This 40-day challenge comes at a perfect time for me, since I recently began taking a class on mindfulness and meditation. I've also been reading a biography of William James, one of the American scholars who founded the discipline of psychology here in the U.S. One of his big ideas was that mind is activity. I really like this idea, and it's been something I can't stop thinking about lately. I'll try to explain more about why I think this concept is so fascinating, but for now, let me say that it's a big reminder to me that when I'm feeling down, I need to do something. The brain needs movement/activity/exercise as much as the body. And at the same time, the brain needs very particular kinds of movement and enough rest to counter the stresses of the world. I hope that meditation fits well into my plan to make my mind healthier and happier.

I've just begun practicing meditation using a 10-minute meditation CD that I got from my meditation teacher. My goal is to practice with this CD once a day for the next week. I was glad to see my recent issue of Cooking Light emphasize the importance of meditation in an article called "5 Mantras for a Sharper Mind":

Studies of Buddhist monks gave the first indications that meditation--deep breathing, focusing on the moment--can help change brains for the better. There's evidence that as little as half an hour a day of meditation can increase gray matter density in areas of the brain associated with learning.

I'll let you know how it goes, but for now, I'm working on building meditation into a habit. I'll be thinking about you Rhode Islanders doing your downward dogs and sleeping on the yoga mats. Tonight at my meditation class, we did 30 minutes, and aside from my foot falling asleep, I didn't notice how much time passed.