WELOME TO THE MOUNTAIN MIND
The 21-Day Challenge
21-Day Challenge Instructions
Welcome to the challenge!
We all want to think positively, be happy, and feel free. But sometimes, it feels like we can't control our thoughts and emotions.
Our minds tend to lean towards feelings like anger, fear, being annoyed, boredom, and anxiety. These emotions can take over, and we end up feeling unhappy.
We don't really learn how to make our minds work for us – to help us be joyful, creative, and free most of the time.
The 21-Day Challenge practices are designed to teach us important inner skills like being kind, patient, wise, loving, and finding inner peace. They're not about making us instantly happy, but about getting back to how we felt when we were kids: curious, excited, kind, joyful, and in the flow.
These practices have been proven by science to make us feel better.
Just like exercise needs to challenge you to work, the same goes for working on your mind. I encourage you to fully commit and see if doing these short daily practices can make a real difference in how you feel.
Why 21 Days?
It takes 21 Days to form a new habit. If you were to play video games every morning, after a few weeks, you would automatically reach for the phone when you first woke up; it would be as natural as brushing your teeth.
You will also master said games quite quickly.
So it is with spiritual practice.
Here's how to get started:
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Get the 21-Day Challenge Journal by downloading it online. It's fillable, so you can type right into it. Downlaod here
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Ask a friend to join you in this challenge. Having someone to share with increases your chances of success.
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Send your friend three things you're thankful for every day. It's a great way to stay accountable.
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Pick one or two exercises from the list below and do them every day.
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Keep your accountability partner in the loop about how you're doing. Sharing your progress will keep you both motivated.
More information about the challenge:
Vistage International publication of the challenge: Click here
Slides for the 21-day challenge presentation in here
21-Day Challenge Booklet also has instructions and background material. You can download a copy here.
Meditation
Meditation strengthens your capacity to direct your mind.
Like bicep curls help you pick up groceries, meditation trains you to stay present and not caught up in your monkey mind.
21 day Challenge meditation youtube playlist here:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLftvgpQveRipJjLW95pBJ7chLNvQkoNBP
Free online 21 Day Challenges:
Calm: https://www.calm.com/app/program/YAcrQol9Wv
Deepak Chopra:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/21-days-of-abundance-meditation-series/id1558008884
My recorded meditations:
Morning priming:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUmVvfKJKOU&t=369s
Body Scan (recorded for the Air Force):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hm2Wymc0FtQ&t=43s
Great Apps (click for links)
Protect the Doorway to the Mind (media and zoning out)
The first and last half hour of the day should be dedicated to your spiritual health
Don't give such significant mental real estate to the loudest bidder!
Ideas:
Use the 21 Day Challenge Journal (reach out for a free copy)
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate (coffee doesn't count)
Create a quiet place in your home to spend this time; your life is a treasure and needs an alter!
Turn off notifications of anything unhelpful. Ask yourself: what would my life be like without this notification?
Breathing
Five Breathes
Your nervous system returns to baseline when you take long exhales.
Take these when you feel stressed.
As you arrive at work.
Before Starting a meeting (for best results, do this as a team!)
Five conscious breaths, five times a day
Instruction:
Take a deep inhale through the nose. Purse your lips and blow through your mouth, creating a very looooooooong exhale. The longer, the better!
Repeat five times.
Wim Hof Breathing
Your capacity to regulate your nervous system improves with these dynamic practices.
Wim Hof breathing with instruction on breathing and cold immersion:
Free mini course on the method: https://www.wimhofmethod.com/free-mini-class
A great starter video, used in class:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tybOi4hjZFQ&t=35s
Journaling
Use the 21 Day Challenge Journal.
Fill in the prompts first thing in the morning and last thing at night.
This commits you to your practices and intentions.
Download the latest version of the journal here.
Random Acts of Kindness
When you direct attention to others, your monkey mind loses its job.
Yielding in traffic
Unexpected tips
Letters to friends
Anonymous gifts
Paying for people’s food
Notes of appreciation
Notes of Appreciation:
Dear _____
I appreciate three things you have done for me:
1)____, 2)____, 3)_____
Three qualities I value in you:
1)____, 2)____, 3)_____
With Love, _____
Gratitude
Gratitude has you focus on abundance instead of lack. Goodbye Scarcity!
Text your partner three things every day.
Use the 21 Day Journal to record your gratitudes morning and night.
On awakening: Thank you, life. I love you.
Write half a page of things you are grateful for every evening
Tell someone you are grateful for them every day
Website all about gratitude: https://grateful.org/brother-david/
Intention Setting
The key to intention setting is understanding that we are feeling beings that sometimes think, not thinking being that sometimes feel. To speed up success, we must FEEL success.
1) Set an intention: I have accomplished my goal, I am in a great relationship, I am a confidant and happy mother
2) See your self in a situation where the goal is accomplished . Don’t watch the movie, be in the movie
3) Feel the feeling of the wish fulfilled throughout your body, Your voice, Your posture
My Favorite References
Michael Singer Free intro course:
12 twelve minute videos to introduce you to how your mind works and what you can do about it!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLp2wvVWUsHzEludI9mIr8ZIhRqhiRuO8T
Michael Singer makes the case for working with the mind better than anyone else, in my opinion! This super bright, ridiculously successful and outrageously enthusiastic writer's understanding of the mind is unsurpassed. He is practical and intuitive and makes things understandable. His books completely altered how I saw myself, and my mind.
Thank goodness! This is the latest and clearerst of his three bestsellers.
Whole Brain Living is revolutionary in that it maps out the brain anatomy involved in our ways of being in the world. It is traditional in the sense that it correlates ancient truths with current neuroanatomical understandings. Not to be missed.
Noone maps our the mind like Michael Singer. Perhaps the most gifted American Teacher of our time, Michael bridges the gaps between neuroscience, Eastern philosophy, and practical happiness. Highly Recommended!
Researcher Brene Brown has her finger of the pulse of the things that ail us! Her work is extraordinarily insightful and greatly helps to understand the mind.
In this auto biography NY Times Best seller outlines how he used his practice of moving into the mountain mind to create an extraordinary life. Singer is the founder of a billion dollar tech company, internationally known teacher and a true inspiration.
Chris Niebauer notices and describes the striking parallels between the latest discoveries in psychology, neuroscience, and the teachings of Buddhism, Taoism, and other schools of Eastern thought. A terrifically insightful read!
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Dan Harris is a prominent journalist who, after an on-air panic attack looked for ways to reduce his stress. This resulted in a best selling book and a fabulous app to teach even the greatest skeptic to practice mindfulness.
This App makes meditation easy. Literally plug and play. This is the most accessible teaching tool.