We know meditating can be annoying. But with Oprah and Deepak Chopra, it’s acceptable

Hey, it’s not for everyone. Meditation might be the most annoying buzzword in hashtag self-care, but there’s something to be said for taking ten minutes out of your day for yourself.

Your mind may wander and at first, you might feel like a bit of a dope. But afterwards, you’ll have the glorious glowing satisfaction of having done something just for you. I do a guided meditation through my phone on the train home, always – if you do it at the same time every day, you’re more likely to keep going back to it – and at first, my mind would wander off to dinner or if I was breathing at an alarming volume. Now, apologies to the person who ends up sitting beside me on the train home, because I’m huffing and puffing those breaths like I’m going into labour. It’s an easy way to quiet your thoughts, to take a pause from an incessant mind, to step back from a day of work or to check in with yourself, provided you have the luxury of ten minutes of alone time.

Honestly, I have difficulty with the whole Eastern philosophy bit of meditation. I’m too cynical and sarcastic for your New Age philosophies. But there’s no denying the mental benefit of taking a rest from a restless mind. There’s no saying “OMMM.” There’s no requirement to be able to bend yourself into a pretzel shape in a yoga class. There’s no wrong way to do it. You don’t need to wear hemp clothing or own crystals. You don’t even have to DIY it either – there’s plenty of guided meditation apps that talk to you through it – sit comfortably, feet flat on the floor, arms resting on the legs. Breathe in, breathe out. No skill required. You already know this I’m sure. It ain’t a new phenomenon.

The many benefits are well documented; reducing stress and anxiety, boosting happiness, increasing your focus and productivity and lots more. And if you haven’t been convinced to try it up until this point, maybe this will bring you around. You can now try guided meditation with Oprah. And Deepak Chopra. For free.

A post shared by Deepak Chopra (@deepakchopra) on Jul 24, 2018 at 11:49am PDT

Are you hearing me? You can meditate with Oprah. With the guidance of one of the greatest leaders in alternative medicine of our times.

Sure, free content might be crumbling our culture. But in this instance – what a time to be alive.

Gurus Oprah and Chopra have teamed up for a 21-day meditation experience and all you need to do is download the app and register a free account.

“Are you ready to create the life you’ve always dreamed of?” states the app when you open it. You know it, Oprah.

It started on July 23, so if you download the app now, you’ll find five meditations waiting for you. Enjoy!

Featured image: @oprahmagazine

The July/August issue of IMAGE Magazine is on shelves now.