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Hi friends 👋,
After a short summer break that I’m spending in Europe, here are some of the things and ideas I’ve been thinking about recently.
🎁 Breathwork giveaway results
In the last update (Mindful Nerd #013), I asked readers and connections on my social media channels to share mindful experiences they have enjoyed recently. Thank you to all of you who participated, whether publicly or by messaging me directly.
I’m happy to share that Victoria will be the recipient of this first giveaway. She shared a thoughtful and vulnerable description of a guided mindfulness and breathwork session she recently enjoyed. You can also see it on LinkedIn here.
Special mention to Karthik’s post which, even if not by responding directly to my prompt, described what a non-meditative mindful experience may look like. I particularly liked the use of the word “lull” to describe that in-between state of calmness that becomes a source of presence, well-being, and creativity.
And if you have more to share, please let me know and I may still have something for you :)
🧘♂️ Mindfulness news
Microsoft to bring Headspace content to its Viva app
Microsoft is partnering with Headspace to include guided meditations and mindfulness exercises into Viva, its new tool designed to support remote and hybrid work and offered within Teams.
I’m curious to check it out and see how it could potentially fit into someone’s work routine. More to come.
“Fashion wellness” and the Komuso breathing pendant
The latest tool that was brought to my attention is the Shift by Komuso design. A pendant meets small pipe meets extended whistle, the Shift is primarily described as a tool to help practice slow, intentional breathing. It seems to be inspired by the zen practice of Suizen, based on the use of the Shakuhachi flute.
Starting at an $85 price tag, this pricey whistle is clearly being positioned as something more than just a simple breathing device. The founder describes its category as “fashion wellness”, continuing a trend set by Oura and others which is likely still in its early stages.
Check out Mindful Nerd #010 to learn more about the science of breathing.
The Shift helps you slow down your breath, which directly calms down your body’s response to stress and quiets your nervous system. Breathing better with the Shift and some easy to follow steps will help reduce the feeling of anxiety after a few minutes. — komusodesign.com
💭 Podcast ideas
Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard #334 - Russell Brand
Spirituality is mental health. […] It has to become normalized: we have to start valuing our inner lives more than our outer lives because I can’t see a version of the future where we can continue to consume in the way we do, use energy in the way we do, organize social and cultural systems in the way that we do. People collectively need to awaken. […]
The only aspect of reality that we can ascertain for certain is our internal life and querying that is the hand you’ve been dealt.— Russell Brand (🔈 listen here)
Through the [Alcoholics Anonymous] program I was forced to find the value of community that I would have totally missed out on. There are definitely moments where I’m in my group of 20 men and I’m like “how the hell would have I ended up in a room of 20 men talking about feelings”? It couldn’t have existed without this. What a shame that the only real option I can see other than that is going to church on Sunday to get that experience. We’re all missing community in a sense and there’s no option out there for people.”
— Dax Shepard (🔈 listen here)
Lex Fridman Podcast #185 – Sam Harris: Consciousness, Free Will, Psychedelics, AI, UFOs, and Meaning
I’ve relied on ju-jitsu my whole life as a place to go have my ego in check and that affects how I live every other aspect of my life. […] Some people talk about nature being humbling in that kind of sense, where you see something really powerful like the ocean - if you go surfing - and realize there’s something much more powerful than you… that’s also honest, that you’re just a spectator, it puts you in the right scale of where you are in the world.
— Lex Fridman (🔈 listen here)
🍿 Netflix and behavior change
If you’ve recently found yourself suddenly interested in Formula 1, you’re not alone. ESPN viewers are up 50% from the 2020 season, with the sport seeing an increase in popularity particularly in the US. The cause? The “Netflix effect”.
"Netflix has enabled us to showcase the sport in a whole different light, making the drivers and team principals overnight celebrities to a new audience, […]". "The series has also made it easier for fans in the US to understand our sport, which is one of the key barriers we face when engaging non and casual fans."
Something similar happened with the “chess boom” due to last year’s Queen’s Gambit.
What other shows and content have been effective at converting viewers and change their interests and behavior? What other areas (in sports or other domains) would you like to benefit from the same effect?
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Be well and be kind,
Matteo