Imagine the sensation of holding a small but nicely solid wooden teacup in your hands. Now imagine that cup can purr like a large cat; if you match your breath to the rhythm of the purring, you could either be calmed down or energized, depending on your preference. Further imagine that this cup is taking a key measure of your cardiovascular health, and can help you improve it in the space of a few minutes every day.
Core competence
Then along came the Core meditation trainer, which is what you might get if you crossed the Muse’s EEG technology with a physical manifestation of the Apple Watch’s Breathe app. There’s no calibration necessary with the Core; you open the app, you pick it up and you’re good to go. While there is a dizzying array of meditations to choose from if you dig in, the app’s algorithm selects one for you on its home screen so you can start right way.
Practice breathwork meditation from sources such as Weil’s audiobook, and you’ll find yourself doing a lot of counting in your head — or forgetting how many seconds you’re supposed to hold your breath in any given form. Core makes it easy because you can both see (via a circle of lights that appear in the middle of the Core’s white top) and feel (via vibrations) how you’re supposed to breathe.
Just as addictive as the breathing meditations were the results you get at the end of every Core session. Core uses two measurements from your thumbs: your heart rate, and your Heart Rate Variability (HRV). The latter is an important measure of heart health that is little used outside hospitals. You shouldn’t read too much into the Core HRV score — as the app points out, it can vary depending on your age, genetics and a variety of circumstances. Read More..