Everyone loves spending time on their phone nowadays. If we were honest, we probably spend a little too much time on our phones, don’t we? That 5 minute scroll when you’re bored somehow turns into 60 minutes and before you know if you’re watching videos of people testing out induction hobs (yes, yes I’ve done this) or caught up in a meme vortex.
Fear not though yogis, there are ways were can spend time on our phone and make it productive, make it benefit our mind!
As you probably know I love a good meditation practice. I swear the only way to get the perfect night sleep is to do a little meditation before bed. You will wake refreshed, calm and happy.
We all know the benefits of meditation, but we also know how challenging it can be, especially for beginners. I’ve been trying out these 3 lovely little apps for many months now and I have to say they have all, in one way or another, had a positive impact on my life. Get downloading them now to make your phone time good for you!
1. Calm (Free for limited package, £35.99 annually)
Calm won 2017 app of the year and there is a very good reason for this, there is so much content on this app! Calm is the app that aims to bring clarity, joy and peace to your daily life, and used correctly it might just do that.
When you sign up for free you can begin to customise the app to meet your individual needs and what you hope to achieve i.e. reduce anxiety, sleep better, find focus, reduce stress etc.
Once inside you can explore and find what you need at that present moment; meditations, sleep stories, masterclasses and calming music.
It’s a great little app for people looking to bring a sense of calm into their lives but would like some guidance. If you struggle getting to sleep at night, if your mind is whirling, then the sleep stories really help. You can also download everything on the app so you can turn your flight onto aeroplane mode whilst enjoying the app without any interruptions.
Calm also gives you the option to set a daily reminder to be calm, to meditate or just zen out for a minute or so. Never miss a meditation again!
2. Breathing App (Free)
The breathing app does exactly what it says on the tin, it teaches you how to breathe!
Brilliantly devised by Deepak Chopra and Eddie Stern, two of the most well respected people in the yoga community and beyond. It’s almost guaranteed that an app created by these two is going to be beneficial for your health and wellbeing.
The Breathing App is inspired by resonance, a term used to describe what happens when our heart rate, blood pressure and brainwave function come into a coherent frequency. Practising resonance (or heart coherence as its also known) is said to:
• Increases pulmonary function
• Lowers blood pressure
• Has positive applications for anxiety and depression
• Improves baroreflex gain
• Improves heart rate variability
• Tones the vagus nerve
• Increases resiliency
• Increases the ability to handle stress
• Leads towards emotional balance
• Clinical improvements in asthma
The Breathing App is a nice way to start practising this breathing technique, helping to improve your overall health and wellbeing. It is simple to use and completely free.
3. Daily Yoga (Free with in app purchases)
So, as yogis we know we should be rolling out our mat and practising some kind of physical yoga every day. However, some days we may need a little more assistance than others. That’s where Daily Yoga comes in. Admittedly I’m not a huge fan of yoga asana apps, how do you follow a yoga practise of a screen the size of a phone?! If like me you sometimes need that extra kick up the backside that a yoga asana app is for you.
With Daily Yoga you can choose your yoga level; beginner, intermediate or advanced. From there you are exposed to an array of yoga videos, from ‘Getting Toned’ to the ‘Health Enhanced’ and all that’s in between. There is even an ‘Office Yoga’ section that you can do at your desk! Perfect for the busy yogi on the go.
These 3 apps are definitely a must for every modern day yogi. Download and using these is a great way to make your digital lifestyle benefit your health and wellbeing. So next time someone say’s you’re ‘always on your phone’ you can exclaim ‘I’m learning to mediate!’
Hello ,
I saw your tweet about animals and thought I will check your website. I like it!
I love pets. I have two beautiful thai cats called Tammy(female) and Yommo(male). Yommo is 1 year older than Tommy. He acts like a bigger brother for her. 🙂
I have even created an Instagram account for them ( https://www.instagram.com/tayo_home/ ) and probably soon they will have more followers than me (kinda funny).
I wanted to subscribe to your newsletter, but I couldn’t find it. Do you have it?
Keep up the good work on your blog.
Regards
Wiki