Filip Brož My daughter Ema was born on the nineteenth of July. From the beginning of my wife's pregnancy, I was clear that I wanted to be present at the birth, but there was a small catch. I have suffered from white coat syndrome since childhood, simply put I often faint at the doctor. All I have to do is look at my own blood, imagine some kind of procedure or examination, and suddenly I start sweating, my heart rate increases and in the end I pass out somewhere. I have been trying to do something about it for several years, and in most cases practicing the mindfulness method helps me. In layman's terms, I "breathe mindfully."
I have always tried to connect modern technology with practical life. So it's no surprise when I say that I use both my iPhone and Apple Watch when practicing mindfulness. However, before I get to the practical exercises and applications, a bit of theory and science is in order.
Many people think that meditation and similar practices still belong to the realm of shamanism, alternative culture and as a result it is a waste of time. However, it is a myth that has been debunked not only by hundreds of different writers and experts, but above all by doctors and scientists.
We can produce up to 70 thoughts in twenty-four hours. We are constantly on the move and have something to do. We deal with dozens of e-mails, meetings, phone calls, and consume digital content every day, and the result is frequent stress, fatigue, lack of sleep, and even depression. So I don't practice mindfulness only when I have a doctor's visit, but usually several times a day. There is a simple lesson: if you want to understand meditation, you have to practice it.
Meditation is not just a trendy term, as it may seem at first glance. Meditation is a direct experience of the present moment. At the same time, it depends only on you how you define the purpose of meditation. On the other hand, each person imagines something different under the term meditation. You definitely don't have to shave your head like Buddhist monks or sit on a meditation cushion in lotus position, for example. You can meditate while driving a car, washing dishes, before going to bed or in your office chair.
Western doctors already put their heads together thirty years ago and tried to incorporate meditation into the system of regular health care. If they told their colleagues in the hospital that they wanted to meditate with the patients, they would probably be laughed at. For that reason, the word mindfulness is used nowadays. Mindfulness is the basic ingredient of most meditation techniques.
"Mindfulness means being present, experiencing the present moment and not being distracted by other things. It means letting your mind rest in its natural state of awareness, which is unbiased and non-judgmental," explains Andy Puddicombe, author of the project and Headspace application.
Scientific research
In recent years there has been a rapid development of imaging methods, for example magnetic resonance imaging. Combined with software, neuroscientists can map our brain and monitor it in a whole new way. In practice, they can easily recognize what is happening to the brain in a person who does not practice meditation, a beginner or a long-time expert. The brain is very plastic and can change its structural arrangement to a certain extent.
For example, according to a recent study by the British Mental Health Foundation, 68 percent of general practitioners agreed that their patients would benefit from adopting mindfulness meditation techniques. According to the study, these would also benefit patients who do not have any health problems.
It is also common knowledge that stress has a significant impact on our health. It is not news that a stressful situation causes an increase in blood pressure, cholesterol levels and can lead to a stroke or various heart diseases. "Stress also affects the immune system and reduces the chance of pregnancy. On the contrary, meditation has been proven to induce relaxation responses, where blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate and oxygen consumption decrease, and the immune system is strengthened," Puddicombe gives another example.
There are a number of similar scientific findings and they are growing exponentially every year. After all, even biographer Walter Isaacson in his book Steve Jobs describes that even the co-founder of Apple could not do without meditation in his life. He repeatedly claimed that our mind is restless and if we try to calm it with words or drugs, it will be worse.
Apple and meditation
In the very beginning, there were only a few apps in the App Store that dealt with meditation in some way. In most cases, it was more about some relaxing sounds or songs that you played and meditated on. She made a breakthrough Headspace application, for which the aforementioned Andy Puddicombe stands. He was the first to create the website Headspace.com in 2010 with the aim of presenting meditation as part of a comprehensive mind training system. The authors wanted to dispel various myths about meditation and make it accessible to the general public.
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This was mainly thanks to the app of the same name for iOS and Android, which came a few years later. The purpose of the application is to use instructional videos to describe the basics of meditation, i.e. how to approach it, perform it and, finally, use it in everyday life. Personally, I really like the animations of the app and the way everything is explained. On the other hand, the application is free to download, but it is only ten lessons. You will have to pay for the others. Subsequently, you will get full access not only to the application, but also to the website.
Another catch for some users can be the language. The application is only in English, so unfortunately you cannot do without certain knowledge and understanding. You can also run Headspace on your Apple Watch, for example for a quick SOS meditation. Either way, it is a very successful initiative that will practically and easily introduce you to the basics of mindfulness.
Real teachers
If you're looking for free tutorials, definitely download from the App Store the Insight Timer application, which works on a similar principle. Once you sign up for free, you get access to hundreds of audio lessons. In the application, you will find world-renowned teachers and trainers who lecture and teach about meditation. In addition to mindfulness, there is, for example, vipassana, yoga or simple relaxation.
Insight Timer can also filter meditations and exercises according to world languages. Unfortunately, however, you will only find two lessons in Czech, the rest are mostly in English. The app also includes a bunch of user settings, progress tracking, sharing or the ability to chat with other trainees and teachers. The advantage is that you don't have to look for videos and tutorials somewhere on the Internet or on YouTube, in Insight Timer you have everything in one pile. All you have to do is choose and, above all, practice.
