aliabramovitz

This sounds cool. How can i check it out?

Absolutely! While we are crafting an experience we hope resonates for people for whom the traditional teachings have not, we certainly pay homage to where the traditions come from when we talk about the practice, for example at the start of class, or in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUJhfjxvNDE&feature=youtu.be or in this blog post https://chorusmeditation.com/blog/founder-friday-mk-on-our-p...

That is SUCH great advice - and particularly the part about encouraging them not to chase the high. thank you so much for your input!!

Thank you for your input! Our feeling is that we give deep reverence to the traditional practices and the thousands of years of wisdom with which they come, and we are attempting to help other people who haven't connected with those forms develop a mindfulness practice that does connect for them. We believe if more people in the world are practicing mindfulness the world will be a kinder, more compassionate place.

Thank you so much for your feedback! We like to stay away from those aspects as it can be off putting for people who don't subscribe to a certain philosophy or theology. We, instead try to make more approachable for everyone where you don't need to believe in anything other than spreading kindness to yourself and others. We certainly pay homage to where the traditions come from when we talk about the practice, for example at the start of class, or in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUJhfjxvNDE&feature=youtu.be or in this blog post https://chorusmeditation.com/blog/founder-friday-mk-on-our-p...

I am SO glad you asked this. Meditation is amazing for people who struggle with attention. Essentially what you are doing in meditation is training the brain to be able to stay focused on one thing and that, just like with any other muscle, makes your brain better at this over time. The kind of meditation that is the most effective for helping with focus and things like ADD is called "Focused Attention." In this kind of meditation you focus on an object of focus and dont let you mind drift away. In Chorus we do TONS of focused attention techniques. Essentially what you want is a "concrete object of attention" - so something like a mantra (a phrase you repeat over and over) would be more concrete than say, just feeling your breath. We designed Chorus to give people super concrete objects to focus on so its easier to get into that meditative state.

Since starting to meditate myself I have become way better at reading speed, comprehension and overall focus has improved dramatically.

Here is a study that talks about it: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/108705470730850...

Go ahead and just use my email [redacted] (its a security setting for our other documents)

its hard to convey the full vibe in 2 minutes - for a couple explanation videos we do have on youtube check out these:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyuh0cQjKSU&t=28s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUJhfjxvNDE&t=1s

Super great comments. Our class is split between the breathwork and then also traditional Vipassana or Insight style meditation. One of the reasons we don't typically describe it as "breathwork" is for the reasons you highlight and have been raised in other comments regarding how the Gof breathwork is supppppper intense. Our method is MUCH more tame and approachable - fitting for a daily practice -- vs when I've done the Grof style I feel completely wiped (in a good way sometimes) but not something Id like to do more than once every few months. All to say - we try and stay away from calling it breathwork because people either 1) think its Grof and are freaked out or 2) think its chill yogic breathing like you do through the nostrils in a yoga class and that’s misleading too. We also have grappled with if we should call it meditation and have decided for the time being that yes - it helps people context set - and the way we use the breath (which is different than the full blown Grof version) together with the beat of music and teachers voice is similar to meditation in that you have an "object of focus" you train the mind to stay on. Would love to hear if you have any ideas for what else to call it - cuz we totally have gone back and forth on this topic.

just put in mine: [redacted] (its a security setting for our other documents) - sorry about that

heres a trial that you dont need to put any cc info in: https://sutrapro.com/chorusmeditation/pricing/checkout/EbHZD...

and for the video on docsend, its not a paid wall - just put in your email and you can view: https://docsend.com/view/hxra3rnfevsytg4v

appreciate your comments! (not that we mind the above discourse) - but you are totally right that we are doing VERY different things from the intense breathwork (e.g. rebirthings, Gof, etc) you noted. A big reason we created Chorus was because those forms of breathwork were too intense for us, and certainly too intense to do more than, say every 3 months. So Chorus is a much more approachable and dialed down practice that you can do to unlock a daily mindfulness habit.

There are! We believe in the power of community connection, so when it is safe we have plans to have "studios" in certain cities so that our community can come together even more!

Absolutely - as I shared above - stress is totally a symptom! Check out my comment above about what the underling causes are. And youre so right that the added HEALTH benefits of reducing stress (like a fever) are huge as well. Here is a doc we have that summarizes how cortisol and stress impact the body: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1k6QyxX7_btMWUExto_KfESBm...

First of all - thank you for sharing Chorus with people in your life!

And that ISSS really interesting. We initially weren't as focused on startup CEOS as a core demographic, but since being in Y Combinator and seeing how much a bunch of our batch mates and finding it helpful we are totally rethinking how we can help other founders de-stress and navigate the challenging dynamics of starting a company more effectively. That's so great to hear that it helps with your leadership - I can totally see that. Being more empathetic and in touch is such a plus for leadership. I think your hypothesis about them being comfortable in intense environments AND knowing the importance of introspective practices is spot on!

Hahah thank you so much! Honestly - we love the discourse too.

We are by no means trying to replace traditional meditation and Chorus certainly isnt for everyone. But for people it IS for we are frickin thrilled to help them unlock a mindfulness practice of their own!

So great to hear about your experience with us back when we were in person. We too hope that some day we can have both a digital and in-person presence because human connection is so important.

