’Tis the season to calm your nerves

Headspace reminds us to set aside 10 minutes a day to take care of ourselves in order to have a quieter, calmer and more contented disposition.

Headspace is a meditation app that has been downloaded more than 30 million times. Much has been said about the benefits of daily meditation and never has the need for it been more necessary than in today’s very fast paced life.

A Tibetan Buddhist monk ordained in Northern India, Andy Puddicombe, is the co-founder and voice of Headspace. According to him, a vehicular accident resulting in some deaths made him shift midway through a university degree in Sports Science to the unexpected decision to travel to the Himalayas to study meditation instead.

Getting lost in a swirl of festivities this season, we might end up building stress and draining our energies. With the season’s focus on family, friendships and relationships, this season might even cause sadness and depression when one is struggling with relationship issues.  Headspace reminds us to set aside even just 10 minutes a day to take care of ourselves in order to have a quieter, calmer and more contented disposition. Headspace invites us to cultivate the habit of daily meditation.

“Generally speaking, it takes time and patience to learn the things in life which are valuable, precious and important. As they say, ‘If it was easy, they’d all be doing it.’ Nothing could be truer than when it comes to meditation — it requires courage to sit with the mind on a regular basis and be present with whatever arises,” reminds Andy in his Headspace blog.

“Meditation is not some quick-fix, self-improvement program. We are taking time out to train the mind; we are fundamentally shifting the way we relate to our thoughts and feelings. At first, that can sound a little overwhelming. But the benefits are experienced by repeating this exercise little and often, slowly but surely building a stable sense of awareness that starts to filter through to the rest of our life. The more frequently we practice being aware, the more beneficial the meditation becomes,” he adds.

“That’s why our motivation is key. If we take the time to clarify the principles of meditation — to understand the right way to approach the technique, and to appreciate the potential it has for transforming our life — then we’ll have no problem at all in keeping it going. Being clear in our motivation, knowing why we’re doing what we’re doing, means that we’ll rarely have trouble sitting for at least 10 minutes,” Andy clarifies.

What are his three most important tips? First, is to download the Headspace app (there are other meditation apps if you don’t feel this one us for you). Second, set aside 10 minutes a day for at least 10 days and doing it faithfully each day. Lastly, do it first thing in the morning.

We are reminded of the value of finding a quiet place to reset and recalibrate when festivities or planning becomes overwhelming this holiday season. “Sometimes, we just need to breathe, de-stress, and be kinder to ourselves — without judgment, without inner-commentary, without heeding any negative thoughts,” the Headspace team shares.

They have developed special packages that include Basics (to introduce or reacquaint you to the fundamentals of meditation), Letting Go of Stress (to alleviate any building tension or feeling of being overwhelmed) and Kindness (to infuse your day with kindness and remind you to be gentle with yourself).

Or you might opt for Alone Time (single meditation, to go inward and savor that golden “me time”), Reset (single meditation, to encourage an overactive mind to come to a natural place of rest) and Unwind (mini meditation, to give the mind time to unfold, unwind, and let go).

Too busy and anxious to sleep? Don’t forget that getting quality rest is important in surviving the holidays.

Headspace created three exercises to help you relax and wind down at the end of the day such as Goodnight (single meditation, designed to soothe body and mind, preparing you for a restful sleep), Sea Shapes (a 45-minute sleep sound, a mix of clarinet, cello, and waves to help lull you to sleep) and Switching Off (using visualization to help you power down and drift off).

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Post me a note at mylene@goldsgym.com.ph or mylenedayrit@gmail.com.