Meditation
Meditation is the practice of controlling your thoughts. It is a necessary skill to improve your daily life and mental well-being.
As human nature, we usually think, a lot. Now, this might be good for some, but it has many disadvantages. Often we have some negative thoughts. This negative thought can overpower and affect our life, and life decisions. It is also the reason why many suffer problems like anxiety, depression, and many more. While this issue might require medical attention, meditation can help you get a grip on it. Even if you are perfectly healthy, it's always beneficial to meditate.
Meditation can help you increase focus, control emotions, and induce positive energy in you.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the practice to acknowledge your thoughts and emotions as they are without any judgment or overthinking. When you acknowledge your stream of thoughts as they are, it becomes relatively easier to deal with. Simply put, you don't have to dwell on every thought you have and be harsh on yourself.
You can practice mindfulness in many ways and give yourself and your brain a little breather.You can meditate, practice self-acceptance and self-love, and take a few deep breaths to manage your though in a hectic situation.This will give you a little clarity about the situation and equip you to deal with the situation in a better way. This also increases your mental peace.
Well, it's easier said than done. We, humans, are constantly thinking, and it could be very hard to suddenly silence your thoughts like that. Now, you can do meditation and practice mindfulness anywhere and anytime. It could be very tricky sometimes. With a busy lifestyle, you can easily skip this practice. That's where the modern solution to this problem has emerged.
Meditation apps can help you focus on meditation, and help you build the habit and stick to it. It could be easier for beginners to follow a guided meditation program to get started with their journey.
Let's look at 20 meditation apps that could help you to start your journey and provide you with the tools to keep track of your journey and stick to the habit of meditating. Before you look into the list, note that the numbering here is just for the listing's sake and doesn’t refer to app ranking. All the below-mentioned apps are free to download, but some require paid subscriptions to use that app.
Free Apps
Plump Village
The app is available on both the Google play storeand the app store.
Rating:
- 4.9 stars on the Google play store
- 5 stars on the app store
It was established by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. He is a global spiritual leader, poet, and peace activist. He has spread his knowledge through books and retreats around the world.
He was a pioneer in establishing a small Buddhist monetary in the forest of France. It is home to the founder and other monks and nuns. They survive thereby growing their food as well. It is a safe place for people seeking mindfulness. They let many visitors come and learn from them.
Thich Nhat Hanh used technology and made the Buddhist tradition and way of living available to the world. This app has guided meditation programs along with other meditation practices such as chants of monks and nuns. They also provide you with blogs and audio to assist and expand your mindfulness journey.
This app is completely free. They say "use it, until you don't need it anymore". You can make donations if you want to support the monastery and the app.
UCLA Mindful App
The app is available on Android and iOS.
Rating:
- 4.5 on the Google play store
- 4.4 on the app store
UCLA stands for University of California, Los Angeles. This university provides a wide range of graduate programs. The UCLA mindful app was established because of its MARC initiative. It stands for Mindful Awareness Research Center.
MARC states that "MARC's mission is to foster mindfull awareness across the lifespan through education and research to promote well-being and a more compassionate society."
MARC works along with the Norman Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology at UCLA. Both of these institutes handle the work of this app.
The purpose of the app is to make mindfulness practice available to everyone for free. This app provides you with simple mediation programs for absolute beginners to advanced practitioners. This app is available in 14 languages. They provide medication programs, self-timer, and weekly podcasts. A self-timer is a timer in which you can set a time as per your need and then meditate for that customized time.
Medito
This app is available for both Android and iOS.
Rating:
- 4.8 on the Google play store
- 4.9 stars on the app store
It is a nonprofit mental well-being app. It aims to help those who have never meditated. Also, those who may suffer from depression, stress, anxiety, and any other negative states of mind. They operate in the Netherlands. Romain Sourdiaux (Chair of the Board), Mike Speed, Gareth Yorke, Steven Yorke, and Katie Neubert are the founding members of the app.
