We all know that too much stress is bad for your well-being. But even the most relaxed, type B person gets stressed out once in a while. Whether you seem to be wound up constantly or only occasionally fall victim to life’s stressors, meditation can help you moderate your worries, boost your overall mood, and so much more. In addition to the mental health benefits, there are many physical benefits to meditation as well, such as a decreased risk of heart disease, according to a scientific statement published in September 2017 in the Journal of the American Heart Association. With benefits that awesome, why not give meditation a try? We’ve made it easy to start. Here are some of the most popular and beneficial meditation apps we could find.
1. Simply Being
The beauty of Simply Being lies in its simplicity. Not so big on a 30-minute meditation session? That’s fine! With this app you can choose from five different meditation durations. Prefer nature sounds to voice-guided meditation? Also fine. Simply Being is fully adjustable to your preferences, and for that reason has a strong and loyal band of followers who rave about how user-friendly it is. Overall, it’s a perfect choice for beginning meditators who want to enjoy deep relaxation, stress relief, and other benefits of meditation without prior experience. Simply Being is available at the App Store and Google Play.
2. Omvana
Omvana acts as a mindfulness and meditation personal trainer, and claims to have the world’s largest collection of personal growth audio, including inspirational speeches, guided meditations, hypnosis, and productivity tracks. The app allows users to mix vocal tracks from famous speeches or inspirational books with ambient sounds. The creators of Omvana claim some of the self-hypnosis tracks will help you lose weight, find love, or acquire wealth. Of course, how will you ever know if it works unless you try it? Omvana is available at the App Store and Google Play.
3. Headspace
For the completely uninitiated, Headspace is a great first stop for meditation practice. With a band of colorfully animated characters to help guide newcomers, this app eases people into the concept of mindfulness through its daily messages or what they call “mindful moments.” Similar to Ten Percent Happier, it focuses less on spirituality and more on hard science. Listeners can dive into its full library of content with a “series” or a themed pack consisting of 10 to 30 sessions on topics like relationships and health, or they can pick a “singles” program, with one-off meditations that focus on specific topics, like eating or fear of flying. Headspace is available at the App Store and Google Play.
4. Ten Percent Happier
Ten Percent Happier offers practical advice for people who don’t usually believe in spiritual meditation. The app is based on the book 10% Happier: Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics by the Nightline coanchor Dan Harris — a man who had never once thought of meditation until 2004 when he had a panic attack on live TV. For that reason, the app is firmly based in neuroscience and omits the spiritual components present in many other meditation apps on the market; it’s a more humorous approach, compared with the “syrupy” tone Harris found in many of the meditation texts he read. The app is a seven-lesson course that teaches the basics of meditation, with access to more advanced meditations and courses. Ten Percent Happier is available at the App Store and Google Play.
5. Buddhify
Buddhify is all about on-the-go meditation. For people who can’t seem to find 10 or 20 minutes a day to eat dinner, let alone pause for meditation, this app is here to help. Buddhify is customized for use during everyday activities, such as walking in the city, commuting to work, waiting on line, and going to sleep. It’s perfect for people with busy urban lifestyles and you only have to pay a one-time fee. You can also sign up for an annual membership for $30 to get additional content and features, but that’s entirely optional. Buddhify is available at the App Store and Google Play.
6. Calm
Aimed at novice meditators, Calm offers a range of guided sessions from 3 to 30 minutes, accompanied by audio and video features, such as music, nature sounds, and scenery, to create a more visceral experience. Beginners may enjoy the breath awareness function that offers audio and visual cues on when to inhale, hold, and exhale. The app also offers “7 Days of Calm,” a guided course featuring seven sessions of 10 minutes each. Its companion book, Calm the Mind, Change the World, is available as well as the The Calm Life blog, with a stated mission to “make the world healthier and happier through the superpower of calm.” And if you want to get the whole family involved, the app even offers a mindfulness program for young gurus, called “CalmKids.” Calm is available at the App Store and Google Play.
7. Waking Up: A Meditation Course
Created by neuroscientist, philosopher, and author Sam Harris, Waking Up is a 50-day course for beginners and practiced meditators alike. With a simple, user-friendly design, Waking Up takes listeners through 10-minute daily meditations or lessons, as well as longer one-hour meditations. With its concise and straightforward approach, this app quiets even the noise of having to choose which kind of meditation you want by taking the listener through a series of already chosen daily meditations. Waking Up is available at the App Store and Google Play Additional reporting by Avery Miles.
