When life moves at such a rapid pace, how does one slow down and enjoy the ride? The answer, for many, is meditation – the act of quieting the mind with breathing exercises. Used as a holistic technique to develop inner peace and detach from fear-based thoughts for thousands of years, significant studies prove meditation improves mindfulness and decreases anxiety. In a chaotic world where serenity is a needed antidote, the following is a list of beneficial meditation apps to help us reconnect with ourselves and calm our thoughts.
Insight Timer
Insight Timer offers plenty of variety through its selection of features. Users can decide to meditate with a guided voice, in silence, or with gentle ambiance in the background. Meanwhile, the app’s built-in timer offers flexibility depending on your schedule. It also includes the option to track your progress with a chart and an opportunity to earn badges for repeated use of the app. These small rewards can be quite enticing for those newer to meditation!
Aura
Emotions and thoughts can often dictate how decisions are made or actions to be carried out. Taking this into consideration, Aura inquires about which mood users are feeling upon logging in and helps them find the best solutions. With thousands of inspiring tracks to listen to for relaxation, life coaching, and insomnia, this app consistently aims to adjust what works best for its users.
Sattva
Inspired by the ancient roots of meditation, Sattva incorporates soothing chants, music, and mantras into its practices. The app also includes hand gestures to facilitate energy flow throughout the body, a community of fellow practitioners to connect with, and playlists to enhance the meditation journey.
Headspace
Headspace is one of the most comprehensive meditation apps available. For beginners and experienced practitioners, the app offers inspiring stories, mini-meditation guides, sleep sounds for relaxation, and animations to help users better understand meditation. After the free trial, it costs $7.99 to $12.99 per month for use, but the catalog of guidance is worth it.
Calm
With millions of people using its service daily, it’s easy to see why Calm is an award-winning app. Meditation guides last from 3 to 25 minutes long, and the app features weekly programs to improve self-esteem and reduce stress. Calm lives up to its name by helping users refresh their minds and bodies.
John Kaweske of Colorado Springs is a biodiesel fuel and technology expert. As President of Bio Clean Energy, S.A., he draws from 20 years of professional experience to offer valuable insight into the industry. When he isn’t working on clean energy efforts, he’s spending time with his family and practicing daily meditation.