The Way With Henry Shukman

I wrote yesterday about habit linking and intentionally left out another daily habit of mine because I wanted to discuss it in a separate post. Recently, I've added daily meditation back into my routine. Specifically, I use an app called The Way with Henry Shukman, and it's been a game changer.

My journey with meditation has been full of starts and stops. I have always known it to be something my idols consider an essential part of life. I have always wanted it to be a regular part of my life, but I have not always prioritized it in the way I should have.

I started meditating to reduce anxiety. I would turn on YouTube meditation, sit there with my eyes closed, and try to follow along. It worked—to an extent. It always felt a little like jumping into a pool with floaties on, but no real knowledge of how to swim.

I turned to teachers like Dr. Joe Dispenza and listened to his long, droning meditations for years. I actually really like them and still use them on occasion. But how do I know if I'm actually doing it properly?

This feeling of ineptitude has eased since starting The Way. Henry sets up this journey as an exploration into meditation, starting at the very basics. It builds upon itself, adding new skills as it goes. Henry is a gentle and forgiving mentor and reminds us frequently that it's okay to be imperfect with our practice. The most important part is simply the willingness to sit and try.

This structure of the app works well for me. Its simple UX makes it easy to know exactly what I need to do. There's not much to explore, and that's a good thing. In fact, every time I open the app, my next session is already loaded up in the same place on the screen. I click the button and go. When I'm done, I close out and move on with my day.

I love feeling like I am building the foundation of a holistic practice, and I love knowing I am learning from a true master. For me, the app is almost gamified – I want to complete the sections and progress through the app. I want to be a meditation master, too.

As of today, I am currently sitting twice a day, morning and night, for 10 minutes each. Henry is adamant about not increasing the sit time until the habit is fully formed. I guess people have a tendency to get over-excited and then give up when they can't sit for 20 or 30 minutes. The most important part is doing it daily.

I'm genuinely excited to progress through the teachings, and I have certainly noticed the benefits of the meditations throughout my days—I am more emotionally balanced and clear-headed. I'm kinder to myself and others. I've even deployed some of the tools I've learned during moments of high stress.

I know I still have a long journey ahead of me, and I'm happy for that. I've truly been enjoying every second of it. I finally feel like I have found a foundational approach to building a meditation practice that lasts.