If you want to learn how to meditate, using meditation apps is a great, easy way to do it.
For the longest time, I thought meditation was this hard, complicated secret skill. If only I’d known about these meditation apps.
I didn’t want to even try meditating because it just seemed like so much work. Does that resonate? The stereotype about meditation is this cross-legged devout yogi type sitting up perfectly straight on a cushion thinking of nothing at all, totally at peace because of their achieved enlightenment. (SEE ABOVE PHOTO haha)
Meanwhile I was restless and anxious, so meditation was something I assumed I’d frankly never do.
A few years ago, when I suffered near-nightly panic attacks, my doctor kindly suggested I look into meditation. I needed some major stress relief and I wasn’t managing it beyond a cabinet full of Ativan and Klonopin.
At that point in time, I was completely disconnected from my body. I didn’t know what “mindfulness” was. So I bought a book on meditating that had this whole long chapter about breathing and I got so bored I stopped reading.
It wasn’t until I became serious about a yoga practice a couple years later and became reintroduced to meditation that I finally had a realization:
Meditating is actually super simple.
Like, it’s so simple it’s kind of a joke. I didn’t really need an entire book explaining the process of meditating to get it. I just needed to do it.
Seriously – the best way to understand meditating is to try it.
What exactly is meditating, then?
Meditation is essentially a mental exercise. You need to work out the mind just like you do your body. So when you meditate, you’re training your brain to be present, which is what’s also called “mindfulness.”
The goal of meditating is to ignore any outside distractions so that you can focus in on/begin to control your thoughts and just exist in this present moment. This is why it’s helpful to close your eyes—and why I, personally, find it easiest to meditate when lying down. It doesn’t matter what position you’re in, by the way—just choose one that’s comfortable.
Once you’re settled, you begin by just letting your brain do its thing. The point is NOT, I repeat NOT!, about trying to “clear your mind.” That would be essentially impossible to just jump in and do.
The point is simply to notice what types of thoughts you have. The magic happens when you become aware of your own thoughts. That separation is KEY.
Because then you’re able to realize a few things:
- You are not your thoughts.
- Your thoughts are not necessarily true.
- Your thoughts can be controlled.
- You can choose to think and believe whatever you’d like.
- You find peace when you separate yourself from your thoughts so much that you stop paying attention to them – and they might even fall silent for a bit.
That last step, when you find yourself existing in the moment without thinking about anything else, is the sweet zone. You might only be there for a half a second at a time at first, but it will get longer with practice. Meditating will help you really feel calm, clear, and totally connected. It’s like taking a turbo nap.
Meditating regularly can literally change the shape of your brain, helping you to have less anxiety and stress. In fact, a study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that 90% of people with clinical levels of anxiety experience significant reductions in anxiety when they meditate. It’s kind of magical, actually.
Meditating, by the way, has nothing to do with religion. Certain religions might incorporate meditation into their practices, but it can absolutely be done by anyone. It’s just listening to your own mind, after all. Think of it as simply tuning into (and improving) the radio station of YOU.
If you want to learn more of the Basics of Meditation so you can start meditating today, be sure to Download my FREE E-Book all about it!
After trying tons of meditation apps, these 3 are my favorites:
None of this post is sponsored, btw – these are just the meditation apps I personally have used and loved!
And if my explanation above still has you confused about meditation, don’t worry. The benefit to using meditation apps is that you have a teacher there to guide you through what it is and how to do it. They’ll all break it down further and will coach you through your meditation by reminding you to focus in on things happening in the present moment (like your breathing) and how to notice when your mind wanders.
The best part? All these meditation apps offer sessions at any length of time you want, for as little as 1 minute. You don’t need a ton of time, money, or even a meditation cushion to get started. You just need to open your phone’s App Store.
I prefer to meditate mid-day when I need to get a boost of focused energy, but you might also find it a really nice way to help you fall asleep! Just remember to meditate whenever, wherever, and however you can, as often as you can (but ideally daily). And keep at it. You really will get more out of it the more consistently you practice!
1 » Headspace
Headspace is one of the most popular meditation apps available, and I really think it’s due to how approachable they make meditation. There’s no sign of anything potentially “woo-woo” here. Using clean, modern, and spunky branding, Headspace by far does the best job of bringing meditation to the people. It’s probably the most popular of these three meditation apps, and my husband’s favorite.
Headspace offers an enormous library of meditations available through their Subscription option – prices range from $94.99 for a one year subscription to $399.99 for lifetime access (it’s free to download from the Apple App store – or click here for Android users).
But they also offer their Basics course for FREE and it’s amazing, especially if you’re brand-new to meditating. It includes 10 sessions, each 10 min long, and they use short videos with quirky animations to help explain how to meditate in a super easy-to-understand fashion.
Many of the meditations are voiced by Headspace creator Andy Puddicombe, who has the most ear-pleasing British accent. I know so many people who credit Headspace with helping them develop a meditation practice – it’s a must.
2 » Buddhify
I found this little gem after I’d exhausted all the free options from all the meditation apps I could find (a girl’s been broke, okay?). I wanted access to a large library of no-frills guided meditations that were varying lengths. And Buddhify provided everything I wanted for only £4.99 in the Apple Apps store, which is $6.73! Even better – Android users can get it for only $2.99. I mean what!
Buddhify contains over 80 unique guided meditations that cover all sorts of subject matter from how to bring kindness into your work life (“Network”) when you just want to strangle your coworker to finding peace while on a plane (“Flight”) to just standard meditations. They’re each led by one of the six voices of the Buddhify team, and each one has a unique but equally pleasant tone.
I love that I can do specifically tailored meditations on days when something in particular is weighing on my mind. You can even do a meditation while taking a walk – proving that meditation can be part of your life effortlessly.
3 » Breethe (formerly called OMG! I Can Meditate)
Breethe used to be called OMG! I Can Meditate, and is one of the first meditation apps I ever tried. Breethe has a really comforting, nurturing vibe to it, which I love. So it’s slightly more touchy-feely than the other apps, but getting in touch with your emotions, and how your thoughts affect those emotions, is a huge part of meditation. This is definitely my go-to when I’ve had a bad day.
Breethe offers hundreds of meditations through their Subscription option – prices range from $12.99/month to a lifetime membership for $399 (which I’ve frequently seen on sale for around $120!). It’s free to download in the Apple App store (or here for Android users).
This meditation app by far offers the largest variety of content, with meditations ranging from the super basic to themed ones focusing on attracting abundance, finding love, and losing weight. Breethe also has a FREE beginner series like Headspace called “Learn To Meditate”. It includes 7 meditations, from 12-14 min long. Plus there are always a few free meditations from the subscription option available to try!
Breethe is voiced by Lynne Goldberg, the creator. I find her voice to be super soothing, especially when I use meditation to help me unwind after a hard day or to help me fall asleep. My husband found her voice to be distracting, though. It really does affect your experience if you find a certain voice pleasant to listen to or not, so I recommend trying out a few different options at first and going with whatever works best for you!