The Monk-Life Challenge

We've all heard of monks, they are the selfless individuals who give up luxury to devote their life to god, and with such an incredibly admirable lifestyle, it's no wonder that the idea has been revamped to help all of us live a simpler, happier life. The idea is called the Monk-Life Challenge. I received an invite to take the Monk-Life Challenge via forward, but no one seems to know where it came from. The best answer I got was the infamous friend-of-a-friend. Now, I'm usually the person who just glances at my e-mail then deletes it, but there was something about this one that kept me reading. The Monk-Life Challenge is all about slowing down in order to create a healthy mind, body, and soul. It's all about creating a very basic lifestyle to eliminate many stress-factors prevalent in today's society. And since I could use some de-stressing in my life, I decided to try it out. I vowed to stick with it for 3 weeks and I found the results to be phenomenal.

Water
Water is the key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Water can even help to give you clearer skin and keep you in a better mood. Yet, many people fall far short when it comes to getting the amount of water they need per day. It is for this reason that the Monk-Life Challenge requires that you drink half your weight in ounces of water. All you have to do is weigh yourself and divide that number by two. The number you are left with is the amount of water you need to drink everyday in ounces. There are about 34 ounces in a liter so from there you can decide how much water you want to carry with you. I decided to keep a liter of water with me all day and then in the evening I would drink the remaining amount of water at home.

Food
The Monk-Life Challenge is all about basics; therefore it requires an increase in the amount of unprocessed foods that you eat. That means no Burger King or frozen pizzas. I decided to be extra healthy and eat a lot of brown rice and beans, but if that's not your thing, find something that works for you. Pack a sandwich bag of fruit slices to snack on or make a trail mix of oats, raisins, and nuts. After a few days, you'll figure out what works the best.

Entertainment
How many of us complain about not having enough time to complete the many chores we have, yet sit down in front of the couch for who knows how many hours? The Monk-Life Challenge asks its participants to turn off the TV. Now, for many people that might sound like blasphemy, but it's actually great. It gives you time to unwind without the blaring noises coming from the living room. During the time that you would have been mindlessly staring at a picture show, you can instead be spending time interacting with your family, reading, or maybe just thinking. Of course, the challenge is all about what works for you so even if you chose to turn off the TV for just an hour, it will make a difference.

Relaxation
While it may not sound relaxing, exercise is a great path to relaxation. Granted, it may not be relaxing while your sweating buckets or holding an odd position in Yoga class, your body will thank you later. So dedicate some time to helping out your body. Just think of all the things it does for you! Another relaxation tip deals with growth. The Monk-Life Challenge is all about inner and outer growth so it only seems fitting that part of it would deal with a similar subject- grow something. Even if it's just on your windowsill, grow a plant. The presence of plants in the home has been proven to decrease stress levels and if you don't have a green thumb try planting some watercress or a bean plant.

The great thing about the Monk-Life Challenge is that you don't absolutely have to stick to it. Practicing some of the tips even once a week can lead to a happier life. If you find the whole process overwhelming, pick just a few tips and practice them intermittently throughout daily life and slowly begin to add more. After just a few weeks, you'll notice the difference.