It is important to remember that our mental health must always be something we prioritize. We must always find the time to take a step back once in a while to assess and acknowledge how we are feeling.
Meditation reminds us that no matter how stressful or hectic life can get, you can always choose to close your eyes, take a deep breath, and recenter yourself. With just a couple moments of mindfulness you can reduce stress, increase self-awareness and focus, and provide yourself with a sense of clarity and peace.
If you’re looking into testing out the meditation waters, here are some apps that could help you get started.
This app has an arsenal of over 45,000 meditations, all for free! It also helps you filter through these according to your preferences. Insight Timer offers a variety of meditation styles and techniques. It also provides peaceful and ambient audio for when you try to wind your body down for sleep.
The app connects you to a community of people who are also fostering their relationships with meditation and mindfulness. Reach out and relate to those on the same page as you, learn from those a bit further down their meditation journeys, and encourage those starting out just like you did.
You may have already heard of this one, but it’s well known for a reason. With cute graphics and a user-friendly experience, Headspace offers guided meditation programs for all people no matter how far along they may be in their meditation journeys. It crafts up personal programs depending on some data they request from you.
While the app is free to download, the free trial only lasts two weeks.
Maybe you’re still skeptical about the wonders of meditation, maybe you don’t think that you would be someone who could sustain this habit, well then maybe this app might be just right for you.
Try out the app’s 7-day free trial and learn the fundamentals of meditation while tracking your daily progress. Slight catch for this app would be that it may be a bit on the pricier side, because once this free trial ends you would need to pay around $100 a year to maintain your account. Though, this fee unlocks multiple helpful avenues to bring you deeper into meditation.
One of the special features included in this package would be an opportunity to reach out to meditation experts who are ready to answer any and all meditation questions you’ve got.
This app offers both free and paid program packages. The guided meditations in the app range from 3-50 minutes long, and come in languages like English, Spanish, and German (in case you wanted to try your hand at learning a new language at the same time).
The app was made to be used by anyone and everyone, from children to senior citizens, and everyone in between.
The artist formerly known as “Stop, Breathe & Think”, also has paid packages but still provides numerous programs for free.
The app prompts you to fill out a quick personal check-in every time you open it. After answering the checkpoint, the app would then recommend some videos and meditations that could help you better navigate your emotions. The app makes sure to track your daily mood and progress based on this as well.
Let these apps serve as a guide and motivation to get you to wake up earlier or spare some time before bed, or even give yourself the chance to take a step back in the middle of the day to recenter yourself during a stressful situation.
If you don’t feel like committing to downloading a whole app, let alone paying for this, you may also want to consider exploring Youtube. Creators like Boho Beautiful Yoga, upload free guided meditation videos for all to use. There are plenty of other creators out there if you’re willing to take the time to look and find which videos are right for you.
Meditation routines can be as strict or as casual as you want it to be, don’t be afraid to explore what’s out there and find what works for you.
