The world is a crazy place right now with lockdowns, quarantines, and a global pandemic even the calmest of individuals may need a bit of help to relax and meditate.
While meditation is a means to feel refreshed and calm, it can often be daunting for beginners or when things are just extremely crazy.
You may be wondering how to meditate? What exactly should you be doing? And a bunch of other questions that stress you out and defeat the purpose of trying to meditate in the first place.
But with so many benefits to be gained from a simple meditation session (more on that below) you don’t want to miss out and quit because you are unsure how to begin.
Meditation apps are a great way to get over this hurdle and help you begin your calm journey.
As Pax Tandon, the author of Mindfulness Matters, said, “Meditation apps are a great supplement to a mindful practice as they help you continue anytime, anywhere putting the power of mindfulness in the palm of your hand.”
Nowadays there are many such apps available many experts often recommend such apps to help beginners who are confused about where, to begin with, meditation.
We have rounded up some of the options available to you.
It is important to remember that meditation much like anything else connected to your mental health does not have a right or wrong answer. An app that works for someone may not be the best choice for you.
The meditation apps mentioned in this list are a mix of free options and paid subscriptions with most of them offering free trials so you can see which app is the best for you.
The 8 Best Meditation Apps to Meditate on in 2023
1. Calm
Calm is a sleep and meditation app with over 1.5 million 5-star reviews.
The app offers a range of guided meditation sessions. You can choose the length of the session as well; available sessions range from 3 to 25 minutes long.
Apart from the length of the meditation, you can also choose whether you want to complete a Daily Calm or choose something more tailored to soothing whatever is bothering you at that moment.
Moreover, you can access walking meditations, masterclasses, Sleep stories, and body scans.
Available in: App Store and Google Play
2. Headspace
Headspace is a popular meditation app. The application offers a beginner-friendly interface making it a go-to recommendation for many individuals.
The app is full of different meditations including an Everyday Headspace meditation which you can access as soon as you open the app on the home page.
Apart from the Everyday Headspace meditation, there is a range of other meditations to choose from including guided meditations for any goal or mood you may be in.
If simple meditation isn’t for you, you could try out Headspace’s Move mode which combines exercise with meditation. Killing two birds with one stone.
The application itself has a fun and cheerful aesthetic with cool animations to give you a mood boost just by opening the app.
Available at Headspace.com/womens-health website, or via Apple App Store and Google Play
3. Aura
Aura is the app for you if you are always on the go and want a way to quickly relax and calm your nerves.
The app gives you simple daily 3-minute meditations. The app even provides personalized recommendations based on your experiences and what mood you are in with curated themed playlists just for you.
Besides the meditation, the app also comes packed with a mood tracker, gratitude journal, life coaching, as well as an active community where you can connect with other users or meditation teachers.
Available in: The App Store and Google Play
4. Expectful
Expectful is an app that is more specific in the users that it caters to. The app is aimed at parents, pregnant people, or those individuals that are trying to get pregnant or dealing with infertility issues.
The meditations range in what they offer for these individuals including meditations by week or trimester to meditations catered to postpartum support.
Besides meditation, the app also offers tools to help you sleep like soundscapes and stories as well as a sleep tracker.
Available in: The App Store and Google Play
5. Inscape
The Inscape meditation app is an extension of the meditation studio in New York City. The app offers teachers a guide to help you through mindfulness practices and meditations.
The app offers recommendations based on what time of the day it is, your personal goals, and your experience with meditation.
The app aims to help relieve stress and anxiety and improve sleep.
Available in: The App Store and Android
6. 10% Happier
10% Happier is based on the book and podcast by the ABC news correspondent Dan Harris.
The application is dedicated to teaching fidgety skeptics how to start meditating, Dan Harris being a skeptic turned believer himself.
But the app isn’t just for beginners. With 10% Happier you can directly connect to experts who will coach you through meditation basics.
Available in: The App Store and Google Play
7. Sattva
The Sattva app is based on Vedic principles. When using the app you will find meditations, mantras, and chants derived from Sanskrit scholars.
One of the more comprehensive apps in this list, Sattva provides guided meditation led by top experts in the industry.
Apart from guided meditations, you can also benefit from a progress tracker, heart rate monitor, and mood tracker. Thus, the app combines mental wellbeing and physical health.
You can use the meditation journal in the app to track your progress. Meditations begin at 6 minutes long and can be increased depending on the goals you set. You can also use the collections of playlists to inspire your progress.
Available in: The App Store and Google Play
8. Insight Timer
Insight Timer is a meditation app that can be accessed entirely free of cost. And with over 260,000 reviews and a 4.9-star rating on the Apple App Store, it is a popular choice too.
The application offers 70,000 free meditations and music tracks, with new content being uploaded daily.
It is a great choice for beginners with the seven-day free course which teaches users everything they need to know about meditation.
You can also access a tracker to help track your meditation practice and milestones.
Available in: The App Store and Google Play
Benefits of Meditation
So, why use a mediation app in the first place? Well, maybe because of all the benefits that are to be gained from a meditation session.
Here are just a few of the benefits that you can gain from partaking in mediation.
- It can control anxiety
- It reduces stress
- Meditation leads to a lengthening of your attention span
- Meditation promotes an improved self-image and a positive outlook on life
- You can develop a stronger understanding of yourself and thus enhances self-awareness
- Improves sleep
- Can help control pain
- Can decrease blood pressure
- The mental discipline learned through meditation can help you break dependencies and thus help fight addictions.
These are just a few of the benefits that are to be gained through meditation, there are many more advantages of incorporating meditation into your life.
Using a mediation app can help you incorporate meditation into your life and thus you will be able to reap the benefits associated with the act.
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