Tratakum Meditation

The use of Tratakum to increase concentration ability is well known. One of the traditional practices for this is to gaze at a candle. Here is how:
Sit in easy pose.
Position a candle about 7 feet away. The flame should be at the height of the root of the nose. Focus your eyes on the flame and see the corona of light around the flame. See the area just under the hottest tip of the flame where there is a dark spot; light and dark co-exist at this point.
Meditate at the Brow point with fixed concentration. This will stimulate the frontal lobes of the brain. When looking at the flame, simply see the radiance and meditate with as little blinking as possible.
To End: Inhale deeply, close the eyelids, and put the image of the radiant light at the Third Eye Point.

Day 20 - Overcoming Obstacles

If you haven't checked in this week please do so. Perhaps you're quietly doing your meditation and doing well or maybe you are struggling - we need to hear about that too. Reach out and ask for help. You may have given up - if so I encourage you to start up again especially now as we have others joining us for the next 20 days. Work through your obstacles and find a way. There is a way through every block. At the start of the challenge one of the participants had a few obstacles to overcome - she had recently moved, still not unpacked, and her husband was ill. Here is what she said.
'Yes i am participating in the meditation group with 3 minutes of silence and deep breathing. I am doing it first thing in the morning but at the moment the loft where I do my Yoga warm up is occupied with a live in nurse who is helping my husband so I am trying to improvise without a CD player. Things will improve - meanwhile the silent meditation.'
What are YOUR blocks? Time, Finding Space, Resistance, Mind?

What gives you strength? Your thoughts
What weakens you? Your thoughts
What destroys you? Your thoughts
In reality, thoughts are given to expand you, so you'll realize
'I am All'
Yogi Bhajan

Ra Ma Da Sa

Day 19

Comments via Email

Sherry said 'I've been doing my meditation daily but one day I forgot until I was in bed so I did the Sa Ta Na Ma and it helped me fall asleep!'

Dianne said 'It's been going good.  I'm in the habit now of meditating first thing in the morning.  I'm doing 11 minutes and the time seems to fly by.  Thanks for getting me started.'

Cathy said 'It's weird but every time I look at the clock now its exactly 6 minutes'

Lin said 'Still doing my meditation 3 minutes twice a day'

Thanks for checking in

Day 18 Who is Who?

Have you wondered who is doing the meditation with you?  Just thought I'd write a bit about us.
Carmen,  Dianne, Dorothy, Faye, Lisa, Maureen, Monique,Rhonda, Sherry,Vivian,Wei Min all come to Kundalini Yoga Classes in Burnaby, Langley and White Rock 1-3 times a week - now that is commitment!
Lucia lives in San Francisco and is meditating with us.  She and I experienced meditating in the Kings Chamber of the Great Pyramid together.
Cathy and Lindy work with me - Lindy is new to meditation, Cathy is a long time Kundalini Yogi
Mark is meditating with us in Alberta!
Lin a new mother, finding time to meditate with us,
Raven is learning Vipassana Meditation right now.
Joyous is studying Reiki and is new to meditating
Marilyn is new to Meditation - will be finishing her last couple of weeks in Hawaii
Lynda also meditating while travelling, now finishing back home.
Denise is currently on a road trip down to California and Arizona
Robyn makes the most amazing Lavender Scrub and Lotion - now that would be a great treat!
Kelly, Christine, Jenn, Tammy, Stephanie - My incredible Wellness Colleagues.
We also have others joining us for the last 20 days. 

Day 17 - Staying Motivated

One way to help stay motivated is small rewards and thinking about a treat at the end.  Here are some ideas:
-  beautiful CD of relaxing music
-  an inspiring book
- How about a candle or two?
- A new meditation cushion/mat or sheepskin rug
- Going for tea or chai with a friend
- Trying some new tea - great tea shop on 4th avenue
- Going to Van Dusan Gardens to see the Christmas Lights
- Going for a manicure or pedicure
- Maybe a Massage!
What else can we add to this list?  Also Cathy was wondering about events that are being held on Winter Solstice - Tuesday.  Does anyone know of any?

Comments via Email

Thanks for the recent comments:
'At the beginning I set my alarm for 6am, now I am waking without an alarm - once I slept till 7am.  I notice that I am taking about 30-40 minutes.  My mind is racing at times.  Not getting irritated with myself.  Feeling grateful for this opportunity and I sense it is changing in depth.  Even though I don't see comments other than yours Marie, I am encouraged to keep my commitment because I know others are participating.  Loved the Kundalini Yoga video!'    Faye

'I appreciate the email.  I've been treating myself very well almost daily and I will think of a way of treating myself for finish of the 40 day challenge.'    Wei Min

'Loving the Meditation and have been very very consistent with it'    Robyn

Day 16 - Some Meditation Humour

Day 15 - Snow!

I hope everyone got home safe and sound and what a great night to meditate! I've changed the posting comments so the word for security doesn't come up so hopefully it is a bit easier to post.
It seems a few of you have now extended your meditation time and are adjusting the time of day and your space to suit your needs.

