30 days of meditation review

Short Review On My First 30 Days Of Meditation

30 Day Meditation Review

MEDITATION HAS CHANGED MY LIFE!

I am excited to say that I have completed my first 30 days of meditation, without missing a day! Saying that meditation has changed my life is not an exaggeration, no other habit that I have adopted in the past has even come close to the positive impact meditation has had on my life.

I am, by no means, a meditation expert, quite the opposite actually. I am a beginner, with much to learn. Please keep that in mind as you read the rest of the review. I am not advocating anything I have learned to be the best way or the only way to do things, it is what I have found to work best for me.

Insight timer – my source for guided meditations

Insight Timer is the best meditation app available for your phone or tablet, hands down. Its’ only competition comes from 2 other apps: Headspace and Calm. Both of these apps offer a free option, which is EXTREMELY LIMITED on both apps. To really take full advantage of each app you will need to pay.

At the time of writing this review, Insight Timer has 4695 free meditations.

My Daily Gratitude Meditation Routine

Why did I make a commitment to daily gratitude?

I made a commitment to a daily morning gratitude meditation, as I had a bad habit of taking things for granted.

What was I hoping to gain from this?

I was hoping to gain a greater appreciation and sense of gratitude for all that’s part of my life, including the small things I typically overlook or take for granted, and the perceived negatives in my life.

Did I gain what I hoped I would?

I can confidently say yes. Not 100% and I did not expect a complete overhaul in 30 days, I did notice a remarkable difference in appreciating the little things much more often.

Every morning, the first thing I am thankful for, without fail, is being alive that day. The second thing I am thankful for every morning, without fail, is that Allie is alive that day. I do not force these thoughts, I let them come to me naturally, and they are always the first 2 thoughts in my head to be grateful for.

This daily gratitude influenced me to appreciate each day as it was, without wanting to live in the past or the future.

The 3 Gratitude Meditations I Resonated Most With (All From Insight Timer):

In order from most favourite to least.

  1. Peaceful and Relaxed: Gratitude Meditation by Melissa Dormoy
    A perfectly blended combination on mindfulness, gratitude, and self-empowering visualization. The visualization is what I like best about this meditation, it really sets the tone for my day. There is a good amount of silence to allow for reflection.
  2. Morning Ritual by The Meditation House
    A blended combination of mindfulness, gratitude, and intentions for the day. This is a great meditation if you woke up on the wrong side of the bed.
  3. Gratitude Reflection by Tony Brady
    A blended combination of mindfulness and gratitude. Not much silence, and much more emphasis on gratitude leaving much less time for reflection.

My Daily Evening Meditation

I did not have a set plan for my evening meditation. Below are the 3 different meditation series I used.

The 3 Evening Meditations I Used (All From Insight Timer):

In order from most favourite to least.

  1. Surrender by Michelle Zarrin
    This was a 15-day series that started with 11 minutes of meditation and ended at 25 minutes. I had my breakthrough on the 15th day of this series, in which I outline in my post Day 26. I really enjoyed the progressive amount of silence as the days went on. Her voice is extremely soothing. I will definitely be using Day 15 of her series in the future.
  2. Gratitude by Michelle Zarrin
    This was a 10-day series that started with 11 minutes of meditation and ends with 20 minutes. I was only on day 4 by my 30th day of meditation, as this was the last of the 3 meditations I started. A fantastic approach to gratitude. Each day brings a new aspect of life to focus gratitude towards. This can bring plenty of emotions up if you are not experienced with much meditation, or are someone who avoids their emotions or hardships.
  3. Seated Mindfulness by Palouse Mindfulness
    This was a basic mindfulness meditation, done seated, great for beginners. I am very glad I started with this before moving into the other 2 meditations. I got frustrated numerous times during these meditations, so I couldn’t imagine meditating to Michelle Zarrin’s meditations without experiencing this one first. I learned the basics of being aware of thoughts and being non-judging towards them, very grateful for that.

The Progress Of My Meditation Quality

I distinctly remember experiencing much frustration and anxiousness during the first couple of weeks of consistent meditation. This gradually subsided over the last 2 weeks, progressing to my best day of the entire 30 days on Day 26.

If I were to rate my quality on a scale of 1-10 from Day 1 to Day 30, it would be a quality of 1 on Day 1 and a quality of 7 by Day 30.

