Has anyone used the muse brain sensing headband or heartmath sensor for meditation and have any insights about whether it was helpful or harmful? I’m Considering it not for primary meditation but perhaps during the work day when I want to calm and focus my mind more. Thanks.
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Having abandoned personal wearables ages ago, I’m curious about your experience at work. When I’m under duress (say on a cliff), I find it useful to simply ask myself if I am in fact still breathing. This may sound inconsequential, but I’ve noticed that I can heedlessly stop breathing like a deer in the headlights. Aware breathing has helped me so many times. Indeed, if I had a little beeper or tone that told me I was stressing out, I think it might actually stress me out even more! What difficulties at work do you have that a Muse or Heartmath might help with? Most work is normally chaotic and requires paying attention to right speech, right livelihood and right action–it’s not conducive to right concentration)
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Thanks, Karl, for taking the time to respond. Regarding work, I was envisioning taking breaks to use the Muse when the mind becomes agitated, hoping that it might help calm the mind quicker than just mindfulness of breathing. I work as a lawyer in litigation and usually have a heavy workload and need to move from task to task quickly. Sometimes, agitation arises in the mind as a result of those factors and other factors. So, I’m wondering if the muse will help me calm the mind quicker than just mindfulness of breathing when taking a work break. I’m also hoping that it will help motivate me to take more regular mindful breaks.
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Yes. Breathing aware is calming, but does take time which you probably don’t have. Before I climb something potentially dangerous where I need full relaxed hereness, I find the first tetrad of MN10 helpful. The body tetrad reintegrates breath and body and can quickly restore a measure of peace under the gun. It takes time and subtlety to do anything more for me–I reserve such for a quieter time. What makes the tetrad effective is the sequenced awareness. An electronic device can’t actually bring your tense shoulders or brow to your awareness for relaxation and reintegration. I practiced breath awareness alone for 15years and it is effective for insight but not useful in dire situations. Instead I do use the first tetrad for calming during a break between intense action. 
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Biofeedback is interesting. One step towards more scientific meditation.
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