This is a safe space where meditation, self-care and awareness all come together to make a happier, healthier and more balanced you! One of my new favorite recent discoveries is the Calm app, available on IOS and the Google Play store. (No, it's not sponsored!) However, I have noticed that the use of reminders, notifications and short, simple guided meditations makes it an invaluable tool for anyone starting their own journey on making mindfulness work for them- and it's free for the basic version! It's the version I have and it works excellent.

In the mornings, it's hard for me to 'make' time for meditating- I generally will use any extra time for sleeping... even though I know the reward of meditation is something I love. Ideally, 30 minutes a day of meditation is my goal. So, one of the best uses for me is to put on a 10 minute guided meditation that way it looks 1/3rd as large (to my groggy, sleepy self) and I am much more apt to follow through. Some days I might just end there, but most times when it's over I feel much more motivated to put a 20 minute alarm on my phone and meditate by myself- or use the longer guided meditations on Calm. I guess this can be classified as a 'mind trick', but it's a routine that is showing positive results. :)

If I'm ever having trouble falling asleep, I'll put on a guided meditation and, voilà! I'm out. Pretty magical, huh? Also, if you know you can get particularly anxious and need something to help you calm down, this is an option you should give a try. All you have to do is keep some headphones with you, and even in a crowded place you can stay calm.

Reminders are once a day in your alert bar- thankfully not a big red notification on the app that you have to find a way to dismiss. It's very gentle, and there is definitely no guilt if you miss a day! Whether you have 2 minutes, or 30, it's useful, tranquil time you can have all to yourself to bring some mindfulness into your day.

Summary? If you're a beginner or have a busy life and need a little motivation or help remembering to be calm, download the Calm app for your smartphone! Easy start to a life of awareness for that beautiful you!