There are many reasons why one may choose to meditate. Some meditate to reach a heightened level of spiritual awareness, reflect upon their actions, or relieve their stress/reach a state of “peace” within themselves. Meditation stems from a spiritual and religious practice that originated in  Hinduism. Meditation is a good practice that can aid in calming yourself, increase self-awareness, increase imagination, creativity and so much more! Some ways to start meditating are by reading a book about meditation, watching guided meditation-videos, or downloading apps that feature meditation. The popularity of meditation has sparked many meditation apps to develop. A helpful app for meditation is Headspace. Headspace helps you practice mindfulness and learn the beginning steps to becoming a meditator. Headspace’s focus is to teach you how and why meditation is valuable. On your path to enlightenment, Headspace makes sure you feel secure, helps you grow, learn, and overcome struggles. They also have a variety of lessons to accommodate you and the situation you face. If you want to relieve stress, practice mindful eating, or sleep better; chances are they have a meditation for that. Headspace is a great app that not only will help you in meditation but will also teach you skills to cope with many more challenges that you will come to face.

Another great application for meditation is Let’s Meditate. Let’s Meditate has a wide range of meditation videos. The design of the app is basic and has no clutter which makes it easy to navigate and plan your sessions. There are no ads that may interfere with your sessions. A feature that separates Let’s Meditate from other apps is the ability to download meditations for on-the-go practicing. Keep in mind, the app has little customization and a narrow range of music variations. If you want a direct approach to meditation, this is the app for you.

To practice mindfulness, you can use an app like Calm. Calm has guided sessions that can go from 3 minutes to 30 minutes. There are new meditations posted frequently and programs in the app you can follow to improve your meditation skills. It has a high rating of 4.5 stars, customers seem to be very satisfied with Calm’s approach to meditation. It’s available for iOS and Android and if you’re looking for something with variety and a structured layout then I recommend Calm.

A great app to test out is MyLife Meditation. MyLife Meditation, which used to be formerly known as Stop, Think, and Breathe, is an award-winning app in which meditations cater to your emotions. This app is personalized to how you feel and will help you pinpoint your emotions. It offers ways to cope and relieve the stress based on your situation. This app is not only meditation but also yoga videos.  My Life uses the concept of diary-like tracking,  allowing you to document your thoughts and feelings day-to-day. If you want a personal experience and see growth within yourself, then this app will definitely cater to you.

One more good app to try out Buddhify. Bare in mind, this app does cost $5.  Buddhify offers more than 200 guided meditations that aid in reducing anxiety, stress, promoting sleep, and learning how to cope with intense negative thoughts and emotions. Buddhify has a large selection of videos to choose from. They have both short and long meditations to choose from. So you can fit any video in the spare pockets of time you have throughout the day. This app is great for people who want diversity and the freedom to explore several topics. 

There are a lot of ways to help reduce stress, anxiety, handle your emotions, and more. Meditation is a great and free way to support your mental health all from the comfort of your own home. If you find yourself in situations that overwhelm you or cause a great amount of stress/anxiety then you should try out one of the five apps listed in this article.