I’ve done the 10 free and studied mindfulness with – lets be honest limited practise.

It’s become more important to me so I’m wondering if anyone’s paid the annual sub and can comment on whether its worth it over say, an 8 week course for £250 and some self study/practise?

Thanks

I preferred to pay for Calm after doing the free trials of both. Probably just depends on which voice you find more appealing.

I didn’t like the voice of the headspace guy s decided not to pay for it.
I use Simple minds which is an aussie one and is free

Have you tried Progressive Muscular Relaxation and other bits like mood gym? Chill stuff Mood Gym

In my experience with these things, I find that i get bored or irritated by hearing the same voice and/or music too many times, so eventually they become less effective. So, I wouldn’t pay a lot of money for one.

I think calm is 9.99 a month which might be worth it to have a longer trial without having to invest in a yearly subscription.

Meditation is free, you need no gimmicks. None.

If you can’t buy the solution it’s not worth it.

And it needs peer group validation…
Ever get the feeling you’re doing it wrong?

I like it. I think I have a one month free voucher you can have.

Meditation is free, you need no gimmicks. None.

Heaven forbid that a person should do what they want without being judged .

Meditation is not that easy for some of us. Don’t knock people for trying to improve their well-being.

Understood. One of my pet gripes from Yoga Vicky. People buying all sorts of fancy kit etc. The whole beauty of Yoga and meditation is you need nothing in terms of equipment, it really is all within. Yes you need some instruction and guidance but that’s it. An app for meditation costing £10 a month, really !

I’d also note that I would have responded differently to a different poster, I know that Kryton will appreciate the directness and he can handle it. I have contributed to a number of his threads and given advice willingly, cars iMac etc.

Kryton meditation for you could be great, get all of that stuff out of your head and practice it with nothing, no aids no gimmicks.

Thats my 2 cents

I’m signed up. I find it helps and I like Andy’s voice. I did find I wasn’t for finding the time so went to cancel. Headspace halved the subscription.

I wouldn’t be able to do it without help and this is better value than Netflix.

Kryton meditation for you could be great, get all of that stuff out of your head and practice it with nothing, no aids no gimmicks.

For most people, especially in our modern state of constant stimulation, it’s not that easy.

I’d also add that the parts of Headspace which have focused on sport have been as beneficial to my riding as any coaching or new gear has been. Try doing that on your own without guidance!

Heaven forbid that a person should do what they want without being judged .

It’s Jamba. He knows what he’s doing.

OP. Headspace looks like the cheaper option to get an idea of what it’s all about. Despite meditation/mindfulness being touted as the ultimate cure for everything, it’s not for everyone. So spunking £250 on a guided course might not be ideal.

Most of us have to learn meditation though, before doing it alone. Same with yoga- you still need some instruction. I’m going to take a short mindfulness course provided by the NHS to learn how to do it better so I can be self sufficient.

Would you not be better off seeing a specialist, instead of some “guru” on an easy money making scheme ?

Plenty of New Age Navel Gazing tomes out there, pick any one, turn to chapter 2, page 18, paragraph 4 and transpose that with at least 30 other books claiming to do the same thing.. all at the same chapter and paragraph.

A proper specialist proven in your condition, with accreditation, will be targeted and direct.

You must have done some research, you’re an intelligent bloke, clearly you can see the absolute similarities between all this “mindfulness” craze.

Seek professional help, it’ll cost you less in the long run.

FWIW I have tried headspace free x 10 and self guided Mindfulness last year. The reason I’m asking is that in my first psychotherapy/councilling session the councillor said I might find it more useful to be told what to do rather than spend time learning is.

I currently do it alone using Andy’s method. I did 10 & 5 minutes today on the train, I have a longer opportunity tomorrow.

Ok, at least your councillor is recommending it, fair enough.

Anything like this takes time and practice, what’s right for one person isn’t right for another (yadda yadda) but hopefully you have a schedule and timeframe and the space to explore.

Good luck, I wish you well on your quest.

Final confirmation that bikebuoy can join jambalaya on my list of middle-aged people who appear to have gained age but lost wisdom with the passing of time…

A proper specialist proven in your condition, with accreditation, will be targeted and direct.

