Welcome back meditators!
Last week we introduced you to the fresh new voice in the meditation world - Holiday Phillips - and gave you your first 10 days of FREE 5-8min Guided Meditation Videos to help you learn the basics of mindfulness and meditation.
Each day for 30 days, she will guide you through one meditation a day - from getting into a relaxed state, meditating for a specific purpose, giving you time for silent reflection and closing the practice.
How are you getting on with meditating?
Not yet checked out the first post in this series? Then hop over here for all the details you need to get going. Days 1-10 here!
Days 11-20 of the 30 day series of guided meditations are posted below. Days 21-30 are here.
Day 11 - Gratitude for Someone Else
If there was one single belief system that would change our lives for the better, I think it may well be gratitude. We shift from feeling that we lack something and so feel happier with wherever we are right now. These meditations are 5 mins - but when you develop your own practise, you may want to tag a minute of gratitude on to every meditation you do.
Day 12 - Gratitude for Something
Today we focus on being grateful for some thing in our life that we feel grateful for - this could be your house, your job, your running crew. Anything that you love having in your life.
Day 13 - Gratitude for Yourself
Today we meditate on something about ourselves we are grateful for. We are literally always with ourselves. So if there's anyone or thing to learn to appreciate fully it should be ourselves.
Day 14 - Intention Setting
Just shy of half way through the 30 day challenge!! Tomorrow we will enter a new phase, an evolution. I'll send a video about that later. But for now we reset our intentions and re-energise for phase 2!
Half-Way There - Phase 2
Explaining how PHASE 2 of our 30 DAYS OF MEDITATION CHALLENGE is gonna go down!
Day 15 - Simple Breathing & Counting
INSTRUCTIONS
One in breath and one out breath counts as one full breath.
Take one full breath then count in your mind 1,
Take another full breath and count 2.
Keep breathing and counting like this until you reach 10.
Then start at 1 again.
If you get distracted by thoughts (which we all inevitably will!) just come back to the breath and start again at the count of 1.
Day 16 - Mindfulness of Sound
INSTRUCTIONS
Tune in to sounds around you. Eg. the computer humming, rumble of a car passing, birds outside.
When your mind wanders, return to the most immediate sounds then expand to all sounds.
Try not to analyse sounds or get caught up in one sound, just focus on the experience of listening.
Day 17 - Body Scan
So often our minds wander aimlessly or to negative places and we can feel like we have no control over it. By purposefully focussing on specific things in meditation we learn to take back control and choose what our mind focusses on.
This is a hard one to self guide! So I'll guide you through it again.
Day 18 - Mindfulness of Thoughts
INSTRUCTIONS
Focus gently on your breath.
When a thought comes up, note it. eg. "i'm hungry" or "people don't like me" then allow it to pass.
It can be useful to picture thoughts floating by like clouds.
And then come back to the breath.
Do this as many times as you need to.
Day 19 - Mindfulness of Thoughts Reload
INSTRUCTIONS
Focus gently on your breath.
When a thought comes up, note it. eg. "i'm hungry" or "people don't like me" then allow it to pass.
It can be useful to picture thoughts floating by like clouds.
And then come back to the breath.
Do this as many times as you need to.
Day 20 - Deep Belly Breathing
INSTRUCTIONS
Put one hand on your belly & take a deep breath to ensure your hand rises & falls.
Breathe in for a count of 4;
Hold for a count of 2;
Breathe out for 6.
Keep breathing to this count throughout the meditation.
If your mind wanders and you lose count, just come back to 1 again.
More about Holiday
Intent on bringing meditation to the next generation of meditators, Holiday has trained for years with some of the best meditation teachers in the world to help you with your meditation practice.
She founded Breathe & Stop – a modern meditation training rooted in science and free from fluff and facilitates regular meditation events - check out her events page for details.
If you liked this series, check out Holdiay’s weekly guided mediations coming soon on her social channels:
If you have any questions about meditation or mindfulness, then drop her a line on:
07888678927 or e-contact her through her site.
