No matter how chill you are, certain things in life are just stressful. I recently had the brilliant idea to go back to school part-time so I could continue working full-time, plan my 2024 wedding, deal with chronic inflammation, and adjust to my fiancé’s new second shift job. Unsurprisingly, all of these changes have completely disrupted my sense of normalcy. So when I was offered the chance to try Open—a wellness app and virtual mindfulness studio—I took it without hesitation.
In truth, this opportunity could not have come at a better time. Despite regularly making time for myself and meditating and journaling every morning, I was still stressed AF. My normal rituals just weren’t cutting it. I had trouble sleeping, felt unsettled and disconnected from my body, and struggled to stay in the present moment.
This is no way to live. Which is why I wanted to see what would happen if I used Open everyday for 14 days. And today, I’m spilling my secrets. Keep scrolling to learn all about my experience using the Open app for two weeks straight.
I Tried Open for 14 Days—Here’s What Happened:
Why I chose Open
Open’s sheer plethora of classes and modern approach to mindfulness is what really intrigued me. They use a unique blend of ancient and current traditions, music, sound, breath, and movement to deliver guided meditations, exercise and movement, and breathwork techniques and practices. These classes under three main modalities: Meditate, Move, and Breathe. Whatever you choose, you’ll be able to come to your senses, strengthen mind-body connection, and ground yourself in the present. Plus, all live and prerecorded classes are led by one of Open’s expert teachers, and can be enjoyed by anyone at any level.
Going into this challenge, my main goals were to destress, build self-love and reconnect with myself again; and the fact that I could filter through Open’s library to find a practice that catered to my goals or mood was a huge plus. Likewise, I also wanted to focus on breathwork. In addition, I wanted to find yoga and Pilates flows that would be safe for my neck and shoulder injuries. I love bodyweight workouts that incorporate mindfulness and cultivate awareness; but it can be challenging to find ones that do more good than harm.
My Experience Using Open:
1. What happened week 1
With work done and the night to myself, my Open journey began. I started off with Calming Vase Breath and Soothe Chronic Pain. Both breathwork practices were nice introductions and made me feel like I was spending my downtime in a productive way, but they left me wanting more. Besides, where I really wanted to put the app to the test was bedtime.
Sleep has plagued me since childhood—I’ve always had horrible insomnia, lose my mind when I can’t sleep, and hate sleeping alone. However, my fiancé was working second shift that night, so I had to be a big girl and go to bed all by myself. (I also grew up in a family of 5, so I’ve never gone to sleep in an empty household). To my utter surprise, the 4:8 Calm breathwork practice worked like a charm. I was out like a light and blown away by how quickly I fell asleep. From that moment, 4:8 Calm became my ride or die.
As for the rest of the week, I don’t know if it was because I started school or because my fiancé was suddenly working full-time, but I had trouble getting into a lot of practices. The breathwork practices did help a little bit throughout the day, but where I really saw a noticeable difference was bedtime; that 4:8 Calm practice is like an imaginary holistic sleeping pill. But nevertheless, I persisted. I knew I was doing myself some good, even if I didn’t fully feel it.
2. What happened week 2
As you can see, week 2 is when things really started picking up. When I did the Contemplate Confidence meditation on day 8, something clicked in my brain—I felt more present, grounded, hopeful and optimistic than I’d had in a long time. It was such a beautiful feeling that I decided to repeat the meditation the following day. And to my utter delight, it had the same effect.
By day 11, I was feeling brave enough to try out Pilates and yoga. I reached out to the woman who connected me with Open for suggestions on which exercises would be safe for my neck and shoulder. Following her guidance, I tried out the Tech Neck Release, which is exactly what it sounds like, and felt confident enough to follow it up with a lower body Pilates flow. Being able to switch up a workout without having my neck or shoulder pay for it was such a blissful, empowering experience, and I loved starting my morning off with yoga the next day.
Throughout this week, I felt lighter and more connected with my body than I have in a very long time. I’ve felt like an alien in my own body for the last 9 months due to chronic inflammation, so finally being able to reconnect with myself again was truly the best feeling in the world. And because of this, I felt calmer and more grounded, so I felt like I could handle whatever came my way. But best of all, I was able to simply just be.
In conclusion…
Although I set this challenge for 14 days, I’ve continued using the app daily ever since. I believe the 4:8 Calm breathwork practice makes the $150 yearly membership fee worth it alone. Prior to this, my mindfulness practices were in a bit of a slump, and Open helped give them the rejuvenation they needed. Being able to switch things up as I please and based on my mood has been an absolute blast.
That said, I believe that where the app truly shines is in its modern blend of ancient traditions with immersive breath, music, sound, and guided meditations. It makes the every experience wholly original, and unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before (and I’m no mindfulness novice!). This approach makes mindfulness easily accessible to everyone around the world. Novices, intermediates, and pros alike can all benefit from this app, in my humble opinion. Plus, it’s so nice being able to connect through a mindful social space when things are particularly tough; it’s nice to know you’re not alone.
