Back in November 2014 I wrote a post called I Just Completed 10 days of Meditation with Headspace App. In the post I mentioned how I stared meditating in 2012. Since then I’ve been between using two meditation apps, Calm.com, and Insight Timer. Both were ok but I didn’t like the various teachers I would have to search for in Insight Timer or the random background sounds in Calm.com. Therefore around mid December I started back using HeadSpace App . I just started Level 3 and up to 11 straight days of meditating sticking with my 2015 be consistent goal.
My pros of using HeadSpace is that I feel that I’m learning better meditation practices, you have a consistent teacher, I can manage the session lengths from 10 to 20 minutes and can set meditation reminders. Another feature I like about Headspace is that you feel that you’re not along with the ability to add friends and see how many people are meditating at the same time. Andy Puddicombe, a meditation and mindfulness expert is one of the founders of Headsapce. Andy is a great teacher along with a calming voice to listen to as he teaches throughout the app. Ultimately, I feel that I’m learning how to meditate better, which is important being that I feel that I’m still new to meditating.
If you’re wondering why should you meditate there’s tons of scientific research on the benefits such as after eight weeks of meditation you may increase the grey-matter density in your brain (hat/tip @changecatalysts). The grey matter helps you with learning and memory. There’s also research on how meditation helps with anxiety, creativity and cognitive Awareness.
“…increased gray-matter density in the hippocampus, known to be important for learning and memory, and in structures associated with self-awareness, compassion, and introspection.”
Ref: Harvard MRI Study Shows That Meditation Rebuilds Brain’s Gray Matter In Just 8 Weeks
While there’s a mindfulness movement that started years ago in Silicon Valley and San Francisco Bay area, I personally meditate for several reasons. Meditation helps me calm my thoughts throughout the date, helps me focus, helps with anxiety and as of right now since I’m mediating at night mediation helps me fall of sleep faster.
Overall I fell that meditation is helping me become a better person especially with the self reflection aspects along with being able to learn how to manage my thoughts.
For more on the benefits of meditating and more on mindfulness I suggest reading the article links below.
Harvard MRI Study Shows That Meditation Rebuilds Brain’s Gray Matter In Just 8 Weeks
8 Ways Meditation Can Improve Your Life
The Secret Behind The Silicon Valley Elite’s Success: Meditation
