to withhold forgiveness from those who have violated our physical and emotional boundaries. We may believe that not forgiving others holds them in a perpetual state of suffering for what they have done. What we don’t realize, however, is that withholding forgiveness binds us to the un-integrated emotional charge for weeks, months, years – and even lifetimes.
Forgiveness is about lightening our hearts. At some point in our lives, we all make choices that cause pain for another person. When we move into understanding that we are all doing our best from our level of awareness at the time, the fostering of forgiveness begins to unfold.
Day 19: The Medicine of Love
In today’s meditation we will explore how love can be used as a powerful medicine to heal our bodies, thoughts, feelings, and even relationships. We will embark on an inner journey to the depths of our being to reclaim our birthright of love.
As we slip into meditation, our barriers begin to disintegrate gently and effortlessly. We can then more easily embark on an expedition to parts of our being that we are unaware of. Today we will give ourselves permission to navigate our internal world and fully experience the magnificent healing power of love.
Day 20: Realizing Wellness Through Visualization
It’s Day 20 and in today’s meditation we will recapitulate our last nineteen days together and integrate the experience into our minds and bodies. Through a process of visualization and witnessing, you have the opportunity to expand your awareness, appreciation, and connection to all aspects of yourself.
Feeling fully integrated with a sense of wholeness, you will then be able to move into the future, planting seeds of intention for mind-body wellness.
Day 21: The Mind-Body-Spirit Connection
Congratulations on reaching Day 21! Meditation is now a ritual in your life. Take some time to celebrate your body, mind, heart, and soul. You have cultivated a beautiful practice. And now that you have learned so many different ways to access the stillness within you, it’s time to use your newly developed behavior as a powerful tool for cultivating present moment awareness.
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