YH December 2018 | Page 36

M E D I TA T I O N Perfect for you if: You are a busy person and want to advance your mindfulness with less time per day. Free 7-day trial and then $2.99/mo. Muse: (https://choosemuse.com) If you struggle with meditation (Inside secret - most of us do. It's part of the process) and feel that you just can't quiet your mind enough to find your inner peace, then you might want to check out Muse. Muse is not primarily an app -- the centerpiece of this technology is the biofeedback headband which doubles as a headset (for sound). The headband works with the Muse app which effectively runs the device. When you meditate with the headband, Muse plays meditative sounds such as birds chirping, as well as listens to the activity in your brain. If your brain is too active (sometimes called "monkey brain"), the built-in headset provides an audible change in the sounds to something less calming, such as traffic or loud waves crashing. As you return your mind to a meditative state, the app provides the positive feedback to the brain in by returning to the gentler, more meditative sounds. The Good: Tests have shown that the Muse actually works in helping people relax more quickly into a meditative state. The Drawbacks: If you are serious about learning to meditate, learning to coexist with your thoughts is largely the point. Depending on a crutch might be counterproductive. Perfect for you if: You are beginning to meditate and struggle more than most with monkey brain, this might be the shortcut you are looking for. $200 on Amazon. How lovely it is that these creative companies used what is so ubiquitous in our culture to connect us deeply within ourselves. How cool is that? By Sunny Chayes Sunny Chayes is an Author, a Sacred Social Activist, Host of The Sunny Chayes Show enjoyed on IHeartRadio, ITunes, ABC Talk/News, Mindalia TV and UBN Radio and Chief Strategic Partner and Feature Writer for Whole Life Times. www.YouTube/sunnychayes Register at www.internationalyogafestival.org 34 www.yogicherald.com Dec. 2018