What is meditation?
Meditation is a practice of self-awareness and letting go of mental activity. Through awareness, meditation helps to still an active mind, by intentionally refocussing the mind on the breath, sound or physical sensations.
If we can become more aware of what the mind is doing, then we can then allow those thoughts to go without judgement. We humans are usually hit by a continual stream of thoughts as we move through each day that can make us feel detached or uncentred at times.
Mindfulness meditation can help us to become more aware of racing thoughts, and therefore, slow the thinking mind down. Practicing self-awareness through meditation can help us to focus inward and relax more. With practice, we may find inner peace and an enhanced sense of mental and physical wellbeing.
Why use a meditation app?Â
Meditation apps have become super-convenient on todayâs smart phones, enabling newbies to dabble in a few different options before signing up. Or, you could be looking to enhance your existing self-care routine with meditation.
Today, you can enter the world of meditation with the click and a scroll of a finger and many apps enable users to set up a notification to help establish a meditate routine.
Meditation is also valuable in managing stress and anxiety, improving sleep, decreasing high blood pressure, and can also assist with problems such as addiction. If there's a particular issue you want to resolve or you have been advised to try meditation, there are many options out there! You donât need any prior experience, just a curious, open mind. If you need help to slow down, meditation should definitely be on your âto-tryâ list!
How to choose the right meditation app
With so many app options out there, it can be tricky to know where to start. But exhale, because many apps offer a free 7- or 14-day trial period which gives you an opportunity to experiment before signing up. We know life can be a little busy these days (which is why we need to meditate right!), so to make the choice a bit easier, here are a few of the best apps arranged by the issue or challenge youâd like to address:
Best meditation apps for Beginners
If youâre just starting out on your meditation journey, why not consider these apps. Sure to inspire and motivate you in meditation and help you come back home to yourself.
Headspace is a great app for newbies and is a great place for beginners to start their meditation journey. Its straightforward to use and has a good range of meditation types and features a Beginners Series. Heres an app that really supports you, with its feature of building a customised meditation plan that you can build on over time. It also includes meditations to improve your sleep, nature soundscapes and sleep stories. After a free 14-day trial period, you will need to subscribe monthly or annually. But it might just be worth the investment in your wellness!
The Ten Percent Happier app is based on Dan Harrisâs book, Ten Percent Happier. Its features are easy to use, and shorter duration offerings make it perfect for meditation newbies. In addition, experts are on-hand to give meditation advice if you need it â what could be a more relaxing way to start your meditation journey! The app starts off by asking a series of questions about your meditation goals and then you receive a personalised plan. It has a 7-day free trial period in which you can test it until your hearts content.
Best meditation apps for sleep
We all tend to lead busy lives and rely on a good quality nightâs sleep to function well and thrive. These apps are sure to put you at ease and help you on your journey towards a more peaceful nightâs sleep.
Calm is an award-winning app, known for its celebrity readers, range of calming sleep stories, and choice of soothing sounds. When it comes to improving your sleep or if you need help to unwind at the end of the day, Calm has a broad range of sleep-inducing meditations and nature sounds. Calm is much more than a sleep app, with a myriad of other mindfulness meditations on hand to help you relax. Check out the Daily Move or Daily Trip offerings, the Daily Calm series by Tamara Levitt, meditation for stress or self-compassion, to name a few.
The Breethe app is great for improving your sleep habits, and also helps with reducing stress and anxiety. The app includes a guided meditation series, inspiring speakers and masterclasses by Lynne Goldberg. App highlights are the playlists for sleep, which include nature sounds, and its featured bedtime stories. After a 14-day free trial period, you will need to subscribe to Breethe. However, the upside is that you can incorporate meditation starting with just 5 minutes a day, and it has a good range of meditation types.
Best meditation app on a budget
Even when money is an issue, there are no barriers to meditate with Insight Timer. This app has a massive library of meditations that are shared completely free of charge. It allows you to filter them to suit your needs; say for sleep, stress, or self-esteem. There is also a free 7-day course for beginners and you can connect with a world-wide community of meditators via Insight Timers chat rooms. What better way to get motivated to meditate, than by connecting with others who are on a similar journey?
Best guided meditation app
The Buddhify app is one of the best guided meditation apps around with its colour-coded meditation âwheelâ. Itâs known as an app that encourages meditation for the whole family and mental health issues (e.g., anxiety, challenging emotions). It includes a library of more than 200 meditations and its short duration meditations make it great for newbies. It is easy to use and users can create their own personalised meditation âwheelâ to return to again and again. It allows users to target specific problems, whether it be to improve focus, ease anxiety or improve your overall relaxation. The catch is this one has no free trial period, so if you dig it, you pay for it.
Why not be curious and have fun as you dabble in the world of mindfulness meditation!