What I learned about my meditation practice

My number one takeaway from these first 30 days was not to try and force my mind to go where I want it to. Once I learned to let it be, as is, with awareness, my meditation went to another level.

Forcing myself to try and think about nothing led to a continuous cycle of overthinking about nothing. Thinking about not thinking, how ironic. I have heard many times to be the watcher of your thoughts, be aware of your thoughts, WITHOUT JUDGEMENT. Let them come and go, without immersing yourself in them. Easier said than done that’s for sure.

What else I learned:

  • Consistency is key
  • Meditating while I am fatigued is not very effective, although any meditation IS better than no meditation

How meditation has changed me over the past 30 Days

  • I only reached a point of “anger” or “frustration” once over the past 30 days
  • I am much more grateful for being alive
  • I am more grateful for the people who truly care about me
  • I am exponentially more aware of my thoughts and emotions, and where they came from
  • My thoughts have much more clarity
  • I have learned what being aware of being aware really feels like, and what it means
  • I am much less emotionally driven
  • I can make much more sense of the emotions I feel
  • I had powerful thoughts come to me that I truly do not feel would have come to me otherwise
  • I feel more at one with the world
  • I feel much more serene on a daily
  • I am much less forgetful, and am aware of living in the moment more often
  • I experience much less conflict with my ego, and making decisions more intuitively
  • I used to think our cat is annoying, I’d get really frustrated when she would meow at midnight until the cows come home. I would neglect her and rarely express love for her because of this. Now, I actually feel much love for her. I feel a bond, a sure sign that I am becoming love with the universe.

Wow! Not so short after all! 1200 words later…I got a little carried away it seems. I didn’t want to leave anything out, so if you made it this far, thanks for reading my “short” review on my first 30 days of meditation, and I truly hope you enjoyed it.

What is your experience with meditation?

best sleep supplements

5 Best Natural Sleep Supplements To Help You Sleep Like A Baby

Having worked with numerous people over the years, poor sleep habits has been one of the most common struggles among all my clients. Getting 7-8 hours of QUALITY sleep is imperative for your health. There is a seemingly endless list of health issues that can root from poor quality sleep.

Keep in mind, supplementation is exactly that, an assistance to the primary method of achievement. These supplements are not solutions to your problem. They to be used in conjunction with your primary plan to resolve your sleep issues, while your plan catches traction.

The most common reasons for sleep issues are:

  • Nutritional deficiencies
  • Generally poor diet, leading to a host of inconsistencies
  • Hormone imbalances
  • Stress
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Poor evening ritual
  • Caffeine intake
  • Not sleeping in complete darkness

The underlying causes for your sleep issues NEED to be addressed if you truly want to cure yourself.

Below is a list of the 5 best natural sleep supplements I have compiled through anecdotal observations from myself, and others, as well as research.

Best Natural Sleep Supplements For Getting To Sleep

Rescue Remedy Night Spray

rescue remedy

Ingredients: 

White Chestnut: To help ease the restless mind.
Star of Bethlehem: For trauma and shock.
Clematis: For the tendency to “pass out”, and unconsciousness, being ‘far away’ and not present mentally.
Cherry Plum: Fear of mind giving way, verge of breakdown, anger.
Impatiens: For irritability, tension and fidgety.
Rock Rose: For frozen terror and panic.

Pros:

  • Extremely convenient being a spray oppose to a pill. All you have to do is roll over, grab it off your nightstand, and spray on your tongue. Taking a pill would require you to sit up, grab some water, and gulp down a pill. This action alone can kick you out of your trance, into a fully awake state.

Cons: 

  • The taste doesn’t personally bother me, most people do make comments regarding the poor taste.

Recommended Dosage: The dose recommended by Bach is 1-2 sprays prior to sleep. My personal recommendation, based on anecdotal evidence, is 2-5 sprays.

BUY NOW

Magnesium

sleep supplements

Magnesium is involved in over 300 chemical processes in the body. Most people are deficient in magnesium for 3 main reasons: our soils are depleted of nutrients, foods high in magnesium are not eaten enough, and foods are eaten that deplete magnesium.

