ZenPersonal: Building the Guided Meditation Tool I Wished Existed

Our minds are all we have

I've always had the habit of meditating. It comes and goes, sometimes I do it more often other times I rarely do it. In times of chaos and uncertainty it becomes a very important aspect of my life. Around 2016 I read a book by Sam Harris, a neuroscientist, called Waking Up. He spent years practicing and studying Vipassana Meditation in India and Nepal and because of his background he explores how meditation influences the brain and consciousness without relying on religious dogma.

Our minds are all we have. They are all we have ever had. And they are all we can offer others. [...] Every experience you have ever had has been shaped by your mind. Every relationship is as good or as bad as it is because of the minds involved. If you are perpetually angry, depressed, confused, and unloving, or your attention is elsewhere, it won't matter how successful you become or who is in your life — you won't enjoy any of it.

― Sam Harris, Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion

This is very true and most of us don't give our minds the care they deserve. In today's era of endless notifications and information overload, just 10 daily minutes of focusing inwards can be transformative. One of the most efficient ways to achieve these benefits is through Yoga Nidra — a structured form of meditation that's typically shorter and practiced lying down.

Spirituality + Science

Meditation is actually one of the oldest practices of mankind: archaeological findings even suggest that prehistoric human societies engaged in forms of ritualistic meditation. It then weaves through history: from Indian traditions like Hinduism and Buddhism, to Chinese Taoism, to Greek philosophers like Pythagoras and Plato. When something shows up in so many cultures across time, you know there's something to it. But now, we can actually study our brain to see what is happening during meditation. How different techniques affect our nervous system, influence our brainwaves, and even change our neural pathways.

This convergence of science and spirituality interests me a lot.

Recently, Dr. Andrew Huberman has studied the benefits of Yoga Nidra (like improved sleep, improved cognition, and more) and discussed it thoroughly on his podcast — which I highly recommend. He even created his own "protocol" or variation of it called NSDR (Non Sleep Deep Rest). There are only 2 episodes (10 and 20 minutes). It is a bit weird listening to him outside of a podcast scenario but it is also really good. He argues it's similar but different from Yoga Nidra by not having intentions nor "cryptic language".

While Dr. Huberman's research and NSDR Protocol demonstrate the growing scientific validation of these ancient practices, they also highlight a crucial gap in today's meditation landscape. Most meditation tools remain static, one-size-fits-all experiences. They haven't evolved to incorporate these scientific insights and individual needs or likings. There is a disconnect between what we want and what is currently available.

The vision for a new way to meditate

Unlike neurons who have the ability to change, meditation apps have long been stagnant.

Even more if we go into a niche like Yoga Nidra. I've probably tried every guided Yoga Nidra available online. After a while, you memorize your favorite sessions word for word, and they lose their effectiveness. Your brain starts anticipating what's coming next instead of staying present in the experience.

ZenPersonal is the combinations of all the loose ends to create the meditation tool I always wanted. It will be focused on short, personalized and guided meditations. You will be able to make it more or less scientific/spiritual, pick the techniques you like, the voice, background sounds, purpose… Everything is customizable and each meditation is generated on the spot specifically for you and what you want on that moment.

And this is the easy part, the challenge lays in making the experience so simple that everyone can form a new, healthy habit.

The goal is to launch in early 2025 (targeting February/March).

For updates please follow me on X. You can also signup below to be informed as soon as we launch.

See you soon!

PS: This is my 2nd project, last year I built a walking tour generator called WalkSmart.