Finding peace in a chaotic world can be challenging. Even after COVID-19, many of us still struggle to fit in self-care alongside our jobs, families, and other responsibilities. Meditation’s numerous benefits have been demonstrated, but both newbies and experienced folk alike may need some guidance. There’s an app for almost everything in 2020, and some popular meditation apps can help you start or maintain your daily practice.
Calm: Open-Ended Meditation and Bonus Features
The New York Times, Verywell Mind, and Healthline all gave top ratings to Calm. That’s no surprise, given the features and value that it offers. Available for both iOS and Android devices, Calm includes breathing exercises and calming techniques. Sleep Stories feature relaxing tales narrated by well-known voice talent. The Apple version is also available for smartwatches, complete with a mindful walking meditation feature. The app is free, with optional in-app purchases to enrich your experience.
Headspace: Ideal for Worry-Addled Bedtime Brains
Headspace was rated the best mediation app by the New York Times and Healthline. This iOS and Android tool includes structured courses for beginners, but it also offers short sessions plus sleep meditations with music, storytelling, and nature sounds. Verywell Mind praises the app for these features, plus its breathing and wind-down exercises. As a bonus, the app dims your device screen to avoid exposure to bright light as you’re trying to fall asleep. The app itself is free, but it also offers personalized subscription plans to help your progress.
Insight Timer: Fabulous, Feature-Packed, and Free
Verywell Mind, Healthline, and Mindful gave props to Insight Timer, a free app for both iOS and Android. Insight Timer offers a large library of content with thousands of guided meditations on a wide range of topics: stress relief, creativity, and more. You can follow individual meditation teachers through the app, as well as access podcasts and free lectures plus music tracks and ambient sounds to help with sleep. Insight Timer offers another great bonus: a community feature where you can connect with others using the app. If you want entirely free content, you must navigate around the introductory subscription screen. If you don’t mind paying $59.99 per year, you get added features like offline listening, downloads, fast forward, rewind, and additional courses with prominent meditation teachers.
UCLA Mindful: Science Behind the Practice
Mindful also spotlights UCLA Mindful, produced by the university’s Mindful Awareness Research Center. Available on both Android and iOS, this app includes meditation practices in both English and Spanish. These sessions range from three to 19 minutes long and offer tips for focusing on breathing, sounds, working through challenging emotions, and other useful topics. The Getting Started section is ideal for newbies. It offers a basic understanding of mindfulness plus how to choose a meditation style, tips for your posture, and benefits derived from the practice. Along with these features, it also provides podcasts of lunchtime meditations, as well as commentary and practice time. The app is completely free, with no paid content.
We can’t wave a wand and magically make things better, but we can take steps to help cultivate our inner calm. Meditation apps are a great way to get started, receive guidance, or access tools to help you relax and sleep better at night. Calm, Headspace, Insight Timer, and UCLA: Mindful are just four of many meditation apps that can guide or improve your practice. Others include Buddhify, Ten Percent Happier, Simple Habit, and Unplug. You have many options available. Check out these apps, try them, and you should find one that works best for your lifestyle and goals.