There are so many tools available to us these days when it comes to mindfulness, exercise, and spirituality it can be hard to figure out where to start. I’ve tried dozens of apps over the years, and have found that three of them stand out to me as must-haves; those which have stuck with me over the course of my spiritual journey. Of course, you should follow your own intuition when it comes to choosing tools and strategies, but sometimes it's nice to get the rundown from someone who has already done the legwork of weeding out the worst of them! So, without further ado, here are my three favorite mindfulness apps (I promise nobody is paying me to write this - it is my honest opinion):
1. Insight Timer
Insight Timer is by far my absolute favorite app for all things mindful, and I have been using it for years. You can find literally millions of music tracks, guided meditations, yoga classes, and courses on everything from reiki to breath work, chakras to mantras, nature sounds to chanting and everything in between. You can easily filter tracks based on length, theme, focus, religion (or not), and type of sound to find exactly the right thing to accompany whatever your practice might be. This app allows you to bookmark your favorite tracks, create playlists, follow your favorite teachers, and track your meditations.
Insight Timer also helps you connect with mindful folks in your area and around the world. You can make friends, chat, and see when your friends are meditating at the same time as you so you can offer them words of encouragement and gratitude. The community guidelines are very strict on Insight Timer, and after years and years on this platform, I have never once come across anything inappropriate or uncomfortable. It is truly a beautiful space. In my opinion, the only downfall of this app is that there is just SO much to experience on there that it may appear a bit complicated to navigate the first time you use it. Trust me, though, once you get Insight Timer you will never go back.
For those of you who have taken yoga classes with me and enjoyed the music I play during class or Savasana, there is a really good chance those sounds came from Insight Timer. My Insight Timer runs all night long on ocean sounds every night to drown out the sound of my husband’s snoring as well! I also wanted to mention that you can find ME on Insight Timer, as a teacher. I have uploaded a few guided meditations, and am in the approval process for more. I am also an approved yoga teacher on Insight Timer and can offer virtual classes through their platform as well. It is a fabulous place to learn, listen, and find your tribe. Join us!
2. Headspace
Headspace is the perfect app for newbies, beginners, and anyone who wants to learn mindfulness with their kids or students. I used Headspace often in my high school classroom and my students loved it. It has a very simple user-friendly interface, with colorful graphics and adorable cartoons that explain mindfulness, the brain, and strategies using easy-to-understand secular language. You can set your guided meditations to however many minutes you have available, and work your way through the tracks almost like mini lessons meant to build on one another.
The videos and audio are all guided by the voice of Andy Puddicombe, a very well known meditation expert (and also the creator of Headspace) with a lovely Australian accent. This app is really special for its level of accessibility; while it is fun and cute for kids of all ages, it is also effective and levels up quickly for adults and more serious practitioners, making it great for just about anyone. Also, I’m not going to lie, that little guy who looks like a brain with legs is my favorite!
3. Moonly
Okay, so this app does not have music or guided meditations, but I use it daily to aid my mindfulness and spiritual practice so it’s worth a mention. Moonly is basically a moon phase calendar that includes astrology, holidays from all different cultures around the world, daily affirmations, and tips for daily mindfulness and meditation practices. Moonly will do a rune stone reading for you each day, and also has tons of articles about rituals, wisdom, energy, and everything from aromatherapy to eclipses and crystals to totem animals. If you are at all interested in new age practices, meditation, your inner self, or emotional healing, Moonly has all of the above.
I use Moonly as a part of my morning ritual; I check the moon calendar, get my daily affirmation (which I write in my journal), and draw a rune stone. All of these help me to focus my morning meditation and intention setting. I usually browse the articles listed for the day as well, where I pick up interesting tidbits about different cultural or seasonal holidays or meditation strategies. I like this app because it has a little bit of everything and it is very aesthetically pleasing. It has a very simple and calm vibe to it, with muted colors and stylized artwork. If you’re looking for something to guide your journaling practice or for a quick and simple way to be mindful without a long, focused practice, this might be for you.
I’ve also heard great things about the apps Calm, Down Dog, and Sattva, all of which I have used briefly but not extensively enough to discuss at length. My experience with Calm is that it is a simpler, smaller version of Insight Timer, offering tracks, guided meditations, breathing visuals and nature sounds. Down Dog is a yoga app where you can personalize your practice and take yoga classes made to order, although I believe there is little you can access there without paying for a subscription. Sattva is a Buddhist focused app that is very similar to Insight Timer, with music, guided meditations, and a timer, and it has a really nice look to it, but it has much fewer tracks to access without subscribing. I use Sattva mostly for its mantra tracks, which are guides for chanting in Sanskrit. It’s not for everyone, but chanting is a powerful tool for meditation, healing and focusing the mind.
The bottom line is; find a tool that works for you, digital or otherwise! While apps, music, timers, and calendars are awesome ways to stay committed, explore new things, and track your progress, at the end of the day mindfulness can only happen within yourself. You can download all the apps in the world, but practicing without intention makes them all meaningless. Sometimes sitting outside listening to the sounds of nature or lying in a silent meditation room has healing properties beyond what any app could possibly provide.
In my opinion, the power of an in-person yoga class, where all of your senses are involved and you are in the physical presence of your instructor and fellow yogis is not an experience that can be replaced by using an app in your living room with your headphones on (I know, I am biased here). And, of course, if you are like many people and are easily distracted by the presence of your phone or device, maybe it’s best to forgo the apps altogether and commit to an in-person practice of some kind. You’ll discover what works best for you over time and with practice.
I wish you all the peace and joy and freedom in the world and beyond, no matter how you get there. Happy meditating!
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