There are a lot of great perks that come with my job. Recently I discovered a new one that I’m particularly thankful for. We are allowed to expense subscriptions to mindfulness apps. I’ve dabbled in them in the past, signing up for trials, but never took them too seriously. Recently, however, I’ve been embracing the forced quietness and guided breathing. It’s both energizing and calming at the same time. And healing.

Since hurting my back in 2018, I’ve been having increasing discomfort as I work and travel. Initially I wrote it off as sciatica, and it might be to a certain extent, but physical therapy opened my eyes to poor habits which led to more pain. I stand wrong when working. I am losing core strength. My flexibility has somehow disappeared. Stress manifests itself in physical discomfort.

With these realizations, I started stretching, focusing on my core and learning to breathe through tougher situations. I feel my body and focus on relaxing during mindfulness sessions. The more I do so, the more I’m reminded to do this throughout the day, even when I’m not in a session.

While on a recent trip, I realized I could sit for many hours without pain. Even half a year ago stabbing pain shot down my leg and two toes numbed after only an hour in the car. Not anymore.

The upper back pain I’ve felt for years is now suddenly gone as well. Or maybe not so suddenly. I just suddenly noticed it.

Now that we have the perk, I’m exploring the app choices we have so I can continue on this healing path. After narrowing it down to Calm and Headspace I am settling on Calm. They are both very cool in different ways so I might switch off in the future. The good news is that I can decide month-to-month.

One of my favorite parts of Calm is the choice of nature sounds I can listen to while falling asleep. Relaxing with a book is another option. The app also comes with bedtime stories. I’ve listened to books while falling asleep, but these are narrated by people who deliberately use soothing tones. I’m getting all relaxed just thinking about it.

One can also choose what type of meditation is best each time. When I’m cranky, I can meditate focusing on gratitude. Or I can focus on forgiveness when feeling wronged. There are even sessions for breaking habits and focusing on mindful eating. Amazing.

The time of meditation focuses me and reminds me of how marvelous the gift of life is. It reminds me of my own insignificance and of the importance of learning to become a better human. It is my goal that by taking a step back to breathe and focus I will be able to manifest a statement from the Bible.

My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart [shall be] of understanding.

Psalm 49:3 (The Message)