The form of magnesium DOES MATTER. You must ingest a highly absorbable form of magnesium to reap the benefits. The best forms of oral magnesium are citrate, taurate, malate, glycinate, and carbonate. Magnesium chloride has arguably the highest bio-availability of all forms of magnesium. It is absorbed topically, used in gels and oils. Magnesium chloride is the reason Epsom salts work so well so ease muscle tension and promote relaxation.

I recommend Natural Calm by Natural Vitality. They use only the most bio-available forms of magnesium, in powders, convenient packets,  and topical gels and oils.

Recommended Dosage: 600-800 mg 30-45 min prior to sleep

Possible Side Effects: laxative effect, upset stomach

BUY NOW

Valerian Root

Now Valerian Root

Valerian has been commonly used in Europe and Asia to treat anxiety and insomnia for years. Studies have shown promising results in using Valerian for insomnia, and somewhat mixed results for anxiety. Being a herbal extract. the quality of the extract plays a vital role in its’ effectiveness.

My personal, anecdotal evidence regarding Valerian, from myself and others, has been that it helps more with promoting relaxation and sleep than it does with the quality of sleep. There are studies that have shown it improved quality of sleep, I would say the jury is still out.

Possible Side effects: Valerian usually causes no side effects. However, it will likely cause sedation. Some people feel a “hangover” after taking valerian. It may also cause a headache, upset stomach, uneasiness, irregular heartbeat, or other symptoms.

I recommend the brands NOW or Nature’s Way for your Valerian supplement. Both trustworthy brands.

BUY NOW

Best Natural Sleep Supplements For Sleep Quality

 

Gaba

Now Gaba

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an amino acid, is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in your central nervous system (CNS). That is, your body uses GABA to dampen nerve activity in your brain, which leads to feelings of calm and relaxation. Research has shown that insomniacs may have low levels of GABA.

Through my personal experience with GABA, and experiences of others, GABA appears to be more effective at providing a better quality of sleep and reducing the number of wake ups throughout the night. I, and others have also noticed a slight relaxation effect from it as well.

Dosage: 1-3 grams 20 min prior to sleep. I recommend powder form for cost-effectiveness.

Possible Side Effects: Slight breathlessness has been reported, which I have actually experienced myself. This lasts roughly 10-15 seconds and is completely harmless. This is most likely due to its’ initial effects on the nerves.

BUY NOW

Phosphatidyl Serine

Now Phosphatidyl Serine

Phosphatidyl Serine (PS) is a lipid found in our body’s cell membranes. PS has been shown to be quite effective at reducing cortisol levels in the body. Elevated evening cortisol, typically due to stress or poor nutrition, will promote wakefulness, and keep you up to the wee hours of the night.

Similar to GABA, PS may provide you a better quality sleep, as well as help you get to sleep faster. Both have been shown in studies, and anecdotal evidence from myself, and others coincides with these findings.

It is best to opt for Phosphatidyl Serine that is not Soy-based, as it poses GMO issues.

Dosage: 300-400 mgs  4 hrs prior to sleep, and another 300-400 mgs 30-60 min prior to sleep. This is my personal recommendation, as more research is needed on dosages. Don’t take for more than 4 weeks straight.

Possible Side Effects: Upset stomach, gas

BUY NOW

 

What about Melatonin?

Isn’t it one of the best natural sleep supplements?

Melatonin, secreted by the pineal gland, is the messenger that announces bedtime to our brains. Darkness stimulates its release into the bloodstream; light inhibits it.

Dosage Issue: It has been concluded that the appropriate dose for Melatonin ranges from 0.3 mg – 1 mg, to mimic our bodies’ natural production. Unfortunately, most melatonin supplements are sold 3-10 times the recommended dose, this is complete overkill. Being a hormone, this can come with grave consequences such as abdominal discomfort, mild anxiety, irritability, confusion, short-lasting feelings of depression, next-day grogginess, and hormone irregularities.

It’s a Hormone: Being a hormone, Melatonin may reduce the bodies’ natural production over time and exacerbate the very problem you are trying to use Melatonin to assist you with.

Melatonin is a sleep and body clock regulator – NOT a sleep initiator. Despite what experiences you say you might have had, or heard of, they were most likely placebo, or the results were due to other unidentified factors.

On top of all that, Melatonin has not even been proven effective for improving insomnia!

Have you tried any of these natural sleep supplements?

What were your experiences?

Are there any natural sleep supplements not on the list that you feel deserve attention?