Getty Images: Daniel Ingold /
Cultura
Email alerts, texts, the constant urge to check your Instagram—our phones, aka our life-lines, can cause great surges of stress. But ironically enough, there is at least one circumstance where tech can help you seriously chill out, and it comes in the form of meditation apps. These little programs, all conveniently housed in the comfort of your smartphone, can really help take the difficulty and intimidation out of the art of meditating.
And given meditation’s positive reputation, why wouldn’t you let your phone help you kick-start the practice? It’s been linked to reductions in stress in studies, and long-time adopters rave about their feelings of relaxation after a session. This isn’t a definite cure for anxiety—it’s more of a minimizer. At the very least, you’ll experience some peace and quiet, a short vacay to tranquility in your busy schedule. Into the idea? Here are a meditation apps to explore.
Headspace.
This advertises itself as a “gym for your mind,” a place you can go to get your fix of meditation fitness. The app itself is free to download and features a 10-day program that reportedly teaches you the basics of meditation. But if you subscribe (which means $$$), you get access to even more meditation sessions of all different lengths of time. In fact, there are guided practices based on specific areas of your life, like relationships and creativity. There’s even a progress section that documents your journey.
Stop, Breathe, & Think.
This app (there’s also a really useful web version) curates meditation options based on your current mood and how you feel physically, emotionally, and mentally. After you’ve made your selections, you’re presented with a few options of various time frames. There’s also a progress bar that lets you track everything you’ve done within the week.
OMG I Can Meditate.
We’re not going to lie—the name is what really made us check out this mediation app. Turns out, it’s a pretty useful tool. The app is a little pricey, ringing up to about $13 a month, but it includes over 190 different meditation sessions, depending on time and topic. There are even meditations you can do with your eyes open (hello, calmer commute), specific sessions for before bedtime, and even meditations you can schedule like morning alarms for a happier wake up all. These practices are guided by founder Lynne Goldberg, and we can tell you first hand that her voice is beyond soothing.
Rituals.
As beauty product lovers, our ears perked up when we learned Rituals—a brand of luxurious body cosmetics—launched their own free app, complete with mindful meditation. The app offers four different time frames of guided meditation (the 5-minute version is a total life-saver) and focus on relaxing out mind, body, and also being present in the current moment. Each session starts off with a calming chime and an explanation of what each practice will help you achieve. We especially appreciated the fact that the dictator of the program even directs you where to put your hands and how to sit, which is often the first step in settling into a session of meditation. It sounds simple, but sometimes feeling antsy and fidgety is the very reason we ditch our practice.
More From Daily Makeover: Restorative Yoga Will Help You Master Meditation
