![]() Highlights: Powered by celebrities, Calm is a one-stop shop providing a holistic and accessible approach to mindfulness. (I’d always thought having a wandering mind would mean I would essentially fail meditation.) ![]() And I did particularly relish being told that, “Losing focus and refocusing over and over again is meditation”. The meditation exercises made me realise that I can meditate – and feel more serene – if I have the silence necessary for the practice. But this would stop me from hearing the very meditation instructions I needed. Lowlights: During one of the sessions, my youngest child yelled out to his brother that, “Lunch is ready!” Cue: stomp, stomp, stomp! Clearly, what I needed in order to – as the app’s catch-phrase puts it “go on your way with a smile on your mind” – was a pair of earplugs to be in the moment. “Without you even trying, you were practising a technique called mindfulness,” a voice told me. After being asked to remember, “a time you felt completely absorbed in what you were doing, so much so that you weren’t worrying about the future or reminiscing about the past”, I closed my eyes and smiled from ear to ear, remembering how I feel when I’m in the flow of writing. Some of the helpful hints provided during one, two and six-minute meditation exercises were revelatory. Highlights: By learning to focus on where we are and what we’re doing through meditation, this app promises that we can “stop being at the mercy of emotions or crazy thoughts”, and in doing so have better relationships, an increased capacity for concentration and develop more mindful eating. We tried six of the most popular on the market to give you our honest opinion. To ensure you download an app that is safe and evidence-based, experts suggest opting for paid apps (which are less likely to share your private information) and are well-known. And of the many thousands available, the quality varies greatly. “In terms of the recent data the answer is ‘yes’, though effects are less pronounced than what we observe for in-person programs and more research is needed”.“īut there are apps and there are apps. ”Can the online programs, be beneficial?” asks Dr Nicholas Van Dam, the director of the Contemplative Studies Centre at the University of Melbourne. Most importantly it can improve our relationship to and awareness of ourselves and gives us a tool that takes us well beyond life in lockdown. Research suggests it can help us to de-stress, focus, sleep better, feel calmer, lower blood pressure and even strengthen our relationships. I recommend Insight Timer for those seeking a variety of mindfulness experiences as well as the opportunity to connect with others via a social platform.Meditation is a skill rooted in ancient history, but the science behind it is catching up. I recently decided to give some of the music in the app a try, and, to my surprise, I discovered that Tibetan drums provide just the right aural space for unguided meditations. As a super fidgety seeker of mindfulness, I have always sought guided meditations to keep my mind from veering off into primal scream left field, and I also have avoided sessions with background music. I have also found that the variety of options opened up a new world to me. Filtering by length, type of voice, background music, and other options helps narrow down the choices. My experience: The extensive library of available meditations provides something for everyone, but it can be overwhelming. With over 15 million members, Insight Timer also facilitates over 2000 topical discussion groups and local meetups run by users.Īlmost all the content in Insight Timer is free, although a Premium Membership of $59.99/year unlocks 200 courses ranging from 10 to 20 days with titles such as “Finding Calm During Difficult Times,” and “Raise Your Vibration Through Sport.” There is a 7-day trial of the premium plan. It also provides a social platform where you can connect with instructors and other users. The app allows you to track and mark as “favorites” the meditations you have used as well as the time you have spent meditating. In addition, the app includes music tracks of different genres (ambient, classical, drumming) as well as nature sounds.īedtime Tales provides stories, poems and meditations designed to aid sleep.Īnd if all you seek is a timer, the app provides a simple bell timer as well. ![]() Over 4500 mindfulness experts, psychologists, neuroscientists, and educators contribute to the library of guided meditations. The Insight Timer app provides access to over 40,000 guided meditations of varying topics and lengths, either with or without music. Reviewed by Anne Burnett, Foreign and International Law Librarian and ultra-fidgety seeker of mindfulness ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |