Meditation is something that I always see talked about on mental health sites, from Oprah to Glennon Doyle, it seems like everyone is meditating. I had heard that meditation helps with anxiety, focus, happiness, and connection to your everyday life. Every time that I tried it though, I felt like I was doing it wrong. It was so difficult to find the stillness, the zen experience everyone else seemed to be experiencing. Then I tried Headspace. Headspace is a meditation app that I have come to love. I have used it for over 3 years now.Â
When I first started using Headspace I was confused because the way that Headspace teaches meditation made me realize meditation was not what I thought it was. Meditation is not about lack of thought, but purposeful focus creating peace. The guided meditations on the app lead you to focus on how your body feels, your breath, and the sounds surround you. At first being told to focus on all of the small things about my human experience that I don’t normally think about was strange for me, but as I continued to practice with the guided meditations I learned to enjoy it. I began to explore the many types of guided meditations that headspace has available. The nighttime meditations have helped me fall asleep, and I use the walking meditations as I walk around campus. I felt that I became less stressed, less reactive, and more grounded. I was more patient, and felt more well rested. Meditation has slowly become one of my most important rituals. If you are stressed or wishing to feel more grounded and connected with the world around you, meditation might help you. It’s not necessary to have an app; there are many free resources that could be helpful. Meditation is proof that taking even just a few minutes out of your day to be mindful and take note of the small things, like your breathing or the feeling of your feet against the ground, can make a big difference in your life. Sometimes the best thing is the simplest one.Â