31 Days 'Be in Your Body Challenge'

By now, most of you are aware of the amazing benefits of meditation. It is arguably one of the best bio-hacks around. It reduces stress, improves emotional and mental health, leads to greater self-awareness, slows aging, relieves pain, and helps you sleep better. Meditation teaches you that you are not your thoughts. That you are not the incessant mind chatter. It shows you that you are an incredible and vast intelligence. You are peace and knowingness. Meditation is no longer just for new age yogis and hippies. There is real scientific evidence to back this up.

But however wonderful meditation is, so many people struggle to do it or to make it a part of their daily routine. They get frustrated and give up because they ‘aren’t doing it right’. The truth is that it is a practice. It’s not supposed to be perfect, and you will never get it right, and that’s ok. But if you are frustrated, or even if you aren’t, and just want to enjoy some of the same benefits, try the following practices. These practices require you to BE IN YOUR BODY, rather than in your head, and they give you a much-needed break from mental activity. They will help you reconnect to who you really are and help remind you that you are more than the endless repetitive thoughts.

Try a few of these or take the full January Be in Your Body challenge for 31 days. For the full challenge, pick one from the list to try each day, beginning on Jan. 1. By the end of the month, you will have gone outside your comfort zone, spent more time in your body, and will be more present with others. And you will be happier, healthier, and ready to take on even greater challenges in the New Year. 

1.   Try Breathwork – Two of my favorite types

·       Box Breathing (4-4-4-4) - Breathe in deeply for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4, exhale for a count of 4. Repeat this 5 times.

·       4-7-8 Breathing. Breathe in deeply for a count of 4, hold for a count of 7, exhale for a count of 8. Repeat. This one is great to relax you before bed.

2.   Get (or give) a Massage (anchorcincy.com)

3.   Take a Pilates class (anchorcincy.com)

4.   Walk barefoot in the grass

5.   Sing out loud

6.   Do a headstand

7.   Dance like no one is watching

8.   Have sex

9.   Spend 5 minutes Stretching

10.  Do 10 minutes of Yoga

11.  Eat a meal mindfully – with no TV and no social media

12.  Take a walk with no destiny, no watch, no phone

13.  Try Tai Chi

14.  Sit outside and just watch the clouds

15.  Turn off the news for an entire day

16.  Read a novel

17.  Lift weights (or do Crossfit, boxing, parkour, hip hop dance…)

18.  Give Hugs

19.  Laugh out loud

20.  Cry with real tears

21.  Sit in a sauna

22.  Take a bath

23.  Take a nap

24.  Take a cold shower

25.  Play on the jungle gym

26.  Sprint

27.  Color

28.  Play an instrument

29.  Go ice skating

30.  Hike in the woods

31.  Try Lovingkindness meditation - https://www.mindful.org/this-loving-kindness-meditation-is-a-radical-act-of-love/