What if I told you I had a secret weapon that would ensure you’re able to meditate even if you’ve never done it before? Would you use it? With all the current research showcasing how helpful meditation and mindfulness is, I can’t imagine that you wouldn’t want to do this for yourself.

I bet you’ve considered daily meditation but thought to yourself  “I don’t have time, it’s too hard or I don’t know how”? Well, I’m here to tell you that you do have time, it’s not that hard and I will give you an easy technique. And bonus, here’s an awesome tool to help you out.

The Insight Timer

From my perspective, this timer is one of the best out there. And after trying numerous apps, it’s hands down my favorite. I use it daily for meditation and here are 8 reasons why…

1. Join A Community

Once you register you’re part of a community. And why should you care about this? Because it’s a community of people committed to changing the world through working on themselves. From a Buddhist perspective meditation helps to end all suffering in the world. You probably already know that the evolution of self occurs through the personal insights and compassion gleaned during meditation. For more on this you might want to check out this article from Huffington Post.

2. Interconnectedness

One of the loveliest features of the timer is the ability to quickly send a thank you note to others meditating at the same time as you. Recent updates to the app allow you to also see who might be geographically close. I’ve been meditating with Bill in Wisconsin every night now for weeks. That connectivity for the good of ourselves and others feels great.

3. Take It Anywhere And Everywhere

Having the timer on my phone means that I can use it anywhere…for my planned sessions, impromptu when I’m waiting in my car, during a nature hike on the sandy shore of the lake or in my office during a short break.

Adjusting the amount of time you are meditating is easy. Sometimes I set it for a quick 3 minute session or 30 minute intensive. It’s super easy and encourages me to take advantage of the impromptu moments more frequently. Just becoming attentive to the breath for 3 minutes can change the entire trajectory of your day.

 4. Your Runaway Brain Like Pavlov’s Dog

Meditation works best when you make it a habit. Getting into a groove so that both your mind and body are conditioned to the routine, allows the process to become more automatic. When I meditate, I use the timer to alert me when to begin and when to end with the ring of 3 bells. The sound of the bells is the same every time. After about a week of doing this you’ll find that your body responds to the sound of the bells by relaxing into a posture that supports your meditation. You know, it’s like Pavlov’s dog but for your runaway brain.

 5. Your Competitive Side

If you have competitive tendencies the Insight Timer is for you. It tracks your minutes of meditation and even gives you milestones with pretty little stars as rewards. And yes, you are able to see the milestones of others if they choose to make it public. But competitiveness with others isn’t exactly the point of the exercise.

Just becoming attentive to the breath for 3 minutes can change the entire trajectory of your day.

 

6. Guided Meditations

Not quite ready to meditate on yourself own? If you haven’t tried meditating or don’t do it regularly then a guided meditation is the way to go. Insight Timer has over 1400 to choose from with the upgrade. They vary from 2 minutes to 60 plus. Giving your runaway brain a voice and instruction to follow can be very helpful.

7. An Inexpensive Way To Change Your Life

How much would you be willing to spend to give yourself increased clarity, focus and a sense of being grounded? Priceless? Well the timer only costs $2.99. A bargain. Try it.

8. Continuous Updates

I’ve been using the timer for about 2 years now. It’s recently come under new ownership that is continually updating and upgrading with the user in mind. A shout out to them, and only positive gains for us here.

So check it out. Here’s a link for the Insight Timer. I look forward to sending you a “thanks for meditating with me message” very soon!

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