APP OF THE MONTH

For a while now, I’ve wanted to prepare a new feature for the blog, out of necessity, since I am a connected girl, a bit too much at times. And I often think to myself: What would I do without my cell phone? I think back to “before the smart phone” when I used to print out directions from Mappy to get to an appointment, among other things… For that, I must say it makes life easier, at least I save time, and I’ve concluded that that is one of the many purposes this tool can serve…

So today I am going to talk to you about an application: Head Space. It’s a free app which allows you to follow a daily meditation routine. Skeptical? Yeah, me too, I also thought I would end up cloaked in casual linen-wear and shaving my head. And in fact, that’s not what happened. The journey to installing this application was a long one. Everything changed after an email exchange with Lili and Mai, I was telling them how I felt like I was juggling 30 things at once, and at the same time had the concentration span of a hamster on ecstasy. I didn’t know how to handle things any other way, so I did the best I could, it was great, I felt like I had spent my day solving international crises, like Jack Bauer and Olivia Pope were just small-time players at the end of the day, compared to me. And then the girls both wrote to me at the same time, practically in unison: "HEAD SPACE baby".

It’s very simple, at first the program only lasts 10 minutes a day, and frankly that’s the reason I finally took the next step. For me, ten minutes is not asking too much, I decided to make it the first thing I do when I wake up. So in the morning when I get up, I don’t make myself a warm, freshly-squeezed lemon juice, nope, nor do I throw on my yoga pants, not that either. I get up, all sweaty from sleeping, rolled up in a suede Ikea blanket from Totoro, I sit on my couch and I launch the app. I allow myself to be guided by the soothing, sexy voice of Andy Puddicombe, the creator of Head Space. I try to clear my head, I picture my thoughts as if they were cars on the highway, I watch them pass by and I don’t try to jump into each moving car. The explanations are full of imagery like this one I just cited, and it’s user-friendly, even if the app is in English. Head Space is really well-designed and fun, with a special shout out to the graphics in this app – every step is demonstrated through a high quality video.

So yes, I thought of myself as being immune to this kind of stuff, full self-awareness and all those big terms that didn’t mean anything to me. Well if only I had known…it’s been a month now since it’s become part of my daily routine. Taking time out for yourself, it’s not really a luxury; it starts with 10, 15 then 20 minutes and more if you want it. Where I’m concerned, these minutes are precious, and have become my stress reliever. I’ve been sleeping better, I manage to keep a cool head and clear ideas, when I feel like I’m close to the point of combustion, I can just do a quick, 5-minute emergency session with my headphones, and I’m reset again. After the trial period, the application must be purchased, for about 6 Euros a month, and then you will have access to dozens of other programs, you can guide your sessions towards developing your creativity, improving relationships with others, focusing on your health, etc…It took me some time before I was ready to talk about this because first I wanted to see if this app was really for me, not just the latest fad, but something I could do on a long-term basis.  So of course I’m not Wonder Woman, and there are some days where I have no desire to get up and do my meditation when the alarm rings because I’m nice and toasty under my duvet. But honestly, today I can say I see a real difference between the days I do my meditation and the days I don’t.

 Translated by Ida Driscoll