I can also relate to the challenge of prioritizing time to do it when you dont have somewhere physical to "GO". That ease of use is exactly what we are working on in our new app, so would love to see if we can help you with our new experience. But totally get if you are just an in-person person :) And we send you big Chorus hugs and thanks again for the support!!

Absolutely! Here ya go: https://sutrapro.com/chorusmeditation/pricing/checkout/EbHZD...

Absolutely true! We actually have waived a bit on if we call ourself meditation or not. Ultimately we are currently using it since it helps "context set" for people - but would love to hear any other idea if you have them!

That's actually an amazing idea hahah!!

Thank you so much for the honest feedback. There has been some great research around the nervous system health benefits of the kind of breathing we do (the 3 part breath) in this book:https://www.mrjamesnestor.com/breath -- check out the section he calls "breathing plus" - essentially what it does is stimulate the vagus nerve which allows us to more actively control our autonomic nervous system.

We also use other breath techniques like boxed breathing and breathing with longer exhales than inhales which calms the nervous system: https://www.healthline.com/health/box-breathing#tips-for-beg... https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201...

You are completely right that we must take incredibly seriously the space we are holding for our community when we engage in this practice. All of our teachers are trained by professionals, including trauma informed training from professionals at UCSF. We always make sure the customer is empowered to stay in a zone that feels comfortable to them. Additionally, when we breathe in this way we are doing similar things to the body as we do with cardio exercise, so it's generally totally safe and the physical sensations of the breath subside when you stop the pattern. Of course we are not doctors so we recommend, in the same way that any gym or physical exercise solution does, that you should consult your doctor before engaging in cardio vascular work.

Totally! Here's a couple tips:

>>> WHAT TO BRING >>>

Headphones or external speakers for the music

A cozy blanket!

A journal for some special reflections (only needed for the "Chorus" class - not for "Chorus 30" or "Sleep")

Other options > Eye mask or something to cover your eyes > A pillow under your knees to support your lower back

>>> HOW TO SET UP >>>

Find a quiet, soft place to LIE DOWN, where you won’t be disturbed (bed, couch, or yoga mat are great)

Set up where WiFi is strongest (it helps the audio not cut out during class)

Settle in a few minutes ahead of time so you can make sure your space is comfy and ready for class

>>> Here are a couple videos on what to expect for your first class too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyuh0cQjKSU&t=2s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUJhfjxvNDE&feature=youtu.be

:) thank you for sharing!! certainly there isn't a one size fits all solution for really anything in our world - but we are so glad that Chorus is helpful for you!!

I love that you are digging even deeper on the problem! We say it is to “reduce stress”, but that is because that’s a simplified catchall that many people can relate to. You are totally right that stress a symptom. The real underlying cause is lack of awareness and peace within one's own self - the ability to separate from feelings of stress or overwhelm and not let them define you, but look at them more objectively and no longer have upsetting things ruin your day for example. The music has very strong BEATS, which give the mind something EVEN more concrete to focus on (the beat, the breathing pattern, and the teachers voice all serve as the object of attention, like a mantra) - so even though its loud, it does in fact make it easier to cultivate focus for people who find traditional objects of focus (e.g. "following the feeling of the breath") hard to anchor attention on. For anyone who finds silent meditation effective, we are so happy for them and they don't really need our new approach. What we are trying to do is create a new experience that resonates with people who are more drawn to upbeat styles so we can help more people unlock more peace and happiness.

We can't wait to have you! If you have any questions or we can be helpful - just let us know!

So great! How was your experience using gyrosco.pe? Would love to learn what you loved / didn't love! And yes, only $40 for ours!

Wow oh my gosh! Michelle is that you? Thank you SO much for sharing your experience using Chorus. Being a former fellow Twillion myself it means so much to me to get to share it with the Twilio community.

Ah that's wonderful! So glad to hear that. You don't need us then :)

Totally agree! We are just starting out so haven't been able to get a video on our website yet - but you read my mind cuz we are working on that as we speak! Here is a video describing "what it is": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyuh0cQjKSU

and for a demo of the class - here is this one as well: https://docsend.com/view/hxra3rnfevsytg4v

That's totally fair. The music style in this early stage is geared at people who enjoy this kind of popular music. In the future we will be expanding to have different styles of music as well. But certainly, we aren't trying to replace traditional meditation - so for anyone who is more aligned with more traditional meditation music and less verbal guidance - I honestly think there are some amazing resources already out there. Our hope is that we can provide a new style that resonates for people who the more traditional sounds and guidance levels don't click for. Very much appreciate your honest feedback!

Exactly! Would love your feedback on our product if you feel like checking it out!

That is amazing to hear! That is exactly what we are hoping to help with. I would recommend starting with our teacher MK. She has a 30 minute class this coming Tuesday at 12pm PST. We have seen better onboarding experiences when starting with the live classes (and we rec at least 2 classes a week). I know 45 minutes sounds long, but it does go by quickly. The signature (longer) class also is really great for new community members because we give more of an explanation about what to expect at the beginning. If you are up for it, I would recommend starting with MK's 1pm PST class tomorrow (Friday)! Let me know how that sounds!