This episode is to introduce the October challenge organized by the Mindfulness@IBM community.
Each working day of October one new short practice to do together and so establish one more a regular healthy mindful routine. Enjoy

October Challenge 2025 - Introduction

Welcome to Day 14 of our October mindfulness journey. Today’s practice is a gentle thought observation exercise that invites you to imagine your mind as an aquarium—full of colorful thoughts, emotions, and distractions swimming by.

Rather than getting caught up in each thought, this practice helps you take a step back and simply observe. Like watching fish through glass, you’ll learn to notice your thoughts without judgment, allowing them to come and go while staying grounded in your breath and body.

This is a powerful way to cultivate presence, especially as we head into the final stretch of our challenge.

October Challenge 25 - Day 14 – Watching the Mind: A Thought Observation Practice

Welcome to Day 15! If you’ve been practicing daily, you’ve likely started forming a beautiful habit—a small ritual that brings you back to the present moment. 

Today’s practice is all about the mindful smile.
With just a breath and a gentle lift of the corners of your mouth, you can shift your mood, soften your body, and reconnect with gratitude. Smiling mindfully is a simple yet powerful way to embody joy and presence.

Let your whole self smile—your face, your heart, even your feet. And carry that smile into your day.

October Challenge 25 - Day 15 – The Mindful Smile: A Practice of Joy and Presence

Welcome to Day 16 of our mindfulness challenge. Today’s practice is a grounding belly breathing exercise that invites you to reconnect with your body and its natural rhythms.

By gently guiding your attention from your feet to your belly, you’ll tune into the subtle yet powerful movement of your breath. This practice activates the parasympathetic nervous system, helping you feel more relaxed, centered, and connected to your inner wisdom—your “gut instinct.”

Let your breath be your anchor today.

October Challenge 25 - Day 16 – Coming Home to the Body: A Belly Breathing

Welcome to Day 17 of our October mindfulness journey. Today’s practice with Pat is a short but powerful sound meditation.

Whether you choose music, nature sounds, ambient noise, or even silence, this practice invites you to simply listen—without labeling, judging, or reacting. Notice how quickly the mind tries to name or evaluate what it hears, and gently return to the act of listening itself.

Let sound be your anchor to the present moment.

October Challenge 25 - Day 17 – Listening Deeply: A Sound Meditation

Welcome to Day 18 of our October mindfulness journey. Today’s practice is a gentle reminder to appreciate your body—not for how it looks, but for all it does to support your life.

We often spend time in our minds or criticizing our bodies, but this practice invites you to shift into gratitude and non-judgmental awareness. From your breath to your heartbeat, your senses to your movement—your body is a miracle of survival, growth, and connection.

End the practice with a mindful stretch and carry this kindness with you throughout your day.

October Challenge 25 - Day 18 – Honoring the Body: A Practice of Gratitude and Awareness

Welcome to Day 19 of our October mindfulness journey. Today, Pat invites us to take a mindful pause outdoors—or simply by a window.

This short practice encourages you to open your senses to the world around you. Whether it’s the breeze, the colors of the sky, the sound of birds, or even the stillness of the air, allow yourself to experience it with a sense of wonder and openness.

Let nature be your meditation space today.

October Challenge 25 - Day 19 – A Mindful Pause for the Outdoors

Welcome to Day 20! With just two more days to go, you’re almost at the end of our 22-day mindfulness journey. If you’ve been practicing regularly, you’ve built something truly meaningfula habit of presence, reflection, and care.

Today’s practice is a short and simple mindful journaling exercise with Pat. 
You’re invited to write three sentences about how you feel right now. Approach this with intention and curiosity. Let the words flow without judgment, and notice what arises in your body and mind as you write.

Thank you for being here, for showing up, and for practicing together.

October Challenge 25 - Day 20 – Writing the Moment: A Mindful Journaling Practice

Welcome to Day 21 of our October mindfulness journey. Today, Nieta guides us through a powerful practice of observing emotions noticing what arises in the mind and body without judgment or labeling.

This exercise is best practiced in real-time, when a strong emotion surfaces. Whether joy, frustration, sadness, or excitement, the invitation is to simply observe and allow, rather than react. This builds equanimity the ability to remain steady and present, no matter what arises.

With just one day left, you’re almost at the finish line! Thank you for being here, for showing up, and for practicing together.

October Challenge 25 - Day 21 – Observing Emotions: Cultivating Equanimity

Congratulations! You’ve reached Day 22 of the October Mindfulness Challenge. Today’s practice, led by Lele and Nieta, is a joyful and reflective way to close the journey: mindful listening to music.

Choose a favorite song, any genre, any artist, and give it your full attention. Notice the rhythm, the melody, the emotions it evokes, and even the memories it brings. Try to hear something new, even in a song you’ve played a thousand times. Let music be your anchor to the present moment.

Thank you for being part of this challenge. Whether you joined for a few days or all 22, your presence made this journey meaningful. 

Keep practicing, keep exploring, and let mindfulness continue to be part of your everyday life.

October Challenge 25 - Day 22 – Mindful Listening: Ending with Music and Presence

Surprise! We couldn’t resist adding one more episode to our October mindfulness journey. Today is Halloween, and Lele and Nieta invite you to explore a theme that fits the day perfectly: fear.

This special practice uses mindful visualization to gently observe and engage with fears whether it’s spiders, public speaking, or something else. You’ll learn how to notice your emotional and physical reactions, and how repeated, intentional exposure through mindfulness can help you build resilience and reduce fear over time.

Remember: fear is a natural part of being human. This practice isn’t about pushing fear away it’s about meeting it with awareness, compassion, and curiosity.

October Challenge 2025 - Introduction

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