The value of daily mindfulness through meditation, courses, and collections!!
In these days with challenging moments and experiences with increased isolation affecting our relationships, I found myself turning more towards my meditation practices. I have always been the person who woke up in the morning and spent my 20 minutes meditating; I was taught the practice when I was 18 years old and through the years, I would have times when I meditated daily, other times “only when on holiday” or “only in the summer” when time permitted.
In the past 5 years, I have returned to daily practice. This year on Mother’s Day, I received the beautiful gift of the muse app from my children and husband: this was a perfect fit for me, as I was able to add to my meditations, not only getting feedback, but adding the courses and collections the app provides.
How does the app work and how am I using it? The app comes with a headband which I wear on my forehead (like a regular headband). It has sensors which connect to the app on my phone; the sensors record background soothing sounds from a collection of sounds, and bird chirping sounds appear gently in the background with increased focusing and relaxing moments. When the meditation is completed, I see the results, which consist of graphs and data (for example, the number of active minutes/ calming, minutes/ resting minutes, heart rate, birds…). I enjoy this new addition to my meditation and find it such a nice change!
What had been even more meaningful to me, are the “Courses” and “Collections” and how I have used these personally and in my practice as an Occupational Therapist and Team Leader. This has added a new dimension for me as I listen to topics in either the Courses or Collection series - there are hundreds ranging from 2 minutes to 20 minutes duration. I often taken off the headband and ask my family to listen with me too! And I have shared this with clients as well, followed by more in depth discussions. My favourite of the “Collections” so far has been the series on Resilience, Happiness, Motivation, Creativity, Gratitude, Compassion, Parents. I have shared the Healthcare Burnout, Leadership, Work and Life Transitions topics with colleagues. My favourite of the “Courses” so far has been the series on Mindful Relationships, Mindful Work, and most especially Changing Habits (I’m working on being less helpful as funny as that seems!!!)
My message in all this, is not to be a salesperson for this program, but to share the changing and evolving patterns in our life especially important during difficult times. I have embraced something that is a good fit for me, expanding on my personal interests and allowing me to think creatively with positive affirmations, both personally and professionally.
A personal journey by Beverlee Melamed
