How do we embrace Impermanence and Change in the face of losing the futures and securities we’d imagined? Mindfulness might help. This promotional animation from the team at Headspace reminds us that change is constant and the future moments we imagined were just that… ideas in our minds.
When we can be more comfortable with the idea of constant change, we may become better equipped to let go, to go with the ebb and flow of our circumstances, and to help our minds find more elasticity and freedom in the present.
Headspace is a popular meditation and mindfulness app founded by former Buddhist monk Andy Puddicombe and entrepreneur Rich Pierson. They’ve partnered with the state of New York on a “special NY collection of meditation, sleep, and movement exercises” to help communities who are going through stressful and challenging times. From Psychology Today:
Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention to the present. This state encompasses observing one’s thoughts and feelings without judging them as good or bad.
To live mindfully is to live in the moment and reawaken oneself to the present, rather than dwelling on the past or anticipating the future…
Mindfulness is frequently used in meditation and certain kinds of therapy. It has many positive benefits, including lowering stress levels, reducing harmful ruminating, and protecting against depression and anxiety. Research even suggests that mindfulness can help people better cope with rejection and social isolation.
Puddicombe narrates these promotional animations, as well as the app’s guided meditations for kids and adults alike. The exercises cover anxiety, focus, sleep, stress, work, and more.
In this animation about finding calm, Puddicombe explains that “the blue sky is a perfect metaphor for the mind. And no matter what happens in life, it’s always worth looking for it.”
The Blue Sky animation also comes in Spanish:
“When we meditate, how do we feel like we’re not alone? By embracing the idea that there are others feeling the same way as you.” We can connect to others by acknowledging the happiness and sadness that we share. Explore our Shared Human Condition in the animation below.
Also recommended: Sitting Still Like a Frog: Mindfulness Exercises for Kids (and Their Parents), a book and CD. Find it at Bookshop.org or on Amazon.
Then watch more videos about mindfulness and emotions :
• The Story of the Two Wolves
• How to keep calm under pressure: 3 quick tips from BBC Ideas
• How to Forgive
• The Benefits of Boredom
• The Importance of Staring Out Of The Window
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