Awareness of mental and emotional health, and taking general time out from day to day, is something we should all think about. DRN is no stranger to the Morphee range of sleep aids, but the latest product Morphee Zen, takes us into a new direction.
The Morphee Zen is marketed a mediation device for managing stress at any time of the day.
First Impressions
The Morphee Zen is a grey pebble that functions completely offline.
The surface is adorned with controls, but there is no screen in sight, no pairing with smart devices, no radio, Bluetooth connectivity. It is as old school as they come with a 3.5mm headphone jack at the top of the pebble.
The controls for the Morphee Zen is like hieroglyphics, there is no subtitle to it, just little pictures to denote the themes.
To get started, all you need is to charge it up and find yourself a comfortable spot. Preferably without little ones demanding your attention every two seconds. Just stretch it out to 120 seconds.
In Use
The Morphee Zen is suitable for ages 12 and up, which is great.
The operation is simple, press the center button to turn the device on. The volume buttons are self explanatory.
Again just to reiterate, you do need a wired earbuds (provided) or headset if you have a favourite pair for this to work. The Morphee Zen is meant to work as a personal bubble of serenity.
To choose a session, you press the corresponding picture:
- squiggly line for relaxing music featuring original piano compositions imagined by Gilles Maugenest inviting you to slow down and release the pressure.
- Bodhisattva for deep relaxation with visual exercises to get your body moving and efficiently release any accumulated tension and calm your thoughts.
- paper aeroplane for immersive journeys, complete with sounds of nature to escape deep into the heart of inspiring and relaxing landscapes.
- leaves for sounds of nature, a soundscape journey in nature to relax and reconnect with the fundamentals. The sounds were records all over the world
- waves for dynamic relaxation, visual exercises to get your body moving and release tension
- sand mandala for chrono zen, relaxation to refocus your thoughts in just two minutes
There are 72 audio sessions in total, all designed by relaxation experts, lasting either 2 or 5 minutes so it doesn’t need a huge investment in time.
I am notoriously terrible about meditation and taking time out, just ask my partner about it. Actually don’t. She does not have anything good to say about me on that front. Personally this is a huge effort to put the Zen through the DRN review cycle. I am not a total basket case though, I just have other methods that works for me.
Diving into the actual usage, you select your theme from one of the symbols on the unit, and the narrator will tell you what you have selected.
And if you have a preference for a male or female narrator, you can change it by pressing the plus and minus button together for two seconds, and the narrator will introduce themselves. The gentleman is Pierres and the lady is Aisha. Morphee, forgive me if I spell the names wrong.
Each theme has multiple sessions which can be cycled through by pressing the same button with a total of 72 sessions across the six themes.
If you find a favourite, press and hold the same theme icon to bookmark it and it will be the first session to be played the next time you choose that category.
The Zen has a battery life of 2 hours, and takes 1.5 hours to charge. The numbers look low, but when it works out to be 24 to 60 sessions per charge so you may only need to charge it every three weeks.
Like any aids, you have to put yourself into the mindset and make the effort. As the saying goes “God helps those who help themselves.” Don’t give up too easily because learning to calm your mind requires effort and practice.
Other Features
The only visual indicator on the Zen is a single red LED. It lights up red when charging, or when the battery is running low. Otherwise it is white to show it is powered on.
Charging is via the USB-C port on the bottom.
Gripes
Sometimes the buttons can be a little unresponsive, but not generally.
The included earbuds are pretty bare basic in every aspect. You may want to upgrade that with your own more comfortable earbuds or headphones so your meditation experience is as comfortable as possible.
Conclusions
So how did it go in the end? I did not miraculously become Zen-man. In my home, one person couldn’t get used to it, but another absolutely loves it.
Your mileage may vary, but an investment of two or five minutes to bookend the day is a lovely way to wake up or wind down. It is also not too much to ask to take a few minutes out during the day as needed to recenter yourself. At the very least, the breathing exercises can help distract and let go of some stressors that are immediately affecting you. Like I said, it is not a miracle device and if you are a complete sceptic then you won’t get much out of it. Healthy habits takes time to form.
The Morphee Zen is small enough to just slip into your pocket and travel anywhere with you, although you do need to have a wired headphone (or buds) to come with you.
Get one for yourself, or for a loved one, this one makes for a great Christmas present. Current out of stock at time of publication but has a RRP of $119.99, what price for sanity?
DRn would like to thank Morphee for providing the review unit.
