Mental Health Matters: Developing Consistency and Focus Through Meditation with Sarah McDevitt
Mental health issues were often deemed insignificant when compared to the list of other concerns we were bombarded with. Emotions and sentiments from unfortunate circumstances were often discouraged, portraying our natural feelings as a sign of weakness. However, the pandemic has proven otherwise. The anxiety and distress caused by our current situation emphasize the importance of mental well-being to our overall health. Mental health matters.
In this episode of Radically Loved, Sarah McDevitt highlights challenges in meditation and provides ways to overcome them. She discusses the tactile technique you can use to anchor yourself in the present. Lastly, she shares how she changed her perspective on mental health when she realized its impact on society.
If you’re wondering how you can become more focused and consistent in taking care of your mental health, then tune in to this episode!
Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:
Discover the connection between your physical, mental, and emotional health.
Learn about Core — a device that helps people focus during meditation and breathing exercises.
Realize why it is important to start taking care of your mental health from a young age.
Resources
More about Core on their website, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn
Hyperice’s website and their products Hypervolt Massage Gun and Normatec Air Compression BootsHyperice
FREE workbook! Apply the lessons you learn from this episode as you listen! Enter your email below, and I’ll send it right away!
Episode Highlights
Sarah’s Journey in Physical and Mental Health
Sarah grew up playing sports and focusing on physical fitness.
After a few years of working, she started experiencing anxiety. Without understanding the mental constraint she felt, she merely forced herself to push through.
She was later introduced to meditation, and it helped her realize the importance of mental and emotional health in our daily routine.
Mental health is a foundation of our society’s everyday life.
What is Core?
Core is a handheld device that connects to an app for meditation and breathing exercises.
It can give biofeedback to help you gauge the effects of different techniques. It also helps build consistency as you practice meditation.
Some people need a kinesthetic experience to ground themselves. Core can serve as an anchor to the present moment during meditation.
The Yoga Sutras Patañjali are philosophical texts that mention the ways to have a single-pointed focus. This includes having an affirmation, mantra, visual, or tactile focus.
Core’s Beginnings
Core was launched before the pandemic.
Despite the negative impacts of the pandemic, there is also an increase in awareness of mental health. Many people have started asserting its essence to our overall wellness.
Meditation focuses on building resilience and flexibility to help you through difficult times.
Sarah’s Vision for Core
Distractions could hinder us from mindfulness practices. With Core, we can have a physical reminder for our daily meditation practice.
Although Sarah’s meditation studio was closed due to the pandemic, she still hopes to give people a space to practice focus and mindfulness.
She saw the impact of meditation practices on mental and physical health.
The biofeedback in the Core provides self-awareness during meditation.
The data gathered from the app delivers a further understanding of your body and mind in cultivating healthier life practices.
The Importance of Mental Health for the Youth
Sarah worked to bring meditation practices into high school classrooms, and the students found the exercise enjoyable.
Teenagers often seek independence and control for their peace of mind.
Short-term survival or health is what teenagers usually prioritize since they feel that determining their own longevity is out of their control.
Meditation grants them the moment of authority within their own life.
It’s good to start meditation practices at a young age, because the practice has numerous mental and physical health benefits.
The Future of Core
Core is open to hearing what it is that people need.
They can be reached through email and LinkedIn
Core Mind Technology has been incorporated into Hyperice.
They’re continuously innovating and improving their app.
5 Powerful Quotes from This Episode
[03:54] Sarah McDevitt: “If we don't think of mental health as the foundational element of our being, everyday life, and our society, we're just ignoring something that affects every single thing that we do.”
[06:20] Sarah McDevitt: “We just really wanted to build something that brought together science and research, ancient traditions, and new technology to help people be consistent with meditation and breath training.”
[13:11] Sarah McDevitt: “One of the hardest things about the last few years is the ambiguity. There's been so much not knowing, and it's hard to plan ahead in your life. It's hard to have these kinds of things to look forward to if you can't plan ahead.”
[19:52] Sarah McDevitt: “There are so many reasons that you could have for meditation. From things that are impossible to measure, like spirituality, connection, communication, or patience. But then there are also physiological effects that we can measure.”
[26:15] Sarah McDevitt: “[Teenagers] don't necessarily feel that they have the control to impact their long-term health. Or the capacity to get there, think about that, or prioritize that. One of the things that meditation can do is help anyone feel like they have that moment of control within their own life.”
About Sarah
Sarah McDevitt is the head of Mind Technology under Hyperice. She is the founder of Core which aims to support and encourage the way people take care of their mental health. Her passion for helping others feel their best motivates her to find ways to improve lives.
Sarah worked at Microsoft where she led software product and engineering initiatives. She also had a hand in global youth development and education programs. Sarah then earned her Master’s degree at Stanford University where she studied the effects of stress and meditation. In 2016, she founded Core to help busy people stay consistent and focused in their meditation practice.
You can connect with Sarah through her email or learn more about her on LinkedIn.
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To feeling radically loved,
Rosie