Carlos Bastarache: meditation-grid-uproxx.jpg

Tuesday, 3 October 2017

meditation-grid-uproxx.jpg

I always thought things that sounded too good to be true usually aren't told why discovered this!

UPROXX

Stress is at the center of every American life. But we can ease that stress away from us with a regular meditation practice. But, if you’re not sure where to start, or want something a bit more focused than your current practice, turn to these five apps.

Headspace

Need to get started? Headspace has an excellent beginner’s program of ten-minute sessions that get you used to practice and settled in what’s best for you. They can also offer you a good grip on where to go once it’s done. Above the beginner level, it’s a paid app, but whether you choose to stick with it or prefer to switch to another app, it’s a good starting point.

Calm

Calm is all about fitting mindfulness into your busy day. Whether it’s a three-minute session on your coffee break or a 25-minute session to settle before bed, it’s got the tools. Also highly useful is the Daily Calm, a guided meditation you can use at the beginning or end of your day to de-stress and either get going or set settled.

Buddhify

Buddhify is all about fitting meditation into your day. Whether you’re looking for a work break, need to center yourself so you can get to sleep, or need to close Twitter and clear your mind completely for a little while, there’s a track for it on a handy color-coded chart. It can help you keep tabs on your progress as well, and the tracks have plenty of variety so you’ll be able to switch it up and find a meditation that works.

Insight Timer

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If you’re new to meditation, or just trying to figure out what works for you best, it can seem expensive what with buying all those tracks. Insight Timer has no shortage of meditation tracks, with over five thousand free guided meditations, over eight hundred free music tracks, and loads of discussion groups to ease yourself into meditating. It also offers a good look into several different traditions in meditation, allowing you to get a better sense of what works for you while learning more about the practice.

Meditation Timer Pro

Finally, if you’ve been meditating for a while and just need a way to improve your practice, Meditation Timer Pro for iPhone offers straight meditation, no chaser, for 99 cents. It’s got four default schedules, a tool to revise them with chimes and sounds as you see fit, and a meditation logger so you can stay on top of your practice more easily.