by Karuna
If you’re like me, when you try to make a life change, it can feel difficult. Whether it is trying to lose weight, staying dry in January, or picking up a new habit like a daily meditation practice or adding weights to your workout routine, change is hard!
What I know can help, from hosting five years of our signature May Meditation Challenge at Mind Oasis, is that when we do it together and when we create a container in which we make a shift, it is not only possible but can be a helluva lot more fun.
Studies back this up.
Here are some accountability stats that can help you see the bigger picture:
*92 percent of people don’t achieve their goals.
*People are 65 percent more likely to meet a goal after committing to another person.
*Their chances of success increase to 95 percent when they build in ongoing meetings with their partners to check in on their progress.
How does this translate for those of us who know that developing a consistent meditation practice we look forward to each and every day is going to dramatically improve the quality of our lives, our relationships at home and work, and have a deep desire to do so, but have struggled to make it happen?
A meditation challenge to get us on track!
Here are five reasons why a meditation challenge is what you need:
- It gives purpose to your practice. You get the satisfaction of ticking off your progress each day. Our dear colleague Elizabete wrote an awesome blog piece about these “string of pearls” recently for Mind Oasis.
- It’s just better together. Group meditation on Mind Oasis is filled with smiling warm friendly faces (think about how refreshing that is compared to going out into the world with folks barely able to make eye contact these days!). You might arrive feeling like shit, but I find it’s difficult not to feel better after Community Meditation™.
- It makes the goal more manageable. Yes, we aspire to practice each day for the rest of our lives, but that can feel overwhelming. Breaking the new habit down into bite-size pieces helps it feel doable, and that’s important for our motivation.
- You have a schedule. You know that there are a number of sessions offered each day and you need to schedule with reminders how to make it work within your daily life. Luckily, the RSVP function in events makes this easy. RSVP and you’ll get a reminder ahead of the meditation session that has the link to join right there. You’ll also see an “Add to Calendar” function that allows you to add the session to your favorite digital calendar.
- You’ll see results. There isn’t a better motivation to keep going than to experience results. We have had many folks tell us that they can feel their practice leaching into their daily life within a few sessions. Not only do the Community Meditation™ guides deliver a gentle and helpful container in which to practice, they also offer quotes, tools, and inspirations to take out into your life after each session.
A meditation challenge is the perfect way to develop the shift you’re looking for in your practice. Whether you are looking to meditate daily or a few times a week, a meditation challenge can get you there.
And, not to toot our own horn (toot! toot!), but a meditation challenge with Mind Oasis is F-U-N, motivating, and will change your life in beautiful ways.
Join us! We offer monthly challenges in our Meditation Center.
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At Mind Oasis, we believe in the power of meditation coupled with, well anything. But especially community and intention. Be sure to check out our signature program Community Meditation™ and see how your practice takes off when it gets consistent. We’re talking way more than feeling more calm and capable of dealing with life as it happens, we are talking about feeling the positive effects of your time on your cushion in every aspect of your life. Learn more here.
Interested in going deeper? Consider joining our annual Meditation Immersion.
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