8-Week Meditation Challenge
Thank you for your interest in mindfulness/meditation and...
Welcome to the 8-week meditation challenge!
When I first started practicing mindfulness and meditation, I had no intention of practicing mindfulness and meditation. In fact, I had little understanding of what mindfulness and meditation actually was. It was in the context of martial arts training that I was introduced to meditative practices. Before this, I thought mindfulness and meditation was a futile attempt to empty one mind. This was a complete misunderstanding of what mindfulness/meditation actually was. Through continued practice, I learned the importance and power of meditation and the impact it can play in a person's life. With this challenge, it is my goals to share this experience with you.
For those who are interested in benefiting from mediation/mindfulness and want to begin their journey towards improving resiliency (1, 2, 3), reducing anxiety (4), reducing depressive symptoms (5), and more, I encourage you to dedicate several minutes a day to understating and experiencing how powerful this practice can be.
For the next 8 weeks, you will engage in 5-10 minutes of mindful meditation each day. You will practice "a deliberate vulnerability, a chosen sensitivity. (In mindfulness, there is no intention to control what happens next. It is a deliberate relinquishing of control. That's why the first focus in traditional practice is often on the breath. To pay attention to the breath and not control it is more difficult than one's might imagine, especially when we think about how little attention we ordinarily pay to breath and how well it works outside of our conscious control.)" (6).
To participate in this challenge, you will do the following. You will work to develop and strengthen your 'inner observer' - the part of yourself that is able to, non-judgmentally, explore and examine the internal cognitive and somatic processes (6) that can result in maladaptive behaviors.
Mediation
Find a quiet and comfortable place to sit, close your eyes, and take a deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Focus on diaphragmatic breathing or belly breathing.
Begin by bringing your attention to your breath. Notice the sensation of the breath moving in and out of your body, the rise and fall of your chest or belly, the sensation of the air touching your nostrils. Simply observe this without trying to change it or control it.
As you continue to breathe, bring your attention to your body. Starting at the crown of your head, bring awareness to each part of your body, working your way down to your toes. Notice any sensations, feelings, or thoughts without judgment. Imagine you're observing a movie of your body, watching yourself from the outside.
As you focus on your body, notice the thoughts and emotions that arise. They may be related to your physical sensations, or they may be unrelated. Notice them without judgment, allowing them to pass without getting caught up in them. Imagine you're watching a cloud pass by, observing it without attachment or identification.
Now, bring your attention to your mind. Notice the thoughts, emotions, and sensations that arise. Allow them to come and go without trying to control or change them. Imagine you're watching a river, observing the water flowing and changing without getting caught up in it.
As you continue to observe, notice the sense of self that arises. Notice the thoughts and feelings that define you, the sense of who you are. Imagine you're watching a shadow, observing the shape and form without getting caught up in it.
Remember that the goal of this meditation isn't to achieve a specific state or stop your thoughts completely. It's simply to cultivate awareness and observation of your experiences, allowing you to respond to them more skillfully.
Take a few more deep breaths, and when you're ready, slowly open your eyes. Carry the sense of awareness and observation with you, and remember to cultivate it in every moment, every interaction, and every breath.
Note: You can also use the following phrases to anchor the meditation:
"I am aware of my thoughts, emotions, and sensations"
"I am watching myself, not identifying with myself"
The GAD-7 is a free screening tool used to help assess the severity of anxious distress an individual is experiencing. It is not designed to diagnose. Individuals can complete the GAD-7 every other week to monitor if mindful mediations practice is helping with anxiety reduction.
You can complete the GAD-7 on day 1 and every 2 weeks as an experiment to determine if your stress levels change.
We'd love to hear about your experiences with this challenge.
GAD-7 Scoring & Severity Levels:
0–4: Minimal anxiety
5–9: Mild anxiety
10–14: Moderate anxiety
15–21: Severe anxiety
Interpretation & Next Steps:
Scores 10 or above suggest a clinically significant level of anxiety that may require further evaluation.
Higher scores indicate greater severity and may suggest the need for therapeutic intervention, lifestyle changes, or medical treatment.
It is not a diagnostic tool, but it helps healthcare providers identify individuals who may benefit from further mental health support.