Start a Mindfulness Meditation Practice

If my recollection is correct, I discovered mindfulness meditation in 2015. I became a loyal user of the Headspace app – I instantly loved Andy Puddicombe’s voice and vibe. I tried to meditate every day, at least once but sometimes more.

In 2020 I cancelled my subscription; I was trying to cut down spending since I was unsure how much income I’d still be able to make after the pandemic hit. I haven’t meditated since.

However, what I learned from the time I put in for those first five years – 210 hours according to the app today – has, for the most part, stuck with me.

I had never been aware of my constant, racing thoughts before. I had no idea that we can have some control over what we choose to think about. It seems so obvious now, but it truly had never occurred to me.

A key step in overcoming any anxiety disorder is to first of all become aware of your thoughts and feelings. Mindfulness meditation is the way to do this. It also teaches you to detach from your thoughts and feelings and accept them without judgement, which can help them to pass through you as opposed to getting stuck.

My plan is to sign up to Headspace again at the end of this year and start meditating with Aiyana. I saw a fascinating documentary on the BBC once about how meditation can drastically help children with ADHD; you can still watch it on Daily Motion here. I don’t think Aiyana has ADHD, but I know she will benefit nonetheless. Headspace has meditations designed specifically for children, even those under 5. Plus, I will have a much greater chance of practicing if I can do it with her as opposed to trying to carve out some alone time.