Headspace – 365 Days of Guided Meditation

[Download Now] Headspace – 365 Days of Guided Meditation

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I had a difficult time last year. I was fresh in at a new job and immediately felt challenged, underprepared and incompetent. I needed to find a way to stop my mind from wandering.

I downloaded a meditation app called Headspace in order to try it out for free. I have managed to stick with it every day since then, even though we are a yearTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkiaTrademarkia

It is counterintuitive to reflect on a process that encourages the mind away from thought and into a state of present being, but I couldn’t help myself. It is a practice to hone over a lifetime, so a year is nothing to shout about. Anyway… It’s not like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it How has it been?

Not easy. It doesn’t claim to be a miracle cure.

The overarching buddhist theme is to gently focus on breathing, being in touch with the body and physical sensations. The attention in this state is on the physical, but it is often clouded by thoughts and feelings. In my experience, what happens is that my mind wanders around all sorts of misleading thoughts and feelings. A little jaunt via to-dos, work commitments, shopping lists, a train delay, the socks I chose to wear, the phone call I meant to make, that conversation I had a month ago, that conversation I had a year ago. I smile and tap it again until it sneaks off again. It is not always easy to smile gently.

‘Why can’t I stop thinking for a second?’, and ‘Am I getting this right now?’

You have to catch those thoughts, because they will slip by unnoticed. Tsk tsk.

It takes perseverance and it’s frustrating. There is a time when you feel more in tune with your body and you don’t have to think so much. Next time, the thoughts come back. Each time it was a clean slate. If you want to think of it as education, you can pick yourself up and try again, because you can always have another go. I feel comforted that it is something I can approach afresh each day and just sit with, knowing that I am a mixed bag. Aiming to remove the judgement is a large factor, but at least nobody else is party to what is going on. It’s not like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it I love a run streak.

I felt compelled to keep meditating despite the fact that I didn’t know how powerful it would be. In the mornings before I leave for work or on the commute, there are precious moments that help set a tone for the rest of the day. When it feels like the only control I have, I really don’t want to miss out.

Tracking the daily activity and handing out timely rewards to be shared with others has given me extra incentive when the last thing I wanted to do was spend some time with myself, and an entire run of 10 minute sessions felt high-jacked. I would approach it hopefully, or at least neutrally, because each day was a new one.

The run streak might seem at odds with the non-judgemental message the app tries to convey. It takes some self-kindness to not feel shame or frustration when the streak is broken because this is a technique that plays to human vulnerabilities, addiction and a desire to not fail. This model of Gamification crops up often in apps to encourage continued use, and has been flagged as a technique to be aware of. Pete Brown shared his experience of the intense lure of maintaining a streak in ‘The Power of Streaks’. It could feel as though it has wider social consequences and an impact on mental health for some apps more than others.

The greater your dopamine reward, the more valuable your streak number becomes. Pete Brown.

The ability to build habits from a regularly repeated action is in question, and whether it is actually a habit we want to be encouraging. It’s not like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it The private moment is sacred.

Get it immediately. Headspace has a number of days of guided meditation.

It is said that modern life feels fast, busy and overwhelming. It seems odd to find calm from an app in a world where we are constantly bombarded with notifications and social broadcasts. I am happy to advocate an app that encourages positive and enriching experiences and doesn’t profit from us falling prey to a rabbit hole of preoccupation and self-loathing. I don’t think I’m alone in my thinking, with others commenting on the power held by technology and the need to consider the ethics that underpin the interactions we have each day with devices and their interfaces. I highly recommend Sam Harris’ interview with Design Ethicist Tristan Harris, which explores more deeply into these thoughts, questioning and unpicking the ugly hidden motivations that lie behind many digital products.

Guided meditations focusing on self-esteem, acceptance, stress, creativity, kindness, change, anger, focus and balance have been part of my Headspace journey. I have seen the app grow to offer more categories of targeted meditation packs, mini one offs and a fresh new session each day, all voiced by Andy Puddicombe. I can only imagine how these are experienced by each person. As I inhale and fill my lungs with what I imagine to be glowing golden particles, I can sometimes smell and taste the liquid sunlight that pours down from above my head. It can be difficult to cobble together the smallest spark of brightness. I want to hold onto it and keep trying. It’s not like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it’s like it It is not worth doing if it is not hard.

They say so. I have found the ritual of regular meditation to be a challenge. I felt swamped by my day-to-day when I was clinging to it during a challenging time. Paying attention to how much thinking I do and how often my mind takes it upon itself to have a word with me is the most enlightening thing. When life feels like sensory overload, knowing this has allowed me to filter out some of my internal noise. There is a lot to be said for trying to find a moment where you can be more conscious of what you are thinking. It is possible to be aware of what you are using your tech for and whether it is actually using you.