“It takes too long.”
“I don’t have any time for that.”
“Isn’t that for hippies and those people who do yoga?”
Yup, I used each of these excuses and more to avoid meditating. My mind would race to the point of exhaustion every day, yet I had convinced myself that I didn’t need to meditate. If this sounds anything like you, then these guided meditation apps are just what you need!
No, you don’t need to build a meditation room in your house and dedicate hours in your new floral pants to this practice. Dedicating as little as 10 minutes a day can truly have an impact on your mind. And you can even do some of these while on the go! That pretty much wiped out all my excuses.
Here’s 5 of the top guided meditation apps for the person who doesn’t (yet!) like to meditate.
Headspace
COST: free
This app keeps it simple. “Learn to meditate in just 10 minutes a day”. And trust me- it’s amazing what a difference just 10 minutes can make! You can choose from a variety of guided meditations, including ones designed for people on the go. Whether you’re commuting to work or sitting on your favorite chair at home, whether you’re feeling anxious and stressed or looking for help getting to sleep, there is a meditation in this app for every occasion.
Buddhify
COST: $4.99
This app contains over 80 guided meditations for any scenario, including traveling, working and getting ready for bed. The idea was to gear this towards the person who wants to practice meditation, but has always thought it took too much time or was just for hippies.
The app tracks your progress to keep you motivated and also offers a solo timer for when you feel like you want to go it alone.
Calm
COST: free (in-app purchases)
This app offers a variety of guided meditations for free with an option to upgrade and access even more. The free meditations cover a great variety of topics, including building confidence, finding your creativity and- of course- reducing stress levels.
One thing I really liked about this one was that you can choose an option that is just a few minutes or a longer version of that same topic that can last 20-30 minutes, so it’s really up to you how long you spend each time.
Breathe
COST: free
What I like about this app is that you can do a “self check-in” before you get started. You can fill out what your mood is and a few emotions you’re currently feeling and it will make recommendations based on this feedback. None of the meditations are all that long, so it’s great to just pop open mid-day when you feel the stress building or you can use it at the end of a long day to reground and settle before heading to bed.
Insight Timer
COST: free
Insight Timer contains over 2,000 guided meditations that are completely free. You can also set your own timer for any amount of time and set optional starting, ending and interval bells as you go through your solo practice. This app also tracks your progress to keep you motivated and coming back regularly.
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