Friday Favorite: Meditation App - Headspace

I have tried creating my own meditation practice for a while. I would try doing a home asana yoga practice and end with a meditation, but it was very challenging to stay still for even 5 minutes without wanting to get up and do something else. I tried practicing mediation before bed for several weeks but the practice did not stick.

Then I tried headspace's free 10 day 10 minute mediation trial. I finally had success! I would practice every morning for 10 minutes. I did shift my habits slightly getting up 10 minutes early to accommodate this shift in my morning routine, but it was well worth it! Andy Puddicombe has a very soothing voice and it was a great way to begin my day. After completing the challenge I subscribed to the monthly subscription. With this monthly subscription more packages and single meditations were available to try. There is a whole variety of options for and I have fun choosing a new pack to explore once I complete the one I am one.

Some of my favorite single meditations are:

Commuting

When I do not find time before leaving my house to meditate, I find this single meditation is a great option. You guided to observe what is around you the sounds, smells, etc. It helps me to be the observer and to quiet my mind with a specific focus, sometimes my thoughts will take me, but the practice of meditating during commutting is one I find helps serve me through the rest of my day.

S.O.S.

Sometimes I get stuck in my head. I can tell I am going down a negative spiral. I know that in the moment my negative thoughts are not serving me. The negative thoughts are taking away from my happiness. I know that just breathing can make a huge difference, but instead of just telling myself to breath, I find i super helpful to just put on the S.O.S. mediation. The meditation is quick, just 3 minutes, but in that short time, I can feel and see a shift. After the experience I feel better than I did when I began.

Sleeping

Going to sleep sometimes can be very challenging. As I lye down I find I have tons of thoughts running through my head. I start planning ahead, thinking about the next day or thinking back to what happened in the past, earlier that day. This mediation is a great transition for me to sleep. You do go through your day in a quick way, which helps me to still have that experience but since it is a scan, I do not get as stuck. It also includes relaxing the muscles of the body, which I always find a very nice way to soften, and let go, both on my mat and in bed.

I hope you enjoy these mediations and this practice!

I enjoy connecting with others about my passions, while also learning from others. I hope my sharing is enjoyable for YOU! Please let me know if you have any topics YOU want discussed or questions answered.