Technology often gets a bit of a bad rap when it comes to mental and physical well-being. With squinting at our phone screens, watching TV, hunching over our laptops, and being exposed to unnatural indoor lighting all day, it’s no wonder we tend to think that technology negatively affects our physical and mental health. mental.

However, in addition to the negative effects of technology, there are many new technologies that have emerged to help us take better care of ourselves. In particular, in this article I want to focus on 5 technologies that anyone can use to meditate or practice yoga at home.

It is widely accepted that both yoga and meditation are great for reducing stress and anxiety and generally helping us to be relaxed and more positive. Simply concentrating on our breathing and body in the present, even for a short period of time, be it 5 minutes or an hour, is enough to calm our minds and get rid of all the thoughts that are running through our heads. in today’s modern world. Yoga is also great for building core body strength and physical flexibility, which is especially great if, like me, you suffer from back pain and stiffness.

Often the problem with meditating and doing yoga is finding the time and motivation to get started. For some people, it’s also having the confidence to try, especially to go to a class where you might think people will judge you or just be better than you.

The 5 technologies can help anyone get the most out of yoga and meditation at home.

1) Practice “Stop, Breathe, Think” with Amazon Alexa

Amazon’s voice-controlled smart home assistant is called Alexa. There are many different devices available now that Amazon has launched with Alexa. They include the Amazon Echo (a bigger speaker for playing music) and the Amazon dot, which is a smaller version without the big speaker but can still hear it and respond to commands. Alexa has thousands of different useful skills that can be activated simply with a voice command. There is a whole section of skills in the Health & Fitness category, one of which is the “Stop, Breathe, Think” skill. You can say “Alexa, open Stop, Breathe, Think” and one of several meditation routines will be activated. The calm and soothing voice will guide you through a guided meditation instead of trying to clear your busy mind alone in a quiet room.

2) Stream yoga classes at home with Yogaia

Armed with just a laptop or tablet and decent Wi-Fi, you can now stream yoga classes live from home. The benefit of this service being available for a monthly fee (which is cheaper than many individual yoga classes) is that you get the best of both worlds. You get the combined convenience of following a video at home with the ability to have a teacher observe your technique when you participate in a class.

3) Get the mood right with smart lighting

The problem with traditional indoor lighting has always been how harsh it is. Incandescent light bulbs trick our bodies into thinking it’s time to be alert and active. Great when you’re trying to focus at work, not so great if you’re trying to relax! Candles are great, but they can be an effort to set up and a potential safety hazard indoors. Now, with smart lights, you can control your lighting for a more relaxing sunset color when you’re trying to do yoga or meditate, or trying to sleep. You can automate them to change at a certain time, use a remote control, or even control them with your voice using a smart assistant like Amazon Alexa or Google Home.

4) Download the Headspace app

This app is available on Apple or Android and offers a multitude of ways to practice meditation and mindfulness at home (or wherever you are). The app has a free 10-day mindfulness program called “Take 10”. After that, there is a subscription fee to access many guided and unguided practices. Headspace also shares the love by donating a free subscription to someone in need for every person who pays.

5) Invest in an essential oil diffuser

Yoga and meditation are all about the breath, so why not make sure the air you breathe also helps improve your mental and physical well-being? Essential oils are known to activate the receptors in your brain responsible for controlling emotions, and one of the most effective ways to use them is in an electronic diffuser. It uses innovative ultrasound technology to emit the oils in a powerful mist that will fill the entire room with a scent that can help you get the most out of your yoga or meditation practice.

I hope that using these 5 technologies will help you get the best out of yoga and meditation to improve your well-being without ever leaving your home!