Our Favorite Meditation Apps🧘🏽♂️
At this point there are many meditation apps out there.
They offer a whole range of approaches including guided meditation, teachings and philosophy, and interactions with others.
Here’s a list of some of the leading meditation apps that we think will resonate with our readers.
1. Headspace (iOS and Android)
Headspace is definitely one of the most popular meditation apps, and these days it offers a range of “tools for everyday life,” including guided meditations, sleepcasts, mindful movement, and focus exercises. Headspace offers a two week free trial and then it’s $69.99 per year.
2. Calm (iOS and Android)
Calm is the other biggest and baddest app of its kind, with more of a focus on relaxation, and plenty of celebrity cameos. Calm has guided meditations, sleep stories, de-stressing breathing exercises, and a dedicated music section. It also has a section designed for kids. Annual subscription costs $69.99.
3. Dare (iOS and Android)
Dare is a mobile app designed for reducing anxiety, panic attacks, worry, and insomnia. It’s based on a popular book on the subject by Barry McDonagh, and is rooted in MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction), MBCT (Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy), and ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy). The app includes a mood journal, soothing exercises, and step-by-step advice to help rebuild control and balance.
4. Blackfullness (iOS and Android)
Mindfulness for African Americans is how Blackfullness describes itself. The content in this meditation app was developed in the Psychology Department at Spelman College, one of the U.S.’s most prominent HBCU’s. There are videos and culturally relevant meditations, daily affirmations, sound healings, breathing exercises, mood checks, and journaling features, all informed by African-centered guiding principles. All this, and Blackfullness is free!
5. Ritual (iOS and Android)
Ritual is a well designed mobile app that offers guided meditation and a nice focus on gratitude. We also appreciate that Ritual has some strong BIPOC representation amongst its teachers, and includes Christian and prayer-focused content, including commentary from the legendary Father Greg Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries known for his work with gang members in LA. You’ll also find folks like Olympic gold medalist and mental health advocate Simone Manue in the app. There’s a 7 day free trial and then it’s $59.99 per year. Ritual was founded by Matt Bloom who holds a Ph.D. in psychology and spent more than a decade leading the Wellbeing at Work Research Program at the University of Notre Dame.
6. Waking Up (iOS and Android)
Waking Up is a popular meditation app started by the neuroscientist, author, and podcast host Sam Harris. The app has a high quality design, cool artwork, and intuitive features. Meditations are led by Harris himself as well as an ever-growing library of leading meditation teachers from Buddhist and other styles. Waking Up also has well-curated audio courses on topics like living a good life, stoicism, conflict resolution, and more. The app offers free trials and then costs $129 a year. If cost is a barrier, users can also request a free account by visiting: https://app.wakingup.com/scholarship.
7. Insight Timer (iOS and Android)
Insight Timer is a mobile meditation app that brings an enormous number of different practices and teachers to the table. This one is a bit different in that the content comes from teachers and guides all over the world. In fact, it claims to be the world’s most-used wellbeing app. Insight Timer offers a vast library of meditations, music, and talks from 20,000 teachers in over 50 languages, and even has a directory of in-person retreats. There’s a free version, while the premium membership costs $59.99/year.
8. Healthy Minds Program (iOS and Android)
Healthy Minds is a science-backed meditation app designed to strengthen mental wellbeing through guided practices rooted in neuroscience and meditation. Developed by experts at the Center for Healthy Minds, a nonprofit founded by renowned neuroscientist Dr. Ritchie Davidson (one of the pioneers of meditation science and buddies with the Dalai Lama), the app offers a four-pillar framework focused on Awareness, Connection, Insight, and Purpose. There are convenient assessments you can take to learn about yourself, and you can learn about courses like The Science of Flourishing. The Healthy Minds app is totally free once you create a user profile.
9. Open (iOS)
The Open app stands out in the way it centers sound in its meditative and mood-modulating sessions. With immersive audio experiences such as expert-led sound baths, binaural beats, and acoustic journeys, Open aims to combine ancient techniques and modern science to help you deepen your mindfulness. After a free trial, Open is $150/year.