Are you interested in mindfulness and meditation but aren’t sure of how to go about starting your journey towards a more peaceful you? The benefits of mindfulness and meditation have been proven time and again in various contexts, including improving, sleep, concentration and mood, which in turn have a positive impact on your long-term health. As with so many things today, there are countless apps to help you with practicing mindfulness. Many of these have been designed by professionals in the field. But how do you know which one is right for you? In this month’s blog, we will outline some of the popular applications in today’s market to start off your research.
- Aura: This mindfulness app features 3-minute daily micro-meditation sessions, so it may be a good choice if you have limited time in the day to practice meditation. It also provides users the options to keep a gratitude journal, track moods throughout the day and listen to sounds of nature. Aura boasts a simple, user-friendly interface.
- Buddhify: This app provides over 80 meditation sessions that are customized to what you are up to in your day. For example, you can pick a session for your commute, for a work break, or for when you are having trouble falling asleep.
- Headspace: This is an app that teaches users how to incorporate meditation in their own lives in a way that works for them. It provides the user with spoken-word exercises that can be used for about 10 minutes in a day. It also has short meditations for people who are on the go as well as SOS meditations for times of distress.
- Breethe: This is a free app that offers five-minute meditations that can be used throughout the day. It also provides tips for dealing with times of stress, living with intention and cultivating inner peace.
- Insight Timer: This free app focuses on the fact that meditation is a privilege rather than a product. It features over 4,000 guided meditations on topics such as self-compassion, nature and stress. It also contains talks and podcasts.
There are many, many more meditation apps on the market, so what are some of the things that you should consider in picking an app to go with?
- Start with a free app that provides guided meditation (such as Headspace). This will help you to understand the concepts of and techniques used in mindful awareness.
- Use an app that has alerts to remind you to meditate. Apps such as Headspace and Mindfulness Daily offers such reminders.
- Pick an app that will allow you to track your progress.
- Use an app that will enable you to add meditation to your daily life (e.g. Buddify).
Hope this helps get you started on your journey in mindfulness and meditation!
