"We found music is one of the top things people use to inspire and empower their minds," Mason said. "We also found that vibrations help a lot to keep you present during meditation." That's what I found to be true on my own. I'm not going to say that I didn't open my eyes during some of the sessions even though they were short, because I did — I'm still learning to stay patient. But, I can say that the combination of calming music and vibrations made me more focused on my breath and held my most intrusive thoughts about work and life stressors at bay. The people leading the guided meditations did a nice job of giving instructions and letting the music play without interruption at times.
You can change the vibration intensity on your bolster, but I kept mine on the highest setting. It stimulated my senses in a good way. I was taking deep inhales and exhales as instructed and, at the same time, I was also drawn to the sensation of the beats washing over my spine. The vibrations, too, are different for each track. For example, an eight-minute track about love that I tried first seemed to have softer vibrations than a 12-minute track on being present. (The vibrations left me feeling so calm during one track on relaxation, that I almost fell asleep.)
Sitting up straight during meditation or yoga can hurt my upper back, but being able to rest against this pillow made the whole experience less intimidating and, importantly, easier to stick with. Playing these tracks before bed was extra calming since I was coaxed away from my thoughts (for the most part) and toward how my body felt, almost like that serene feeling that washes over you during a light massage.
