Don’t want to get into an app? Looking for a bit of peace and quiet that doesn’t involve scrolling around? The Mindfulness Minute is a new skill available on Alexa devices that will give you just that. There’s no set up, just go ahead and try it out the next time you’re getting ready in the morning.
It’s a brief session and doesn’t asks too much of you mentally.
It’s simple enough that it can start with something as natural as you having a conversation with your device. Say, “Alexa, open mindfulness minute” and she’ll respond in an instant. There’s this little blue ring that comes on when it’s listening, again, reassuring because you know it hears you. There’s no guesswork; it understands exactly what to do from there.
How To Use The Skill
Your voice is all you have to speak. You don’t have to open up another interface or press any buttons. That means there’s no friction between the thought ‘I want to meditate‘ and launching that experience. The less friction you have getting in there, the more likely you’ll stick with the habit. It just makes it realy easy to get into the experience.
It’s also a quick hit. It is intentionaly designed that way. You can fit it in your day, not get behind because of it. Ten minutes can feel like too long to commit, but this is more manageable then.
It’s respectful to your time but gives you something. Shorter hits tend to be more consistent. Seems like a format that will last over the long haul, definitely worth trying.
There’s no desire to get caught in an endless loop of commands; knowing when to quit is key here. To solve this, just say the word “stop” to end the session, then wait until you feel you have finished your exercise. You then says something again, and it stays nice and symmetrical from there. Both start and stop are voice-activated actions, and very easy to remember.
When you tell it to stop, “Alexa, stop”… It immediately responds with acknowledgement. Its pulsating blue ring pause or changes to let you know it’s done. It then cleanly cuts off the audio without any confusion or lingering sound. It simply stops.
This abrupt stop is a very distinct line in the sand separating your exercise from the rest of your day, and defined lines matters.
Simplicity triumphs. Complex routines can be cumbersome and difficult to keep up with. There’s nothing to memorize, and the whole point of this skill is built around natural language instead of menus. It’s as simple as talking like a normal person. The tech takes care of the rest. And there’s no reason for overdoing it. The seamless way in which this works has been big difference maker.
It’s for those moments when you need to hit the reset button on your day. And it’s delivered via voice command, and in the device you’re using anyway. That means no more cluttering up countertop with an additional device.
You don’t even have to do anything but speak to use it. It’s as easy as that, and if you’re looking to get centered quickly, you should of tried it out. Your mind will appreciate it later.
