I have a confession to make. I’m always touting the benefits of mindful meditation…my blog, my Facebook page, countless tweets…but truth be told, I CANNOT seem to stick with the habit!!
…Until Now! Halle-freakin-lujah!!
Before I give away my trick and new FAVORITE tool, let’s go over what mindful meditation is and some of the benefits (with the goods to back it up)!
What is Mindful Meditation?
Simply put, it’s meditation where you focus on your breathing or thoughts. You can count your breaths and when your mind starts you race to all the daily crap you have to do, you have something to refocus on and come back to counting.
Think of it like an anchor.
If you focus on your thoughts, it’s more like an act of acknowledging and then letting them go. I imagine a tunnel where it’s in one side and out the other. Thank you for stopping by…nothing to see here…move along…
As simple as this all sounds, I STILL could not make mindful meditation a habit!
A Bucket Full of Benefits
Every day new studies are coming out that prove the benefits of meditation on the brain. Check these findings out and see for yourself!
- A study by Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston University, and several others found that mindful meditation improved emotional stability and response to stress even AFTER the meditation session ended.
- A Buddhist health study at Northern Arizona University found that mindful meditation strengthened the immune system and physiological response to stress and negative emotions, reduced depression and anxiety, and increased well-being and happiness.
- If you love visuals, check out these infographics from Headspace. They show that meditation actually reshapes the brain, increases creativity, improves focus and self control, and even helps marriage quality and communication!
- In this article by the University of California Irvine, they show that several research studies have found that mindful meditation increases grey matter in the brain…the area responsible for memories, learning, emotional control, and self-awareness. This can benefit those with mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s, or dementia.
Meditation Made Easy!
When I discovered Muse, the brain sensing headband, I knew I had to try it. This detailed write up on Muse by Josh Morgan sealed the deal for me and I decided to take the plunge. It’s spendy, but well worth it!
(Here’s my quick summary. You can read all the details in his review.)
The headband is comfortable and has 5 sensors that measure your brain activity. The app on your phone walks you through some exercises so it can calibrate the headband before you begin.
The meditation times are flexible and you can start out with as little as 3 minutes per session.
Isn’t 3 minutes a day worth it to reduce stress, increase focus, and improve your well-being?! Hell yeah! (Tweet that!)
The best part about it is that the app gives you challenges, so your competitive side kicks in to play the game. For example, your first challenge is to meditate 4 times in 1 week. Easy peezy!
I’ve had Muse for less than a month and I’ve already meditated 94 minutes! That’s probably the same amount of time as the entire year before buying the tool.
With any new wearable technology gadget, like Muse, Fitbit and Jawbone, there’s a chance the accuracy varies from expensive medical equipment.
The important thing is that the tool makes the user more aware of their actions and they are more apt to follow through and make it habit!
It’s definitely made meditation a habit for me! I feel more grounded, less stressed, and have been able to focus on what is important to me.
Take Action Now
Tell me in the comments below how you feel about meditation. Is it something you want to try for the health benefits? If you want to buy Muse, I can send you a 10% coupon through the app. Shoot me a message and I’ll get the coupon to you. Can’t wait to have you try it too!
