A meditation app can inspire new ways of relating to your thoughts or simply support an existing practice. But with hundreds of apps promising everything from a “monastery for your pocket” to simple meditations for the time-constrained: where do you begin?
The type of app that is best for you will depend on what you are looking for: are you new to meditation or are you looking for an app that complements your existing practice? Do you prefer a more structured program with courses or do you just wish to explore different practices? Do you want a secular app or one that is grounded in the Buddhist tradition?
Here are my thoughts on a few of the meditation apps out there.
If you are a person of colour looking for a meditation app developed with the needs of BIPOC people in mind, Liberate is a great option. The app has a curated collection of meditations and talks led by BIPOC educators, scholars, and activists working at the intersection of mindfulness and various social justice movements, on a range of topics from how to connect with the wisdom of one’s ancestors to how to use the breath to work through micro-aggressions. One of the joys of a meditation app is discovering new teachers and guides, and the roster of teachers on Liberate is quite impressive, such as the serene Kaira Lingo Jewel, a former Buddhist nun in Thich Nhat Hahn’s order. Jewel’s guided meditations on connecting with one’s ancestors and embracing strong emotions is a highlight. There are also rousing talks on a range of topics from the value of meditation as a strategy to cope with racial trauma to why the process of seeing more clearly can help us better bridge the gap between the espousal of values of equality and justice and the unconscious perpetuation of bias. The app costs $9.99 USD a month.
This free app provides access to guided mindfulness practices and chanting in the tradition of Zen monk Thich Nhat Hahn. The app bills itself as a “monastery for your pocket” and it is great if you are looking for an app with practices that are more explicitly grounded in the Buddhist tradition and led by monks initiated into Hahn’s Buddhist order. There are a wonderful array of recorded meditations on a range of topics from embracing unpleasant feelings to the nature of impermanence. There are also recordings which invite you to bring a mindful quality to the everyday from washing dishes to listening to the sound of the rain. While the app might be harder to navigate for those new to mindfulness, the ‘unpackaged’ quality of the app is one of its charms: Sister Jewel, for example, erupting into a sweet ditty at the end of a 45-minute body scan is a treat. There are also a selection of meditations for children.
Headspace is probably the most well-known meditation app; it is the top-rated meditation app by the New York Times and has over 200 million downloads. Unlike most other meditation apps – all the meditations on Headspace are delivered by the singular, breezy voice of British Andy Puddicombe, a former Buddhist monk who spent some fifteen years in monasteries across Asia and the UK. When Puddicombe returned to London in the aftermath of the financial crisis in 2004, he developed a 10-week meditation course for stressed-out bankers. Puddicombe realized that if he was to succeed in communicating the benefits of meditation to busy professionals: he needed to pare down the jargon and introduce simple techniques in bite-size chunks (most of the meditations range from 3-20 minutes). The app is great if you are new to meditation and want a structured way to learn a range of simple techniques that can be integrated into your daily life. Andy’s voice also gives a unifying quality to the app, which many of the others lack. There are over 500 meditations to choose from on everything from how to manage everyday stress and anxiety to how to become more compassionate. The meditations are also peppered with some lovely anecdotes from Puddicombe’s time as a monk, and the latest evidence in support of the practice. The app costs $7.50 CAD a month. If you have a Netflix account – there are a selection of meditations on there as well.
Happify is a great choice if you want an interactive app with simple activities that can be integrated into your daily life. The app is divided into tracks developed by experts on a range of topics from managing stress to defeating loneliness. Each track consists of a series of creative activities and games that are intended to boost your well-being over a period of time. The defeat loneliness track, for example, has a range of activities to promote connection from pledging to make a stranger smile, to identifying the individual strengths that allow you to better connect with people. There is also a community section on the app, which allows you to interact with other happifiers and read posts on the ways in which people are reclaiming their happiness from baking apple dumplings for their co-workers to replacing a wind shelter for the neighbours. There are a few free tracks to explore. A monthly subscription for 11.66 USD gives you access to over 60 expert tracks, guided meditations and a personalized 20-page character strengths report.
Centre for Mindfulness Studies App
The Toronto-based Centre for Mindfulness Studies (CMS) has developed a free app to complement the delivery of their three courses on mindfulness: mindfulness-based stress reduction, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and mindful self-compassion. CMS’s Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction course is based on the 8-week program developed by MIT scientist Jon Kabat-Zinn in the late 70s to help people suffering from chronic illness reduce stress, and develop a greater sense of well-being. There is evidence that the program is highly successful in reducing levels of stress and anxiety. The CMS app offers guided meditations that incorporate mindful movement, breath work, and paying attention to sensations within the body. The app is a great resource for anyone who has taken one of these courses and would like to maintain their practice.
maninisheker.ca 
stunning! Reports Detail [Cultural Trends] in [Region] 2025 delightful
LikeLike