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During the past week I’ve been trying the Calm app. I downloaded the app on my android tablet for free and began the mindful exploration.
The 7 Days of Calm is a perfect program to start a meditation practice.
The voice that guides you is soothing and the reflections clear and easy to follow. Each day has a focus, from breathing to awareness. But I won’t spoil the journey for you. So, instead of divulging the daily intention of each meditation, let me just share with you the lessons I’ve learned by following and embracing 7 days of calm.
What I learned about my mindfulness meditation practice:
- Difficult doesn’t mean impossible. Yes, a meditation practice is not easy, but from the challenge to stay focus the mind reaps benefits.
- Little progress is progress nonetheless. As we begin our meditation practice, any brief moment when we can hang on to focus it’s a victory for the mind.
- The first impulse is to label. As we try and fail, and try again, our thinking-mind places negative labels on those failed attempts, on the practice itself. We do this all the time, we evaluate every action, every response, every situation, or event. Meditation creates an awareness of just how often we do this.
- The mind is flexible. As the mind wanders off in every direction, we can reel it back to now. The act of pulling back into the central focus of our meditation practice is the practice itself.
- Self-compassion is key. As we sit down to practice, as we encountered every distraction from without and within, self-compassion puts things in perspective. We are trying and doing our best, and that’s enough.
- Be true to you. Your practice is yours. Forget about what others are doing, how far they’ve come. You have control. You’ll know what works for you.
- Hang on to the sensation. After the meditation practice is over, the benefits linger if we hang on to the emotions it leaves; accomplishment, peace, relaxation, focus.
Why I Recommend Calm App for Your Mindfulness Practice
After 7 Days of Calm, you can keep your guided practice with a longer program, 21 Days of Calm. Of course, you can set your own intentions and customize your own journey with the soft music tracks provided, individual meditations and sleep meditations in the form of short stories, which are my favorite. The voice guides you into a deep, restful sleep, through calm storytelling that soothes the senses and focuses your mind on stillness and rest.
Have you tried the Calm app? or Do you have another favorite app to guide your meditation practice?
**this has been a personal review**
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