Real Happiness Meditation Challenge, Week 2: Giving In to Guidance

Whew. Week 2 really put the word CHALLENGE in “28-day Meditation Challenge.” Not only have I had a nasty cold all week, but I’m also in the process of moving.  Attempting to find a peaceful space in my maze of boxes and bubblewrap, and then trying to focus on congested breathing slightly reminscent of a chainsaw… yep, it’s been a challenge. Thus, I must confess that I didn’t follow the book’s program as closely as I should have this week—and I only got through one complete meditation session.

But! What a satisfying session it was. This time  I listened to the first track of Sharon Salzberg’s guided meditation CD that comes with the book—and let me just say, for anyone trying this program or any meditation program for the first time, I can’t recommend the CD highly enough! It’s a wonderful tool; it really helped me focus and made a huge difference in my session.

Truth be told, I was afraid the recording would be a bit… hokey? Hippie-dippie? I asked myself, do I really need this, anyway? I was preparing to cringe as I hit play, but I was so pleasantly surprised once it began. It’s straightforward, rational, and very calming. Sharon’s voice has a naturally soothing quality, and she seems to choose the exact right words to say and the right moments to say them. She leaves long quiet spaces for you as she coaches you through the meditation.

I see now, after this week’s session, how badly I’d needed the extra guidance. This time around I felt a greater awareness of myself, a sense of connection between my body and my mind that lasted well beyond that session. I still haven’t noticed any drastic changes in my day-to-day emotions or feelings of wellbeing, but for now, that “connected” feeling is pretty neat.

I’ll continue with the program this week, moving on to the next track on the CD, and I’ll report back next week about how it goes. In the meantime, check out blog posts from the numerous other (much more articulate!) people trying out the Real Happiness program….

My previous Real Happiness posts:

Week 1

Taking the Challenge