I also practice yoga from time to time. At first I went to group exercises. Here I learned the basics under direct supervision and subsequently practiced at home. Above all, it is important to learn to breathe correctly and master the yogic breath. Of course, there are several different styles of yoga that differ in their approach. At the same time, no style is bad, something suits everyone.
I use yoga for home practice the Yoga Studio app on the iPhone, in which I can watch entire sets or select individual positions. It is also advantageous to exercise with the Watch a on by the FitStar Yoga app. I can see the individual positions, the so-called asanas, directly on the watch display, including the elapsed time and other functions.
Tai Chi for the fingers
You can also meditate using Pause application. This is the fault of the developers from the studio ustwo, i.e. the same people who created the famous game Monument Valley. They came up with the idea of combining mindfulness techniques and Tai Chi exercises. The result is the meditation application Pause, where by moving your fingers on the screen you try to calm your mind and relax for a while from the busy time.
Just place your finger on the display and very slowly move it sideways. At the same time, you can see an imitation of a lava lamp on the phone, which gradually expands and changes its color. It pays to follow the instructions that are displayed, such as to slow down or close your eyes.
You can also choose a harder difficulty in the settings, meaning that the lava patch will not expand as quickly and you will have to focus on detailed and slower finger movement. The application also includes detailed statistics on the number of meditations or total time. The accompanying music in the form of blowing wind, babbling brook or singing birds is a pleasant diversion. Thanks to this, you can relax more easily and experience a more effective meditation.
If, on the other hand, you are only looking for relaxing sounds, I recommend it Windy application. In terms of design and graphics, the very successful application is the responsibility of the developer Franz Bruckhoff, who, in collaboration with the illustrator Marie Beschorner and the award-winning Hollywood composer David Bawiec, created seven amazing 3D images that can be used to relax. At the same time, the meaning of Windy is of course not pictures, but soundtrack.
Every scenery is accompanied by the sound of water, the crackling of wood by the campfire, the singing of birds and, above all, the wind. In addition, the music was designed directly for the headphones and especially for the original EarPods. During practical relaxation and listening, you feel as if you were really standing in the given landscape and the wind was blowing around you. It is often unbelievable what can be created nowadays and how authentic an experience it can create.
You can listen to the sounds in any situation, no matter what you are doing. In addition, in the App Store, in related applications, you can come across a number of other relaxation applications from the same developer that work on the same principle. Most of them are paid, but they often appear in various events.
Apple Watch and Breathing
From the point of view of meditation and mindfulness, however, I always carry the best app with me, specifically on my wrist. I mean the Apple Watch and the feature Breathing that came along with the new watchOS 3. I use breathing up to several times a day. I'm glad that Apple thought again and combined Breathing with haptic feedback. This makes meditation much easier, especially for people who are just starting out with similar practices.
You can easily set how long you want to "breathe" on the watch, and you can regulate your frequency of inhalations and exhalations per minute on both the Watch and iPhone. I always turn on breathing on the Watch when I feel like I've had too much to do during the day. The application has repeatedly helped me in the waiting room at the doctor and also during the birth of my daughter. The haptic tapping on my hand always reminds me to focus only on my breath, not on the thoughts in my head.
There are a number of apps focused on mindfulness. It is important not to think too much about meditation, it is like riding a bicycle. Regularity is also important, it is good to spend at least a few minutes a day meditating. Getting started is not the easiest thing to do, especially if you are a complete beginner. You may feel that it is useless, but if you persevere, the final effect will come. Apps on iPhone and Watch can be valuable guides and helpers.
Thanks!
Great article :-)
I can only confirm what the author of the article writes. Meditation makes people more resistant to stress and calms the mind. you really don't need anything for meditation, just your own body. You don't need those Apple watches. I recommend to everyone. It has an incredible effect. I recommend the site
http://www.vesele-veci.sk/blog/archives/1139
I saw the incision of the perineum and the subsequent sewing of a first-time mother, I also faint from the blood, it is strange that doctors even think of cutting the bottom during childbirth. So good luck and healthy daughter. May he have a great mom and dad, and above all, the best possible start in life, you have certainly already paid the receipt for waste collection. This is the first thing the state thinks about after giving birth.
Well, it is said to be quite connected with how a woman gives birth. The position on the back and on the gynecological "goat" is said to narrow the birth canal by up to 30%, so they have to make the "hole" somehow. No, I'm not an expert, I just remembered a few things my wife told me when we were expecting a child.
In any case, I join in wishing that both are healthy and that the daughter brings only joy.
Note on childbirth: It may happen that suddenly the staff will be running and you will not know what is happening. Most of all, calm down. They tried to give me cold compresses so that I wouldn't "pass out", so I just told them that suddenly everyone is running here and I don't know what's going on, that I would pass out was the last thing on my mind or happening to me...
daily. Early mistakes ;-)
Amazing article, I would not have expected it here at all, I also like the combination of modern technology with meditation and health, but rarely do you read something so nice about it all in one package. And as for meditation, I also confirm, you just try and then find out that there is no going back, I recommend it :)
Good article. I will recommend http://www.stopbreathethink.org/ free version of Headspace or Calm. The voice and "guidance" is not as good as the paid ones, but fine.