My game changer

 

I chose Andy because he's British. I decided to stick with Andy because he changed my life.

 

I believe Jill told me about meditation before my therapist did, and I don't remember when exactly, but one day I decided to download some free apps and go for it.

 

The first I tried, Calm, was OK. In particular I listened to its "sleep stories," read in monotonous tones to ease me into slumber at night.

 

It didn't take long with Headspace, however, to know that it was the app for me. (No, I'm not receiving any sort of payment for writing about this app -- I simply love it enough to tell you about it).

 

At first, I kept with Headspace over Calm because I preferred Andy's (the guy who guides and voices all the meditations) accent. And before I knew it, I was realizing just how powerful his 10 minute sessions were. There have been several strong forces in my life this year -- generous, awful, depressing, stressful, funny -- but one of the biggest, and certainly most peaceful has been incorporating meditation into my...well, into my head.

 

There are several meditations on Headspace that are free, but for an additional payment ($99 for a year) one can unlock hundreds of emotion-specific sessions. I made the investment and have zero regrets.

 

So, rather quickly, let me just tell you some points/highlights about meditation itself, how my life has been affected, etc.

 

1. If you're religious and freaked out that meditation will take you off your faith path, I'd rethink that.

 

I mostly only speak for Headspace here, but so far with my experience my good pal Andy simply asks me to focus on my breathing, notice the sounds around me, spot areas of tension (and suppleness) in my body, etc. Occasionally he has me picture my body filling with warm light or visualizing myself or others with giant smiles on their face.

 

Nothing offensive, right? I didn't think so either.

 

2. 10 minutes is truly a small amount of time.

 

I'm not kidding when I say that it never feels as long as 10 minutes, and I always want to keep going once a session is done. When Andy tells me to open my eyes, I almost always do so begrudgingly. But! I almost always, always feel better -- refreshed, calm, less freaked out, less overwhelmed -- even after I've opened my eyes. In fact, in a way, once I open those peepers back up I feel better than I do while I was meditating. Like running, I'd be willing to argue that the after effects of meditation are more satisfying than the act itself. And, bonus: with meditation you don't have to, ya know...run. I mean maybe we all should do more exercise, but I'm not preaching that message right here right now.

 

3. I don't meditate every day, and you don't have to, either.

 

Like so many other things in life (I will tell you about all of them if you let me up on my soapbox), this is not something you have to do every day. I think there is certainly time for it in every day, since it is in 10 minute bytes, but I don't think that the effects reverse or disappear if one doesn't meditate for days, or weeks. Is it helpful to do it more often? Absolutely. Should you feel guilty for doing it every once in a while? I don't.

 

The best way I can describe this, I guess, is that I often forget about meditating, but as soon as I remember it or remind myself that doing it will help me feel better, I always want to do it. I don't have the same feeling toward eating right or exercising. I "want" to do those things in theory, but not actually. I'm not sure that makes sense, but I'm much more willing to head to my car on my break at work and listen to Andy for 10 than I am to get on the treadmill or turn down Salsa Verde Doritos.

 

4. Meditation is basically 31 Flavors for your heart.

 

Now that I've paid for the unlimited avenues of the Headspace app, I literally scroll through looking for what emotion or issue I'd like to tackle in a given moment. Restlessness, anxiety, depression, anger, regret, focus.

 

Even prior to becoming a paid user, however, the simplicity and redundancy of the sessions that are available in front of the pay wall cover a surprising number of feelings and struggles. Most sessions follow a very similar pattern, making one better as he goes along at settling into the rhythm of quieting and centering.

 

5. It's way easier than it seems.

 

I know. It's meditating. Shut your eyes and be quiet -- what more is there to it?

 

Well, I was hesitant to try. I thought my mind would wander (it does, and that's fine, and Andy helps you deal with that). I thought I'd be forced to visualize complicated scenarios as if I had signed up to play Dungeons and Dragons instead of just calm the frick down.

 

Let me say, as a girl who ran on a mental hamster wheel probably in utero, I can do it. So I believe that everyone equally and not-quite-as neurotic as me can do this, too.

 

You know how sometimes you're reading a book and you're about to get bored with a storyline or character and then the author switches gears to someone or something else? And you're like "Oh thank you thank you"?

 

Meditating, for me, is kind of the same. Andy has me focus on my breathing, but only for about a minute to 90 seconds. Then he has me focus on how my body feels. Then, finally, he lets my mind wander -- which, SPOILER, I'm always grateful for but even more grateful when that moment ends.

 

Anyway. It's simple.

 

And it has changed. My. Life. So. Mucccccccccccch.

 

Meditation is one of the first things I turn to when I'm overwhelmed, antsy, blue, distracted. I feel so good when I do -- so much so that that several times while writing this post I've closed my eyes and taken in a deep breath just imagining the relaxation I feel when I close my eyes and listen to Andy.

 

Please do yourself a favor and try it. I can't tell you enough how much this has helped me feel truly better when I'm depressed, truly more calm when I feel like screaming, truly more like I have a tool in my hands that I can actually count on at any moment.

 

OK, I'll leave you now. If you see Andy, tell him I say "Thanks."