They have courses for absolute beginners to advanced practitioners who want to meditate. They have guided meditation programs, courses on various programs, and even challenges that users can take part in. If you struggle with sleep, they have sleep stories and sounds to help you have a peaceful sleeping experience.
Heartfulness
The app is available on Android and iOS.
Rating:
- 4.9 stars on the Play Store
- 4.9 stars on the app store
This app has a simple mission, to make meditation access easy and simple. They want to make people's mental and emotional well-being manageable with self-care practices. They have many self-paced sessions one can choose from. Guided meditation is good for those who are starting their journey.
They provide a tracking system, which gives you badges to motivate you and encourage daily practice. It can be used by anybody. It's a free-of-cost app.
Smiling Minds
Available on Android and iOS.
Rating:
- 4.3 star rating on the Play Store
- 4.2 star rating on the app store
The founders are Jane Martino and James Tutton. This app is available for free and targets the mental well-being of children and young adults. It can also be used by adults. As they mention on their website, they want to change the generational mental health gap in Australia throughout the world.
They offer many programs and sessions on various mindfulness practices on the app. They also provide a tracker of what you do on the app and also maintain daily streaks. These daily streaks help you stick to the meditation practice.
Atom: Meditation for Beginners
It is available on Android with a 4.9-star rating on Play Store. The founder is Samvid Sharma. It is an Indian app. It is free for all apps. Anyone can use it.
They are based on the logic of habit-building in 21 days. They provide simple guided meditation sessions for those who have no clue about meditating. Those who want to develop a meditation habit easily. They provide simple goals and sessions to get you started with the meditation journey.
They do not cater enough to advanced practitioners. They have limited content. Thus, it is good for people who want to start and learn the when, and how of meditation.
Subscription Based Or Paid Use Apps
Calm App
The app is available for both Android and iOS.
Rating:
- 4.4 stars on the Google play store
- 4.8 stars on the app store
Alex Tew & Michael Acton Smith established Calm in 2012. They want to promote mental fitness, relaxation, and sleep through the feature of the app. This app has guided meditation programs, music, courses, and audio. This content is created by world-renowned experts and also many celebrities.
It is one of the leading companies for meditation apps. This app has a wide range of meditation options. Whether you want to practice mind fullness, want to practice meditation, fall asleep, or started your meditation journey. There is something for everyone.
Once you open the app, the home page has suggestions as per your preferences. If you tap the discover icon, you can see categorized options.
The basic version of the app is free, but one has to take a paid subscription to access premium features. They have special plans for business, family, and health sponsors.
Headspace
Available on Android and iOS.
Rating:
- 4.4 stars on the Playstore
- 4.8 stars on the app store
After calm, it is the second most known meditation app. The app was established by Andy Puddicombe and Richard Pierson in 2010. Headspace is a subsidiary of headspace health. Health space health is a world-renowned mental healthcare platform. Their focus is to provide easy access and understanding of mindfulness.
This app is for everyone who wants to walk on the path of mindfulness. They have affordable family plans as well. You can add your friends and practice together in the app.
They have courses for beginners to advance practitioners. Although, their main focus is on the beginners to assist them and guide them. Meditate, Sleep, Move, and Focus is what they shuffle into. They also provide guided sessions which are in the voice of the co-founder andy puddicombe. They also have daily reminder options which could be helpful to develop habits. They also provide you with tools to track your progress and journey.
It is paid app. You can take a 14-day free trial. Although you are to provide your payment information.
Insight Timer
Available for both Android and iOS.
Rating:
- 4.8 stars on the Play Store
- 4.9 stars on the app store
Christopher Plowman is the founder of insight timer. They target people dealing with stress, anxiety, and sleep problems.
One might get confused with the name. It does have a timer you can set for meditation. But it is much more than a timer. They have many programs run by experts throughout the world. On this app, you can find something that suits your needs. It is an interactive platform, meaning one can communicate with others.
They have a today tab on the app which gives you insight into what mediation trend is going on in the world. It is also a tab where you can discover popular courses and guided meditation the app. This app keeps track of your usage and provides you an insight into your journey.
