There may be a few arguments for and against meditation as a great way to de-stress, relax and unwind, but these free apps may help you whether a mindful practice is right for you.
Stop Breathe Think
Stop Breathe Think provides users with a solid background in the basics of meditation, and features various exercises, such as mindfulness meditation and loving-kindness meditation, which are ideal for both short sessions at work or for longer sessions at home.
This app harnesses an emotional ‘check-in’ component, which prompts you to input how you feel, mentally and physically, before suggesting custom meditation practices based on your response.
The look and feel of the app is very accessible, and it provides plain-English instructions of what meditation is and how to do it, so it’s ideal for newcomers to the practice.
Available for iPhone and Android
Calm
The Calm app evolved from Calm.com – a free web app where users can select ambient scenery and sounds, then set a timer and relax for a few minutes. In its app form, Calm consists of a seven-steps-to-calm guided meditation alongside its more ambient sound offerings.
Calm may not be the perfect meditation app, but it is good for catching a few blissful moments in which to do absolutely nothing.
Available for iPhone and Android
Mindfulness Training App
This app gives you a taste of teachings from key mindfulness instructors curated by Sounds True, which is a major publisher of meditation books, audio and other meditation media. For those who are new to meditation, this app aptly (pardon the pun) provides you with some ‘basic training’. For the more seasoned practitioners, extra talks are available that concern the science of mindfulness, including various definitions of the practice, such as neuroplasticity and happiness.
And once you have played the first practice, there are six further meditation practices from which you can select to further your mindfulness training.
Available on iPhone
Headspace
This well-designed app provides 10-minute meditation sessions free of charge for 10 days. The app’s guided meditations are easily understandable, which make it more accessible for those who’ve never tried meditation before.
Available for iPhone and Android
Insight Timer
Insight Timer is a meditation-timing device coupled with guided meditations delivered by many well-known teachers. Insight Timer is not only an ideal way to get in touch with your inner self, but also an ideal way to share your meditation times with friends as well as other mindful practitioners in your area. This mobile mindfulness app allows you to ‘sit in’ on virtual group meditations.
Available for iPhone and Android
Have you used a mindfulness or meditation app before? Which one is your favourite?
