What is your relationship, or do you have one, with meditation? Mine is definitely off/ on one. I started meditating when over 14 years ago. I began with Deepak Chopra’s 21-day meditation challenge and I stuck to it. Deepak would put out these 21-day challenges throughout the year and it truly did change my life. I was married at the time and it helped me realized the toxic relationship that I was in, and how despite my best efforts to turn myself into someone that I wasn’t, something had to change for me and my kids. That was a profound experience for me, and while I’m not suggesting that meditation going to lead to a life-changing event, however, the trajectory of my life at that time was a very unhealthy one and getting quiet with myself gave me what I needed the most at the time.
As a recovering overthinker, meditation allowed me to see clearly, and to give myself 15 minutes for me, each and every morning. And although my husband at the time was jealous of the time I was giving to myself, it changed my life for the better. I felt that I was less reactive as a mom with two young kids running a business and doing cooking classes for new parents, writing a book and managing the house and meals, I felt like I could cope with it all. Fast forward close to 20 years, and I find myself doing way too much and feeling the effects of that. What has not been on my list enough these days is meditation. I have heard it said that the excuse of not having time to meditate means that you need to do it twice a day, and for longer! Stress relief might be the most-studied benefit, but meditation also has been found to help reduce drug and food addiction, relieve anxiety and boost immunity.
Who doesn’t need any of that for free? Your over-brain health, capacity, and cognitive function aren’t usually top of mind until a symptom shows up. There’s an invisibility feeling to always being able to do the things that we always have, but that can change, so let’s find ways to prevent or enhance that incredible computer that is only partly understood by science. Yes, your diet can help, exercise is crucial, and the sauna is good too, but what about meditation? So today on EAT THIS with Lianne, let’s do a deep dive into mediation and what it can do for your stress, cognitive function and overall brain health.
We know that our brain is just like a computer. Ever experienced when you’re typing and the letters and words aren’t showing up yet? That’s your system trying to keep up. People look at my laptop and the insane amount of tabs that I have open and say that they feel anxious just looking at it. I just realized in doing research for this episode, that my laptop tabs, the number of windows open and the speed of my computer are a direct reflection of my brain. And while I keep them all open for fear of forgetting something like I juggle all the things that I do every day because that is what I have created for myself, there is a better way, I just know it.
I found a quote that said “Meditation is like turning down the volume on our excitability factor so we can meet things directly and listen better, both to other people and to ourselves.” on choosemuse.com and it resonated. I know that there is an expanse of self-knowing that isn’t being heard right now, so I’m game to give this Muse thing a try. If it trains my brain to remember better (thanks perimenopause), to help me connect with the memories of my kids more, then putting aside time for this has to happen. To help me, and you to find the time too, let’s hear from a smarty-pants on the subject today.
Muse is a wearable device in the form of a headband that senses the electrical rhythms of the brain (EEG). The headband is coupled with a smartphone app (Calm) that monitors the user’s brain electrical activity and gives immediate feedback so that a “calm” or meditative pattern can be achieved.
Improved Anxiety
In training your brain, the product that My guest today Ariel Garten co-founded and is the CEO of Muse, a state-of-the-art EEG system that uses advanced signal processing algorithms to train beginner and intermediate meditators at controlling their focus. Ariel is dedicated to bringing easy-to-use and accessible tools for well-being to the masses. Ariel’s unique background has taken her from working in neuroscience research labs, to owning a fashion design label, to being the female founder and CEO of a Silicon Valley-backed brain-computer interface tech start-up, InteraXon, the technology that sparked the creation of Muse.
Muse detects a range of brain electrical activity and transforms it into easily understandable experiences. Good information to know about in understanding what’s going on up there in that computer of yours between your ears. Ariel Garten is the Co-Founder and CEO of Muse, a leading consumer neurotechnology and meditation company. With a background in neuroscience, psychotherapy and art, Ariel is dedicated to bringing easy-to-use and accessible tools for well-being to the masses. Ariel’s unique background has taken her from working in neuroscience research labs, to owning a fashion design label, to being the female founder and CEO of a Silicon Valley-backed brain-computer interface tech start-up, InteraXon, the technology that sparked the creation of Muse. Muse, the brain-sensing headband is an award-winning wearable technology that assists and trains meditation. It’s used by hundreds of thousands of people, including the Mayo Clinic and NASA, to track the brain and teach meditation. Ariel is consistently invited to share her unique insights in keynotes around the world speaking about happiness, meditation, how the brain works, empowering women in business, and so forth. Additionally, she is a host of the Untangle podcast, where she guides audiences on how an understanding of your brain and how it works can help improve your life. Of note, Ariel and Muse have had over 1000 media appearances on sites like CNN, Wall Street Journal, and Forbes.
I now believe that there is so much wisdom in looking into when resistance comes up. No matter what it is, meditation, ditching the donut, drinking more water, trying black coffee, change of anykind really, and see if it turns out to be one of the best things that you have given to yourself. The self care aspect of meditation is one that I have forgotten and said “I’m too busy for” so I totally understand and live with that resistance. This episode has brought me back to it’s importance and as I have the other health aspects in hand for the most part, but always room for improvement, this is one to put my attention to now. Will you join me?
Let me know on social media on @sproutright and @liannephillipson handles. Send me a note through either website SR.com or LP.com and let’s set up some sort of accountability because there is more success that way.
For supplements to help your brain, head to sproutright.com and check out the BioHacking bundle or the Mood Boost bundle as I have put those packages together for you so you don’t have to choose.
Interested in Muse? Head to https://choosemuse.com/eatthis will give you 20% off + 1 free year of premium app access, after listening to episode 155 wherever you listen to your podcasts. Ends Sunday, March 12th.