The customized timer is what makes this app special. The timer is not simple, but it also provides you sound of the bells. They have a total of 10 bells to choose from. Once you choose the bowl to hear the bell and set the timer you can hear the sound of the bell while meditating. Each bowl has different sounds like real bowel sounds.
Most of the app features are free, but some features may need a paid subscription.
Mindfulness With Petit Bamboo
This app is only available on Android. They have a 4.6-star rating on play star. This app focuses on breathing and meditation for mindfulness. This app can be used by anyone, from kids to adults.
They have a range of guided meditation and breathing programs on various topics. They also provide sounds and atmosphere to make your journey easy and enjoyable. They have daily meditation post content. This can be helpful for beginners to develop consistency.
They have free access but it has limited content. The yearly and lifetime subscription option has full access and many added benefits.
7 Mind
The app is available on Android and iOS.
Rating:
- 3.9 stars on the Play Store
- 4.6 stars on the app store
It is a very simple meditation app. The lessons help you relax and sleep better. Anyone can start meditation with this app. They provide a beginner's guide and gradually step up your journey. They have a wide range of guided programs. They also provide you with small notes at the end of sessions.
The free version provides you with limited access. The paid version is fully accessible with a lot more guided lessons.
Waking Up
Available on both Android and iOS.
Rating
- 4.8 stars on the Play Store
- 4.9 stars in the app store
The founder is sam harris, a neuroscientist and a renowned author.
This app not only provides you will meditation tools but also helps you understand the science behind mindful practices. It has many theories explained in simple ways to expand your knowledge of meditation and mindfulness. This app has daily reminders, that suggest you just finish one session a day.
This app is best for curious heads. Those who want to take a deeper dive into the topic and want to explore more ways of mindfulness. But, if you are a beginner this might be a little tricky for you. This app has guided meditation in the voice of sam harris.
The app is paid, but you can use this app for 30 days for free without giving any credit card information.
Ten Percent Happier
Available on Android and iOS.
Rating:
- 4.6 stars on the Play Store
- 4.8 stars on the app store
Ten percent happier is an app, podcast, and book by dan harris. The purpose of the ten percent happier is to spread knowledge about meditation and mindfulness. Beginners should understand and get a grasp of the concept. This can be very effective for those who deal with anxiety, stress, and sleeping issues. Simple narrated guides by dan harris help you get through the session.
The limited free version gives you access to only 2 programs and your progress report. One of the free programs is for absolute beginners and thus could be very helpful if you are starting the journey. The paid version gives access to a wide range of programs and sessions for everyone, seeking any mindfulness goal.
Prana Breath
Prana breath is available on Android only with a 4.8 rating on the Play Store. This app was founded by Oleksandr Albul. It was released in 2015.
It is a platform that focuses on breathing for mediation. They provide you with various programs to take and practice breathing. They target helping those who suffer from anxiety, sleeping problems, and seeking relaxation. Now the basic version is free of cost. They let you enroll in 8 training exercises, and also let you keep track of your progress on the app. They give you the choice to select a sound from the limited gallery.
They also have a paid subscription called the guru version. This guru version gives you access to the full gallery of sounds, a detailed progress chart, more training program options, and many more.
Simple Habit
Available on Android and iOS
Rating:
- 4.6 stars on the Play Store
- 4.8 stars on the app store
Founder Yunha Kim came up with the idea of an app. This app provides small sessions for simple meditation. This could be helpful to build and sustain the meditation habit.
One feature of this app that makes it popular is the meditation wheel. This wheel has various parts indicating the parts of the day. This wheel suggests what meditation practice is best for that part of the day. This part could be morning, at work, walking, or even the mood of the day.
There are other features such as guided sessions, programs dealing with one certain issue, and many more. This is also good for beginners as they provide small accurate sessions to get your journey started.
This is a paid app. There is an option to take monthly, yearly, or lifetime subscriptions. Once the subscription is chosen you get 1 month of free access.
Balance
Available in Android and iOS.
Rating:
- 4.8 stars on the Play Store
- 4.9 stars on the app star
The app was founded by Dr. Louise Newson.
