The Best Meditation Apps You Should Start Using Now
Whether you’re new to meditation or a seasoned mindfulness practitioner, you can benefit from using a mediation app. Learn about the best meditation apps and how to find the right one for you.
Meditation apps provide access to guided meditation right from your phone.
But as mindfulness and meditation increases in popularity, there are a lot of apps out there. You may be wondering how to know which one to choose.
It’s important to focus on the factors that matter for you and your lifestyle to choose the right one.
This post is going to break down five of the best meditation apps to help you find the best fit for you.
Each app has its own unique features and benefits. Use this post to choose one that works for you and your lifestyle. And of course, price and extra features are important considerations as well.
First, let’s break down some of the basics on meditation.
What is meditation?
Meditation is the use of mindfulness and focus on the breath to train the mind. It helps you increase awareness of the present moment.
Lift is busy. You may go through your day without really thinking about your feelings or emotions that are impacting your actions.
Your actions are typically a result of how you feel. However, you may not be aware of the processes or feelings that were influencing you in that moment.
Mindful meditation is about creating that awareness. You take a step back from those actions and daily experiences to really identify your thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations.
What are the benefits of meditation?
Meditation can help to reduce stress and anxiety as well as just overall promote mental and emotional health.
It will also train your brain to focus on the present moment, increasing your overall mental awareness and attention span.
Meditation can work for everyone, it’s not just for people who practice yoga or have anxiety. Anyone can use mindful meditation to find calm and relaxation.
What is a guided meditation?
Guided meditation is a form of meditation where a teacher or narrator leads you through meditation via audio or in-person. When you use a meditation app, it will be a narrated audio session right on your phone.
Guided meditation can be really helpful because you will have an instructor explaining what is going on.
Additionally, if you find it difficult to meditate on your own, you may find guided meditation beneficial.
Guided sessions are helpful because the narration is a reminder to pull your mind back to the moment if you get distracted.
Having a narrated meditation can also help if you have a tendency to get bored during meditation.
Now let’s talk about the five of the best meditation apps you can download on your phone.
1. Calm
Calm is a guided meditation app that provides popular 10-minute meditation sessions called the “Daily Calm”. The app also has additional sessions addressing specific issues like anxiety, stress, etc.
Calm also has “Sleep Stories” that help you fall asleep.
Calm is free to download and has limited free content. Accessing the full app requires a subscription that costs $70 for annual access with a seven day free trial.
2. Headspace
Headspace also offers guided meditation including “The Wake Up” which is a morning session to wake up your mind. The app also has sleep sessions that are designed to help you wind down at night and fall asleep.
Additionally, Headspace has a movement section of their with guided body movements that help you establish mental calm.
Headspace is also $70 for annual access and has a two-week free trial.
3. Insight Timer
Insight Timer is a guided meditation app with over 300,000 guided meditation sessions.
In addition to meditation sessions, the app also has other great features. The app has a section for kids, relaxing music, and pep talks from mindful experts.
The most unique thing about Insight Timer is that it’s completely free!
4. Aura
Aura is a guided meditation app that uses Artificial Intelligence to create a personalized experience for its users.
This app is perfect for your if you are always busy and on-the-go. It offers three, seven, and ten minute guided sessions so you can easily fit it into your crazy schedule.
The app also offers short stories and a gratitude journal feature.
Aura has some features available for free and then a premium membership. The premium membership costs $94.99 for annual access or you can get lifetime access for $399.
5. Sanity and Self
Sanity and Self is a little different, because it is not solely focused on meditation. That means it’s great for anyone who wants guided meditation in addition to other features as well.
Sanity and Self is a self care app that has expert-led audio sessions that cover topics such as stress, anxiety, confidence, etc. It also gives you the ability to talk to a counselor 1:1.
Sanity and Self is $59.99 annually for access after a seven-day free trial.
Use the table below to compare all of the best meditation apps to find the one that is right for you.
Now that you’ve learned about some of the best meditation apps, it’s time to try one for yourself!
Comment below with your favorite meditation app.
For more information on meditation and mindfulness, read more here:
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