My Top 4 Mindfulness Apps

What is mindfulness?

There are many definitions of Mindfulness. Jon Kabat-Zinn, one of the founders of this new mindfulness movement, defines mindfulness as “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.” By breaking down that definition, we can better understand what mindfulness entails. First of all, you need to pay attention on purpose. Paying attention on purpose requires conscious awareness. Being mindful demands that we step out of autopilot and actively pay attention. Second of all, the emphasis is on present moment awareness. At times, we all dwell on the past or worry about the future. Mindfulness is firmly fixed on the present. This keeps us out of what if questions by directing our focus to what is. Lastly, one of the most important, but also, most difficult aspects of mindfulness is being non-judgmental. Society has a preoccupation with doing things the right way versus the wrong way. When we get distracted by thoughts during meditation, we can fall into the trap of reprimanding ourselves for losing focus. As we work with mindfulness, we strive to take away that critique and judgment. Meditation is an endless journey back to the present moment with every distraction being an opportunity to come back to the start.

Mindfulness can be a topic that is hard to get into. I and countless others have found mobile apps to be a great way to integrate mindfulness into daily life. These apps have become popular over the last couple years with many different options out there. Below are 4 of the most popular apps that I have tried out. I give my two cents at the end, but I encourage you to check them all out and see what fits for you.

---

Headspace

Pros

• Easy to use and the free 10-day trial is geared to beginners
• Charming artwork and great interface
• Lots of options with standalone sessions, minis and theme packs
• Has a meditation for kids section
• The voice is very soothing and not condescending at all

Cons

• Monthly fee
• There is only one voice, so if you don’t like him, this is not the app for you

Price

• The free 10-day trial which offers 10min guided meditations and then a monthly subscription is around 10$.

---

Insight Timer

Pros

• Free with premium options, but the premium options are not needed
• Huge selection with over 4000 guided meditations
• Meditation options include: guided, music or a timer
• Offers community for meditators. You can see how many people worldwide are meditating with you. There is also options to join groups
• Premium options included over a 100 courses

Cons

• No content designed for beginners. This app may be more suitable for established meditators
• The interface is not as nice as the others
• Impressive amount of material, but may be overwhelming

Price

• Free
• The premium option allows you to download over 10 000 tracks to your device and meditate offline. The premium option costs 3.79$ a month.

---

Calm

Pros

• Most beautiful of all the apps, with imagery that really sets the mood
• Variety of topics for guided meditations (loving kindness, letting go, improve sleep, etc)
• Great user experience
• Has a free 7 day beginners guide
• Library of calming sounds and sleep stories

Cons

• To get the most variety you need to buy a subscription
• There is only one voice, so if you don’t like it this is not the app for you

Price

• Free content with an option to buy a subscription of 12.99$ a month

---

Buddhify

Pros

• Great app for on the go meditations
• Offers meditations for waking up, work break, traveling and just meditating
• Straightforward interface with a colourful wheel you can spin through
• Can build your favourites list from the wheel
• No monthly subscription
• Range of voices

Cons

• Not as friendly for beginners as you just kind of jump into it
• Less options for longer meditations

Price

• 4.99$ one-time fee

---

My two cents

I personally use insight timer and love it. I find the variety and quality of free content to be truly excellent. I recommend Insight timer for people who have some experience with meditation as it is not tailored to beginners. That being said, they just released a free 7 day intro course. For beginners, I recommend Headspace for its ease of use and great content.

Happy Meditating