Balance focuses on providing you with personalized programs. This enhances your experience and makes your journey easy.
This app asks you questions and accordingly customizes a personal meditation course list. They also provide guided meditation programs. They believe in one course at a time. This may help you stick to one thing and efficiently finish it. Lets you track your progress. They have courses and sessions for different moods and occasions.
This is a paid app. You get a year of free access once an annual subscription is chosen.
Serenity
Available on both Android and iOS. Has a 4.8-star rating on both the Google play storeand the app store.
The founder of this app is Katie Beene. They have simple guided meditation sessions for kids and adults. They focus on guided sessions for sleep and relaxation. They also provide quick small sessions to distract your mind or a quick break. They also provide challenges to make the use interesting and engaging.
They have a tracker to keep your progress. This is made for everyone. You can start from the absolute beginning or practice advanced levels with the right amount of guidance.
This app has limited free access for 2 hrs only, paid version has full access.
Meditopia
It is available on Android and iOS.
Rating:
- 4.5 stars on the Play Store
- 4.9 stars on the app store
It was established by Fatih Celebi, Berk Yilmaz, and Ali Murat Ceylan.
It is an app providing the mindfulness need of the individual. They have guided sessions to practice mindfulness, and meditate. They also provide content such as sleep stories, music, relaxing sounds, and inspirational stories. This can help you relax, feel less anxious, and sleep peacefully.
They also provide features to track your courses. Also, you can interact with the experts.
It has limited free options. Full access is paid version.
Evolve
Available on Android and iOS.
Rating:
- 4.6 stars on the Play Store
- 4.9 stars on the app store
Evolve is a self-care and meditation app. This app also focuses on the LGBTQ+ community. They claim to be supporting your self-care journey with their various tools. They provide guided mediation sessions, journalling options, calming audio while using the app, and many more. They provide you with a wide range of options based on your mood, which they know by asking you questions. It is beginner friendly app.
Most of its features are free, some content does need a paid subscription.
Mylife Meditation
This app is available on Android and iOS. The founders are Jamie Price and Julie Campistron. It was before known as top, breath, and think.
The purpose is to provide emotional wellness guidance to children, teenagers, young adults, and even adults. This app's special feature is that it provides you meditation program based on your current state of emotion. When you open the app they will ask you to fill out the survey. Based on your answers they will suggest you mediation program. You can maintain a daily streak to practice meditation regularly.
Now even though it is an app for beginners, it could be more efficient for those who have some knowledge of meditation.
This app's basic limited version is free, but to access the full version you have to take a premium subscription. The full access allows you to filter the sessions based on your mood it also allows you to maintain a journal.
Summary
Meditation and mindfulness is not something new, they have been here since ancient time. It is a practice to acknowledge your thoughts, and let your brain be free of these thoughts for some time. This can help you manage your emotions better, and also can improve your mental well-being. Over the years its benefits have been acknowledged. Well, it can be very hard to begin the journey but trust the process and you will see the result. A little help can boost your journey, and when you learn to meditate it can assist your meditation and help you stick to it. This help is now easily available in the form of apps. They provide you with guided sessions, soothing sounds, and tracking tools for your progress, and some even provide expert consultation.
We have many free options available such as the plump village, medito, smiling mind, UCLA mindfull app, heartfulness, and atom. These apps could be very helpful if you are starting your journey and need guidance.
Some apps have free access to limited content and have to take a subscription. And some are free to download but need to pay to use them, a free trial for some days is offered.
One should try free apps in beginning to get a hang of the concept and then try out to find the app that best suits their needs.
References
- “What is mindfulness meditation?” By verywellmind
- Plump Village
- UCLA mindful app
- Medito foundation
- Heartfulness
- Smiling mids
- Atom: meditation for beginners
- Calm
- Headspace
- Insight timer
- Mindfulness with petit bamboo
- 7 mind
- Ten percent happier
- Waking up
- Prana breath
- Simple habit
- Balance
- Serenity
- Meditopia
- Evolve
