Can 28 Days of Meditation Lead to Real Happiness?

I’m decidedly bad at sitting still. I fidget at my desk, can’t watch TV unless I’m sorting junk mail at the same time, and my least favorite yoga pose is savasana, a.k.a. the “corpse pose,” because, well, you’re not actually doing anything! Even if I’m relaxing on a beach, I’m also likely making a list or mentally organizing something.

Needless to say, I am not the meditating type.

But lately there’s been so much buzz about meditation—actual studies that have shown how it may reduce stress, curb heart attacks, strengthen your relationships, change your brain to make you more compassionate, and improve your overall happiness. These seem like pretty huge rewards for just taking a few minutes a day to sit and breathe.

Thus, I’ve been inspired to take Sharon Salzberg’s 28-day meditation challenge. During the month of February, a diverse group of people (including a firefighter, a comedian, a teacher, and an investment banker) will be trying out the program from Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation and blogging about their meditation experiences on Sharon’s website. I’ll be playing along at home and keeping track of my own experiences here on the Workman blog.

My first session is tonight, and the first challenge in the challenge will be figuring out a place in my apartment where I won’t be distracted by the plant that needs watering, the shelf that needs dusting, or the overdue phone call I’m supposed to make to my mother—a space where I can just be still and breathe.

As for now? Time to run for more coffee. I’ve been sitting far too long.