Day 14 - Kundalini Yoga

Day 12 - Meditation Minutes

Yoga Science says that there are specific lengths of time need for certain desired effects during meditation.
3 minutes of meditation affects the electromagnetic field, the circulation and stability of the blood.
11 minutes of meditation begins to change the nerves and the glandular system
22 minutes of meditation balanced the three minds - and they begin to work together
31 minutes of meditation allows the glands, breath and concentration to affect all the cells and rhythms of the body.

Day 11 Wow

I am so enjoying my meditation. I think it is motivating me to get stuff done that I've been putting off. That would make sense since I am doing the Fire Kriya. Very powerful. Before my meditation I've been singing one of the Aquarian Songs and I finish off with the 1 minute breath so my meditation time has increased to 20 minutes.

Day 10

Thanks Raven, Carmen, Lin and Cathy for checking in. Glad the meditation is going well.

Day 9 - Why Meditate?

How are you getting on with your Meditation? What have you learned about yourself? Are you noticing any changes? Remember they may be subtle. Some of you have already experienced aha moments, and new awareness, for others it may take longer. Be patient.
So what does meditation do?
Promotes a sense of well-being, inner peace, stability and calm.
Develops your intuition
Releases reactions and unconscious habits, subconscious fears and blocks, and builds the spontaneous and intuitive link to awareness of self.
Promotes the ability to focus energy, enhancing effectiveness and efficiency.
Promotes clarity of mind, mental awareness, and the ability to be present.
Resolves core issues of stress-producing patterns
Develops the frontal lobe of the forehead, which controls your personality.
What does meditation do for you??

Day 08 - Keeping UP

What to do if you have missed a day of your meditation? Don't give up! Start back as soon as possible. Don't miss the second day as the longer you leave it the harder it is to start again. Don't get angry with yourself, instead take a few minutes and determine what it was that prevented you from meditating that day? Did you procrastinate, are you getting bored with it, did you forget, what happened? Then determine what steps you need to get back on track. Observe with a neutral mind. Be nice to yourself!

'Keep Up and you will be kept up' Yogi Bhajan

Day 07 - Keeping a Journal

Some of you have already felt the need to journal your Meditation experiences which is great, others are wondering what to write about so here are some tips:
Journal about whatever you notice. When you bring your attention to the contents of your consciousness, you will notice sensations in your body, thoughts and emotions.
Some examples of things you may notice would be how fast or slow did the time seem to go while you meditated, how is your body today, what did you notice about the state of awareness produced by the meditation.
Notice your process around doing the meditation. For instance, did part of you resist doing the meditation? Did you procrastinate? Did you make excuses as to why you couldn't do it? When you pushed through the resistance how did you feel? Did you experience any anger and frustration at committing to the Challenge? If you missed a day, what went on in your psyche?
What awareness bubbled up about yourself as a result of the process of meditating? How do these insights connect to other aspects of your life?
Journal also about the unanswered questions that reside in your soul and the synchronicities that unfold as you ponder them.
Enjoy!

Day 06 - Eye Focus

There are several different places to focus the eyes while meditating, depending on which meridians and parts of the brain are to be stimulated.
At the Third Eye PointThe Brow Point. Here the attention is on the brow and the eyes are gently raised. This stimulates the pituitary and intuition is developed.
At the Tip of the Nosereferred to as Lotus Point Meditation. This controls the mind, which is locked in a triangle. This stimulates the pineal gland and the frontal lobe of the brain. New energy pathways are created in the brain patterns.
At the Moon CentreThis is the tip of the chin, with the eyes closed and rolled down. this is cooling, calming and you see yourself clearly.
At the Crown ChakraThe Tenth Gate, the top of the head. Eyes are closed and rolled upwards, as if looking at the top of your head. Stimulated the pineal and the crown energy centre.
1/10th openThe eyelids are light and relaxed. This stimulates the optic nerve slightly, makes you calm and develops intuition. In Kundalini Yoga this may also be referred to as 9/10th's shut. Same thing.

Bound Lotus

If you think your Meditation is a Challenge - check this one out!!!

Day 05 - Timing

I've had a couple of people ask me 'How do I know when the time is up'. I usually have a clock handy and tend to open up an eye and take a peak now and then. After a while you get to sense the time, although some days it could drag and other days it seems to go faster.
Here are some tips you could use.
a) If you are listening to music you could choose a song or music that is same length as your desired meditation. Enya songs for example are 3-4 minutes. If you are doing a Kundalini Yoga Chant you can download music that is 11 minutes and sing along with it. That is what I am doing right now so when the music stops, I know I'm done.
b) Use a timer - I haven't done this personally but you might like it. This would be good if you are doing a silent or breathing meditation.
c) If you are doing Kirtan Kriya which involves Chanting out loud, whispering and being silent I found it really helpful to tape myself first and then when I was doing the meditation I followed along so I didn't have to worry about the timing at all. You could also do this with other meditations - tape yourself at the beginning - maybe with an affirmation, then let the tape play for 3 minutes and then speak back into the tape, thanking yourself for doing your meditation. Something like that - then you have your own gentle voice at the end.

