Hey there! It’s Daniel here today to talk about something super important but also sometimes super frustrating… we’re talkin’ meditation!
For many years I taught meditation classes. I would guide people to their happy place in a free flow of messages about gratitude, appreciation and self-love. I loved helping people breathe, be mindful and skip through the meadow of their mind to find a sense of calm. But even with all that said… I have always sucked at meditating.
what’s the deal with meditation anyway?
It’s not just a word I type too fast and comes out “mediation”, it’s a powerful practice of going inward to reach a desired state of stillness, clarity, relaxation – or simply to be mindful and observe our thoughts while they do their best to set fire to our inner peace.
Even though at one point I literally got paid to teach people how to do it, I was always very resistant to spending time with my thoughts, feelings, or simple silence… because sometimes it’s hard to streamline the parade of nonsense that marches through our head.
ahhh! I can’t quiet my mind!
GOOD. That means you’re alive. Congratulations!
Now, I personally do not believe that meditation is about silencing the brain. It’s a high-tech quantum receiver that controls our bodily functions and harnesses our imagination… do we really want to turn that thing off? Rather, I believe meditation is about observing our current state and then breathing, imagining and feeling our way into a desired state.
and that’s why we bought a meditation space ship
Have you seen the giant glowing orb we have here at Vortex? It’s a meditation pod called the Somadome and it’s awesome.
I first discovered it in Las Vegas and was immediately obsessed. When we decided to open the studio the Somadome was at the top of my list for offerings. It’s the world’s first technology-enabled meditation pod… though some people say it looks like:
- Superman’s escape pod
- The space capsule from Mork & Mindy
- The futuristic egg that Lady Gaga hatched out of at the 2011 Grammys.
Are we noticing a theme here?
how can a glowing space egg help me meditate?
You simply climb aboard and get cozy inside (we even decked it out with pillows that feel like puppy fur to make it extra comfy). Once you close the lid and look up you get this amazing sense of infinite space thanks to the shape of the dome.
Then – the fun part – the tablet inside tells you to choose your intention. You can choose between physical wellness, mental performance, going inward and affirmations. There are several choices of 20 minute guided and unguided meditations.
The guided meditations are great when you need a hand keeping your thoughts aligned with your intention. The unguided meditations are great for zoning out and range from nature sounds like waves, to various frequencies designed to shift your state.
Once a session begins, the dome changes colour to match the frequency of the session you’ve selected (bonus color light therapy! yay!). Then binaural beats (specific frequencies in each ear) guide your brain waves to the chosen state.
enter the vortex
THIS IS THE BEST PART. The whole base of the somadome is lined with micro-crystalline tiles that mitigate the negative effects of funky frequencies like EMF, WIFI, electricity and more, and allows your natural energy field to be amplified. This creates a personal energy vortex inside the dome (you can see now why the Somadome is our studio mascot!)
We’ve had a lot of awesome reactions from people when they come out of their session. Many report feeling like time and space didn’t exist. Statistically so far, everyone has emerged feeling lighter.
The only complaint we get is that you can’t live inside the Somadome. (Though we’re open to it if you want to fill out a rental application)
I realize meditation is free. You can sit and close your eyes and go inward, and that’s great!
But sometimes a little bit of immersive, sonic stimulation can go a long way on the path to reconnecting with yourself. And that’s why we love our spacey lil’ Somadome. If you haven’t tried it, we highly recommend this journey to the present.
top 5 tips for meditating
For the times you can’t jump into a meditation pod, here are my top 5 tips for meditating:
- Set a timer. Start at 5 minutes and work your way up as you practice. When your brain knows there’s an end in sight you can stay focused on mining for inner peace. You may find you start craving longer sessions.
- When in doubt, breathe it out! Try long slow *audible* inhales and exhales. Focusing on your breath helps snap you into the present moment (where all reality exists!)
- Turn your thoughts into clouds. If your mind is racing, try not to get frustrated. Pretend your thoughts are clouds floating across the sky of your mind and just observe them without judgement. They’ll drift away soon enough.
- Attitude of gratitude. When slow breaths and calm thoughts aren’t jiving with you, use your imagination to visualize and/or think about things your’re grateful for. (Hint: your heartbeat is a great place to start!)
- Don’t take it to seriously! Meditation is a practice. Showing up in the moment is half the battle and that’s HUGE.
