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A Quiet Place - Playne
Dec. 31st, 2022 07:35 amThrowing this out to you all in case someone finds it useful.
I know some folks may make a resolution to meditate, or meditate more, and there's a veritable mountain of apps and stuff you can pick from. Calm seems to work pretty well, but I found it can get "in my face" a lot and get pushy. I've also used Insight Timer for ages, because if you just need a meditation timer, you can't really go wrong with it.
Today I also picked up a Steam/Windows game called "Playne," pronounced "plain," which is basically meditation gamified. You begin by meeting a talking fox (yay!) who gives you a short rundown on how meditation works. You can then meditate for ten minutes.
During that time you've got some options. When distracting thoughts arise, you can click the mouse button or space bar - it's a simple physical way to acknowledge the thought. An ancient way to do this was to have a pile of pebbles you moved from your right side to your left side - same difference. You also have the option to time your breathing to an animated circle on the screen, but I find those animations are almost always too fast for my breathing and it feels like I'm panting. While you're meditating, the game plays nature sounds - wind, waves, and crackling fire.
I know silence is supposed to be supreme for meditation but it can be incredibly hard. My Covid Brain makes meditating in silence almost impossible right now, but listening to natural sounds helps immensely. This is where the game is really helpful - I have a very good gaming headset (except for the mic) so I'm completely immersed in the sounds of the island you're on. No engine noises, no barking dogs, none of that.
The "game" part comes in as you progress, and by coming back each day to meditate you start growing plants, making the sun rise and set, and stuff like that. If you miss a day you'll reset your streak, but nothing bad happens to your island. Plus, I may have mentioned the game has a talking fox.
So if you're having trouble with your practice, this might be worth your $10.49 USD. Namaste, y'all.
I know some folks may make a resolution to meditate, or meditate more, and there's a veritable mountain of apps and stuff you can pick from. Calm seems to work pretty well, but I found it can get "in my face" a lot and get pushy. I've also used Insight Timer for ages, because if you just need a meditation timer, you can't really go wrong with it.
Today I also picked up a Steam/Windows game called "Playne," pronounced "plain," which is basically meditation gamified. You begin by meeting a talking fox (yay!) who gives you a short rundown on how meditation works. You can then meditate for ten minutes.
During that time you've got some options. When distracting thoughts arise, you can click the mouse button or space bar - it's a simple physical way to acknowledge the thought. An ancient way to do this was to have a pile of pebbles you moved from your right side to your left side - same difference. You also have the option to time your breathing to an animated circle on the screen, but I find those animations are almost always too fast for my breathing and it feels like I'm panting. While you're meditating, the game plays nature sounds - wind, waves, and crackling fire.
I know silence is supposed to be supreme for meditation but it can be incredibly hard. My Covid Brain makes meditating in silence almost impossible right now, but listening to natural sounds helps immensely. This is where the game is really helpful - I have a very good gaming headset (except for the mic) so I'm completely immersed in the sounds of the island you're on. No engine noises, no barking dogs, none of that.
The "game" part comes in as you progress, and by coming back each day to meditate you start growing plants, making the sun rise and set, and stuff like that. If you miss a day you'll reset your streak, but nothing bad happens to your island. Plus, I may have mentioned the game has a talking fox.
So if you're having trouble with your practice, this might be worth your $10.49 USD. Namaste, y'all.
