Take a Moment to Breathe
If you’re stressed out, run down, burnt out and fed up, you could probably do with a moment to pause, realign, calm down and achieve clarity. Or simply, a moment to breathe.
In our busy world, moments of calm are at a premium – which is why it’s so important to create your own. But with the choice of either going it alone and running short on discipline, or being guided by technology and getting side-tracked by notifications, it’s little wonder that so many of us struggle to focus on something as simple, natural and intrinsic as mindfulness.
But struggle we do; which is what led three curious founders to create something entirely new. Something that was set to shake up the world of wellbeing, and lead people to create their own precious moments of peace.
The moment pebble.
What the heck is a moment pebble, we hear you cry. The moment pebble is a device made of natural materials, capable of reducing stress and anxiety in as little as 30 seconds – without the need for technology. Pretty cool, right?
Out of the Phone and Into Nature
FormScore spoke to moment co-founder Fiona McKinnon, who explained that the creation of the moment pebble was born from a desire to disconnect from our reliance on technology, and rediscover our own intuitive sense of being. The moment pebble is designed to guide the user to take regular mindful breaks, throughout the working day – without being connected to any form of tech.
“Technology has a place, but we’ve forgotten how to feel without technology telling us how we feel”, explained Fiona.
After experiencing severe and debilitating burnout in the fast-paced corporate world, Fiona found herself feeling incurably curious about how to put herself back together again – and curiosity, Fiona tells us, is the best skill a person can have. Indeed, it led to her trying out (and falling in love with) transcendental meditation, quitting her corporate day job, and teaming up with two other likeminded entrepreneurs.
Co-founder Alex Strang had also experienced burnout, this time to the point of short-term memory loss. The memory loss was becoming so severe that Alex even considered getting tattoos to aid his memory.
And then there was Charlie – pebble pioneer extraordinaire.
The Birth of the Moment Pebble
Co-founder Charlie Cadbury started following guided meditations through Headspace when suffering under the strain of grief, but struggled to bring those mindful moments into his day. The inimitable Andy Puddicombe suggested the aid of an anchor – an object to latch onto when needing to create a moment of calm.
The object Charlie chose? A pebble from his holiday to the tranquil Cornish coast. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Fiona explained that the pebble hit the mark in every conceivable way: it was tactile, natural, guided, and holds an almost magical quality. So the three got to work on transforming the humble pebble into a light-activated meditation, mindfulness and breathwork aid.
So why is FormScore recommending a product that veers away from technology? Because beyond anything else, we’re in the game of wellbeing; of helping you to have the best mental health you can possibly have; of supporting you to find ways of making this life more beautiful, and yourself, more human.
The beauty (and indeed, magic) of the moment pebble is that it’s YOUR moment. Just for you. Keep it on your desk, pop it in your handbag, take it up to bed, share it with your kids; it’s yours to do with as you choose. You can keep it with you all the time, and use it discreetly – without pomp and ceremony, without ongoing costs, and without any preparation.
The pebble is ideal for workplaces and has even been adopted by some schools to help children regulate their emotions.
Does it Work?
Fiona explained that physiologically, you can make a change in as little as 30-60 seconds. Using the moment pebble for breathwork and stress relief has an immediate effect on the body and mind, but it also has a cumulative one – helping to increase your resilience to stress over time, by lowering your stress levels overall.
Taking moments of calm – or micro-pauses – can have an enormous impact on your wellbeing. Using the moment pebble whenever you need it throughout your day can work to calm your nervous system, increase your energy, reduce your heart rate, and create clarity of mind. And it’s incredibly easy to use: simply tap the pebble three times to trigger its light, then inhale and exhale in time with the gentle light pulses.
If you’d like to see what it’s all about – and for bonafide proof that it does, in fact, work – there’s a great video on the moment website that shows co-founder Alex putting the moment pebble to the test with a heart activity tool.
The Pebble also comes with a self-paced wellbeing program, to help you learn more about shorthand ways of bringing mindful moments into your life. Keen to try it out for yourself? You can bag a discount through the FormScore app, or visit the moment website for loads more information.