The Reflect Orb Is The Mindfulness Gadget That Can Help You Meditate

The world can be a scary and stressful place. It's no wonder that anxiety disorders are on the rise in the United States. The Anxiety & Depression Association of America reports that 40 million adults in the country suffer from an anxiety disorder. Common causes of anxiety include stress from work, money or housing issues, abuse, and more. One way to combat anxiety is through mediation. Beyond its anxiety-clearing advantages, mediation's scientifically proven benefits are outstanding. It can lower your blood pressure and heart rate, and help you deal with difficult feelings.

However, due to overthinking and other factors, some individuals can struggle to mediate. Created by an Israeli-based company, the Reflect Orb aims to revolutionize how people meditate. The device is a soft hand-held sphere-shaped object. It connects to an app on your phone and can be likened to a fitness tracker for meditation. Shiri Perciger, Reflect's CMO, told TechCrunch who could benefit from the Reflect Orb. She explained, "We're not targeting Zen Buddhist monks, or those who can sit cross-legged on top of the mountain and meditate for hours; they have their [s***] together."

Perciger added, "They don't need us — but we have had users try it who have never meditated before. We've also had expert yoga teachers and mindfulness coaches. Almost anyone who tried it finds value in our product."

The Reflect Orb combines wellness and technology. It has biofeedback sensors where you can place your fingertips for the device to determine how you're feeling by changing colors. For example, the Reflect Orb will turn purple if you're stressed. If you're calm, it will turn white. Reflect's CEO, Noga Sapir, explained to TechCrunch that the biofeedback sensors measure heart rate variability (HRV) and electrodermal activity (EDA). She noted, "Both change in response to stress, and the idea behind biofeedback is that we show you a dynamic, constant feed of what's going on." Sapir went on to say why this innovation works: "We give you the tools to first be aware of what your body is going through, and then to influence it in a way that will calm you."

Using the Reflect Orb is simple. When you get your device, you need to download the Reflect: Meditate & Relax app and connect the orb to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. From there, you can choose a guided meditation from the app or meditate on your own while you hold the Reflect Orb. The changing colors will indicate your state of mind. When you're done, the app will download your data, where you can see how long it took you to get calm and how long you felt calm. In other words, the Reflect Orb's lights allow you to see in real-time what works and what doesn't work for you while you meditate. This can include breathing techniques and more.

The goal of the Reflect Orb is to get you to feel calm and in tune with yourself. Reflect suggests their customers use their orb at least once a day. They claim that the device will help them learn how to relax and improve their stress and anxiety levels. Because the Reflect Orb doesn't emit blue light, your sleep will also benefit, according to Reflect. In addition, you don't need your phone to use the Reflect Orb. You can take it anywhere you want; the data will download later once it connects back to your phone. The device currently retails for $199.

The Reflect Orb is an investment. But is it worth it? Noga Sapir told TechCrunch that the device is better than a meditation app because you can hold and see the Reflect Orb. In a review for Bustle, Carolyn Steber said that she enjoyed using the Reflect Orb for this exact reason. In addition, she admitted that it helped her meditate more often, and slowly but surely helped her relax.

Steber said she would be using it daily but did note that she had trouble connecting it to Wi-Fi when she first received it. Like Steber, YouTube user lowkeyklaudia said the Reflect Orb helped her meditate on a daily basis. If you suffer from high anxiety levels and want to form a constant meditation routine or need meditation assistance, the Reflect Orb might be for you.