Thought I'd contribute to the conversation on meditation, as there are only like a million and half ways to do this thing! lol. So one of my favorite "challenges" or techniques is just counting to 5. This is a technique based around utilizing the breath and counting to attempt to sharpen the sword that is the mind, by challenging it to focus on just those two things. Every time ones mind wanders they must go back to the beginning and start over.
Counting to 5:
1. Breathe in through your nose, feeling the cooler air enter your nostrils, and imagine it flowing down into your abdomen. This is count 1.
2. Breathe out through your nose, feeling the warmth of the air on your upper lip, and this is count 1 as well.
3. Rinse and repeat however now you're on 2. And so on and so forth.
So ultimately it's a very "easy" exercise, where a full breath cycle is counted as 1, another cycle as 2, and so on and so forth until you get to 5. Then even if you get to 5 you start over again at 1. Some tips are as follows: Put the tip of your tongue to the roof of the mouth to connect your "energy circuits" which are the conception vessel meridian and the governing vessel meridian. This helps the flow of energy. Another tip is to realize that the goal was never to get to 5, ultimately it is a lesson in remaining humble and letting go of ego by going back to 1, as well as teaches you to hone your concentration and mind over time.
Hope this is fun for some! It's one of my personal favorites. Enjoy!
-David
