Headspace Take 20 programme

[Vixine]

Starting this thread to discuss the Take 20 program through Headspace.com, which Fee and I have recently started around the same time. Anyone else who is doing or has done the program, please feel free to join in the discussion as we go along.

(For anyone not familiar, Headspace starts with a free "Take 10" - 10 minute guided meditations for 10 days. After that, if you want to purchase more content you can - the full program is 365 days of guided meditations that help you build your practice.)

One thing about Headspace meditations that I am still struggling with a little - after the first 10 days he advises that you start the first part of the meditation with open eyes and a very soft gaze. I know this is common with zen meditation, but it is something I am not used to. I often find myself wanting to close my eyes, feeling distracted by the room around me and having difficulty not focusing on any one thing. I feel this will take more practice for me. I try to stick with it but am always relieved when it is time to close my eyes!

There has been a lot of guidance in the take 10 and take 15 programs, but I noticed in take 20 there is quite a bit of quiet space. Which makes sense, because I imagine the ultimate goal is to have more time meditating without the audio to lean on. It was quite a while though - I actually found myself wondering if my phone had switched off and I had to peek. He talks about how the first few days it can feel strange to add that extra 5 minutes, and I guess it did. I've done 20 minute meditations many times before, but after doing shorter ones lately it did feel rather long.

One other thing I find interesting about Headspace is that he encourages counting the breaths. In take 20 you count your in breath and out breath, from one to 10, then start over again. This is something I've not done in other meditations before. Is this something that experienced meditators do, or is this just one of the tools to help people get more acquainted with the breath and to stay more focused?

I know that Andy who leads Headspace is a former buddhist monk. I think I can tell the difference in his style of guided meditations vs the more secular MBSR-based programs that I have done in the past.

I'd love to hear Fee and anyone else's feedback on the program! I'll check back periodically too and update how it's going along.

[FeeHutch]

Thanks for writing such a great over view of the topic.
I should be starting Take 20 tomorrow so I will be back to share my experiences.

I struggled a bit with the open eyes/soft gaze to start with but it is slowly becoming a bit easier. I do feel a sense of relief when I close my eyes though!

[FeeHutch]

I completed day 4 today. I am finding looking at the different things that distract us during seated meditation very useful. Sleep isn't something I struggle with put pain certainly is and I found the suggestion to look at the pain rather than try and ignore it one that is generally helpful in day to day living as well as on the mat.

How are you getting on Vixine?

[beebub]

Hi there,

Caught this link from twitter so I thought I'd let you know what my experience is. I'm just over halfway through the take 20 programme now. I've found the experience very insightful for a number of reasons...

Take 20 feels like the stabilisers are off, and at times I've felt a bit wobbly
It's probably only the last couple of sessions that I've got the same reward of clarity back that I got regularly with Take 15
As I've improved my focus, I've started to notice significant improvements in my awareness of self... how I feel, sensations and emotions that previously I've been unaware of

Hope that's useful...

M@

[FeeHutch]

Hello and welcome to the community beebub
I really like your comment about the stabilisers being off on Take 20. Even though I have been practicing mindful meditation for quite a while now I noticed I had got used to being told when to count for example. I am enjoying the longer stretches of silence that are part of Take 20 too.

I hope you will stick around and check out the other boards here on the forum and also the blog posts on the main Everyday Mindfulness site. Just click the big link on the top left hand side if you haven't already.

Hope to see you around soon

[Vixine]

I have also found looking at difficulties very helpful. I struggle with both pain and sleepiness depending on the day, so both of those are helpful. The white light visualization is somewhat helpful, but I would say the visualization for pain/discomfort is even more useful for me. I get pain in my back during meditation, and it is amazing that sometimes it goes away as soon as I start to focus on it.

As for counting the breaths... I've tried the last couple of days just NOT counting because I actually feel that it distracts me. I still don't understand if it is helpful or not but I feel much more peaceful in the meditation when I'm not counting.

I've been slacking a little to tell the truth I have skipped a couple days and am on day 6 for today. Will be sure to do it!

[FeeHutch]

I'll be on day 6 tomorrow so we are almost in synch
I remember doing an exercise on my 8 week course that involved breathing into each part of the body and I found that very powerful. It's something I do a lot dealing with pain and migraines. Feeling calmer and not fighting reality helps a lot.

[FeeHutch]

I've just completed day 11 this morning and am enjoying the wider spaces of silence and reduction in prompting.
I am going through quite an anxious time right now and that seems to be coinciding with looking at feelings and physical distractions and how to accept that into practice which is helpful.
How are you getting on?

[Vixine]

I had another 'blip' in my practice and skipped a few days! I just now did day 6 today. I have actually had some rough days mentally as well, a couple of days of depression and now some anxiety - more than usual for me. Today was interesting because it was the first day of focusing on the physical feeling of emotion in the body, and I definitely identified some tightness in my chest from anxiety. I was able to sink into it and feel some relief in the moment.

[FeeHutch]

It sounds like we are both experiencing similar emotions at the moment. It helps to know I am not alone Vixine, thank you x