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Disclosure: There is an affiliate link in this post. If you purchase a Muse headband through my link, a small amount of your purchase will go back to support Strong with Purpose. <3

I used to have an all-or-nothing mindset about my habits. If I wasn’t going to do something to 100%, every single day, what was the point of trying?

Fortunately, a lot has changed since I thought that way. Now, damn-near-daily is what I strive for. Not perfection. Not 100%. This is much to my ego’s disappointment, but this shift in attitude has brought me the ease and flow I had been unknowingly craving.

I’ve abandoned all major ego pursuits—in other words, something that is only being pursued for the desired result of such pursuit. An ego pursuit is doing something just to be able to say that you did it. It’s when you don’t completely flow with and enjoy the process. It’s when you have a feeling that you should give something up, but you just have to finish it, just because.

Habits don’t need to be ego pursuits. They can ebb and flow as they are needed, or not needed.

Allow me to tell you the story of my meditation habit.

I used to go to retreats and write an intention: “I want to have a meditation habit.” Then I would proceed to go home and never do anything about it! I would go to another retreat and basically repeat the same thing, and then wonder why nothing was happening.

I read multiple books about meditation. I learned all about the positive influence of meditation on the brain’s structure and function, like increased grey matter density, reduced thinning of the prefrontal cortex, decreasing amygdala activity, and increased resilience. Of course, I was interested in the results of meditation.

I once spent an entire day hanging out with some monks at Warped Tour. We repeated mantras for hours on end, and it made me feel really inspired.

I tried two 90-minute sessions of flotation therapy.

I tried to use the Headspace app to no avail, since it does not give you any feedback during your session. I found that I didn’t really have to be meditating, but the app would still reward me as if I was.

I thought about meditating. But I never actually did, until Muse.

I’ve been meditating with Muse for over 3 months now. I’ve committed to making frequent meditation a part of my life, and I’d say it’s gone pretty well so far!

Whether or not I end up meditating each and every day, I always consider it. I look at my Muse headband every day and think, “Is meditation what I need right now?”

Sometimes I meditate, and sometimes I feel like jumping straight into something I’m inspired to write or create rather than stop to meditate first.

Annnd, that’s what flow feels like. It’s looking at your options and intuitively decided to do what feels best.

One-hundred percent is an ideal that you are not required to meet, and it’s not one that I even strive for anymore.

So now, I don’t have a perfect meditation habit. But, after years of saying that I wanted to meditate, I finally do have a meditation habit!

Meditating with Muse has made such a positive impact on my life. My meditation habit helps me manage my depression and anxiety. It helps me be centered and regain focus when I feel scattered. It helps me recede into thoughtlessness and deep states of relaxation. I come out of a meditation session feeling fresher and more alive in the present moment than before.

Here’s how it works. The Muse headband goes across your forehead and cradles the top of your ears. You can’t have any hair that goes underneath the ear sensors, so if you have long hair, you have to put it up. In the evenings I’ll typically shower, put my hair in a ponytail, braid it, and then meditate.

Muse gives you real-time EEG neurofeedback based on your brainwaves during your session. There are different sound settings to choose from; my favorites are the rainforest and the ocean. When your mind is calm and settled, you will hear gentle waves or soft rain. When your mind is active, the rain or waves intensify. After each session, it gives you different graphs and charts to show what was happening in your brain. All of this data is saved and is displayed in reports and statistics for your use at any time.

Muse’s battery life is incredible. They say the battery life is a maximum of 10 hours. I have been using Muse for 3 months now, and have only charged it once! It still hasn’t died.

Sometimes I incorporate crystals into my meditation. I’ll hold some selenite in my hands, or put lapis lazuli on my third eye chakra for an intense and powerful meditation session.

Sometimes I feel like I just need a short, 3-5 minute session. Other times I crave a longer, 10-15 minute session. Your session duration is completely customizable, so you get to decide exactly how long you want to meditate and when.

Can you meditate without Muse? Sure, but Muse is a fantastic tool for meditation. For me, Muse was the catalyst that finally helped me to sustain a meditation habit, after saying that I wanted to for years.

So, do I meditate every single day? No, and I won’t hold myself to that strict of a standard. I meditate damn-near-daily, and that’s good enough for me.

Is it good enough for you, too?

If you’re interested in truly making meditation a habit that changes your life for the better, I’d recommend giving Muse a try!

References:

Muse – Brain Sensing Headband