Note: Some meditations that require a certain focus may not be suitable to have music in the background - it might distract you. e.g. Sat Kriya, or counting your breath etc.

Day 04 - Check In

Sat Nam and Welcome to the participants that have recently joined us. I've updated the List (at the right) - please check that you are on it.
Some of you are 'checking in' daily or every few days and I encourage you to keep doing so. I am also getting emails and messages via facebook so I will relate those on the blog. For those who don't comment regularly I would greatly appreciate that you check in at least once a week either:
a) Posting on the Blog
b) Sending me an email
c) Message via Facebook
d) After class for those attending my Kundalini Yoga classes
Have a beautiful day!

Day 03 - Tuning In

Before starting your meditation it is helpful to spend a few moments to 'tune in'. If you are a Kundalini Yogi you can tune in with chanting Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo - 3 times.
For others it might be sitting up tall with a straight spine, hands in Prayer Position and spending a few moments tuning in to your energy and how you feel physically and mentally. Or you could chant the universal sound of Om, set an intention for the Meditation, or just enjoy a few long deep breaths.
This acts as a transition from one activity to the other. Likewise at the end of the Meditation it is important to spend a few moments just be-ing, observing anything that came up, acknowledging the time you have spent, honouring yourself and feeling gratefulfor the time for you. Enjoy!

Day 02

Thank you to those who shared your comments on your first day. Also received comments by email and it seems a few of you went over your intended time which is just fine. I felt the time went fast today - I was just getting into it.
I am still co-ordinating the Participant List and will have it updated on the weekend so if you don't see your name yet that is the reason. I am getting pledges via facebook, email and my website so we have more people joining us.

Day 01

Sat Nam everyone,
I decided to do my meditation at 11am this morning in honour of Remembrance Day. I haven't done Fire Kriya before so I had to work through some things like the hand position - it was a bit uncomfortable as my fingers were interlaced opposite to what I'd normally do. Chanting Sat naam, sat naam, sat naam, sat naam, sat naam, sat naam, whaa hay guroo 4 times on the breath took some getting used to as well! The last round sounded really interesting - sort of all run together! But by the end I was getting the hang of it and it FELT TERRIFIC!
How did you get on!

4 Part Breath Meditation

Still not sure what Meditation or Breath to use? Check this one out. This is a powerful breath that takes only 3 minutes to do.

Fire Kriya

I've decided I will do the Fire Kriya which is the Kundalini Yoga Meditation for 2010 featured at both the Summer Solstice and again during the Winter Solstice Retreats. The Kriya elevates, purifies and empowers!
Have you organized your Meditation? Look over to the right and check that your name is on the Participation List.

Getting Ready

Only 2 days to the Start of the Challenge!  Here are some tips to help you plan ahead.
1)  Where are you going to do your Meditation?  Decide on a place that is quiet and away from other people in your home.  You might want to sit on your favourite chair or cushion, or create an area where you can light a candle.
2)  What time of the day?   Whenever is the most convenient for you.  I find morning is good but after work can be relaxing and act as a transition into the evening.  Some may find before bed a good time but I have tried this before and some days I've been too tired at the end of the day.  
3)  Are you going to Journal what comes up?  If so you you'll need a notebook and pen ready.
4)  Do you want to meditate to music? You will need to organize that before as well. 
5)  Do you have other people in your home to consider?  If you are going to chant and decide your best time is 5.00am that might not go well with your room mates.
6)  Have you decided on your Meditation?  Gazing at a Candle is meditation, long deep breathing - it doesn't have to be complicated.
To Post Comments click the Comments Box below.  Thanks for participating!

Meditation Suggestions

I've been asked for suggestions on Meditations so here are a few ideas.  If you like the sound of a particular one let me know and I'll give you the detailed instructions.
Breathing Meditations: 
Concentration in Action (great for beginners)  here you feel your pulse and on each beat of the heart mentally vibrate the words Sat Nam.
Calm Heart Meditation (also great for beginners)  One hand on the heart centre and the other is up in a pledge and you hold the breath in for as long as possible and then out for as long as possible. 
Inner Conflict Meditation - here you Inhale to a count of 5, exhale completely to a count of 5 and hold the breath out for 15 seconds.
Chanting: 
Projection & Protection from the Heart - helps give you a magnetic personality.
Kirtan Kriya - for busy minds - chanting Sa Ta Na Ma out loud, whispering, silent, whisper, out loud again.

Welcome

Welcome to the 40 Day Meditation Challenge Blog!  I thought it would be good to create the blog to serve as a Community  during the Meditation Challenge, to share our experiences, inspire and encourage each other.  By connecting to others it will help motivate us to stay committed during the Challenge.
Here are the intended goals:
1)  Choose your favourite meditation and commit to 3 or 11 minutes each day during the Challenge
2)  Stay with the same meditation throughout.
3)  Try to do the meditation at the same time each day which creates a habit.
4)  Journalling after the meditation is helpful, I'll write more about that later.
5)  Challenge begins this Thursday Nov 11 and ends at Winter Solstice!
6)  Don't forget to Post and share your experiences
Enjoy!