Healthy Minds
Like all of us, I am busy. New habits are hard to form, and I think it is particularly difficult to commit to something new that requires time and attention every day. I have tried a few meditation/mindfulness apps in the past and generally felt like I didn’t know where to start or how to progress; most have only a few “unlocked” sessions and require a subscription for the rest. This particular app Healthy Minds is free and provides a well-structured “path” to follow, with a mix of learning and practice sessions. The learning sessions are only six minutes and the practice sessions can be set to last between five and thirty minutes. I have typically chosen ten minute practice sessions, so combining both a learning and practice session only requires 16 minutes out of my morning.
Sometimes, it feels strange to sit “doing nothing” when there is so much pressure to be doing something else, but I would assert that it is the most important time I’ve spent on the days I practiced. I am embarassed to admit that after I initially finished the recommended path, my sessions became more sporadic until they all but ceased for the past six months. Probably not coincidentally, the past six months have been the most stressful and I have been more unhappy than anytime I can remember. Consequently, I am committing to re-starting this practice and I would like to request (okay, I would really like to require) you all to join me in using this app to build greater awareness and resilience in our minds.
If you have even another five minutes, I recommend downloading (on your phone is fine) The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living from our Kindle Family Library to read the daily quote and (very brief) commentary by Ryan Holiday & Stephen Hanselman. The perspective they offer is significant – I wish our society placed more emphasis on training our minds in things that matter to all of humankind!