I have a proper specialist in my condition, with accreditation. A year’s subscription to “Calm” costs about 10 minutes of her time. If it helps me, I reckon it’s worth it, but hey, what do I know? I should’ve just asked you and jamba before I got started.

chiefgrooveguru – Member
Final confirmation that bikebuoy can join jambalaya on my list of middle-aged people who appear to have gained age but lost wisdom with the passing of time…

Big.
Fat.
Deal.

Worth noting that those who poo-pooed it haven’t tried it.

I used the paid version for a while and liked it. It had to go when I had a subscription cull but I still use some of the techniquwes I learned.

I pay for headspace on a monthly subscription (I think) and I’m very happy with it 😀

I’ve not tried the Headspace stuff. Meditation is indeed free and open to everyone but as someone who has struggled to get into it at times I fully understand the need for a little help on the way.

The Headspace stuff may well be a lot more focused to specific topics, but for general relaxation and just slowing down your mind, I’ve found there’s a few channels on Youtube which are helpful: The Honest Guys, Jason Stephenson, etc. Just search for guided meditation. Even as an alternative if you get sick of listening to the same stuff.

I grew up with Andrew Puddicome, he was a very good friend of mine at primary and secondary school. I lost touch when we left school and went our own ways.

I only found out last year what he had been doing (and it has not been an easy ride for him by the sound of it). I was taken back with how famous he had become and what line of work he was in.

Nice to see one of your childhood friends doing so well and helping so many people.

Without Headspace, I couldn’t do my job.

7697A FTW!

I’ve had an annual subscription for three years and continue to be happy with the service. Bring able to dip in and out if various themes suits me. I meditate every day but I like it Headspace!

It’s Jamba. He knows what he’s doing.

Jamie I have done a lot of yoga and meditation. None of the meditation needed an app or a voice. Plenty of CBT type stuff too to see the cross overs. Just my experience.

You don’t need gears or suspension on a mountain bike but that doesn’t mean everyone should start out on a rigid singlespeed, does it?

Jamie I have done a lot of yoga and meditation. None of the meditation needed an app or a voice. Plenty of CBT type stuff too to see the cross overs. Just my experience.

Your experience. So why put down other people’s experience as “gimmicks”? Or is this another of those issues you are 100% correct over?

classic. a thread about meditation you’re whining like ass hats? wise up people. Reminds me why I avoided STW for 18 months. Give the OP a break. Another vote for Headspace from me, I pay the sub and enjoy it- although I haven’t stuck to it religiously, but I found it good. Not sure i’m doing it correctly mind you- might switch from the evening to morning for the sessions and see if that boosts it. Found the iOS notifications good too. Some of them are surprisingly effective, especially at work for breaking up any stress.

You don’t need gears or suspension on a mountain bike but that doesn’t mean everyone should start out on a rigid singlespeed, does it?

Most of us did, didn’t we?
Then we needed to spend money to be “happier”…

I’ve now paid for it, and as a result, hardly use it…. 😕

I have trouble not focusing on things I shouldn’t be focusing on, such as the way he says ‘know-diss’…. Instead of notice.….and he says knowdiss an awful lot too.

You don’t need gears or suspension on a mountain bike but that doesn’t mean everyone should start out on a rigid singlespeed, does it?
Most of us did, didn’t we?
Then we needed to spend money to be “happier”…

Happier? Surely you mean faster? Unless you are such a Riding God that you are faster on a rigid singlespeed than something than bounces and has gears?

I actually thought this thread was going to be about people carriers or T5’s or similar.

I vote this the most STW thread ever. 🙂

Big.
Fat.
Deal.

That’s a very prickly response. Have you considered meditation to relax a bit?

I hear Headspace is supposed to be ok.

Happier? Surely you mean faster? Unless you are such a Riding God that you are faster on a rigid singlespeed than something than bounces and has gears?

Free your mind, your ass will follow!

Found it really helpful, tend to use John Kabatt Zinns’ bodyscan every day now instead -it’s a wee bit longer,but soooo relaxing. Be really interested in knowing how you get on, it takes a while as your mind may wander off initially, don’t get frustrated…