The Best Free Meditation App to Jump Start Your Practice!
Since the first time I excitedly unwrapped my meticulously packaged iPhone about a decade ago, apps have become a huge part of my life. I use the map on my phone to drive places I go daily just so I have an exact eta, and before Shazam, what did we do if we heard an amazing song over the PA system in the grocery store? I really can’t fathom how we existed without them for so long! I’m kidding but, smartphones and apps are here to stay and though responding to our phones all the time can make it more of a challenge to be mindful, there are some ways in which tech can actually support a mindful life.
In this blog series, Mindful Living Tech Support, I’ll share some of my favorite tech tools that support my mindful life!
After trying every free meditation app available to me and finding them all pretty much the same, I finally found the holy grail of free meditation apps! Here are the main three reasons why Insight Timer stole my heart and became my go-to meditation app.
The options are endless...and FREE!
If you are someone who finds yourself getting bored hearing the same voice and guidance daily, Insight Timer is the app for you! As of today, Insight Timer has over 15,000 FREE guided meditations to use! It’s hard to justify the excuse that you don’t have time because there are even lots of options under the one minute mark!
In addition to having thousands of options, it’s easy to find exactly what you are looking for with the filters the app provides.
For example, if you have less than 10-minutes to meditate and want one with no music for pain, the app will give you 10+ to choose from! You can even filter out Religious or Spiritual content which is helpful if you have been avoiding meditation because you feel like the guided content conflicts with your beliefs. It’s easy for me to find a meditation that fits exactly what I need that day in just a few clicks. Often, I meditate with the timer just using a bell at the end. Some days, however, I seek a different kind of support so I might put on a Deva Premal mantra track and sing along with her beautiful voice!
2. If you are anything like me, streak tracking is a must!
Sorry to break it to you but we humans are not all that special. For the most part, we all have the same underlying motivations and one about the human animal is that we love to be told we are doing a good job! This app recognizes that and even if you are on a 2-day streak which many of us might minimize ‘as no big deal’, It’s like the streak tracker in the Insight Timer app is saying to you “you’re doing a good job sweetie!” And to that, I say, “thank you very much!” That pat on the back is often times all we need to keep up the habit so this function is crucial for an effective meditation app.
3. It makes it easy to support the content creators directly!
Though Insight Timer is a free app it does both encourage and make it accessible for you to directly support the creators of the meditations you enjoy by making a donation! This is a wonderful feature and is honestly my favorite part of this app. I believe everyone should have free access to meditation. This is a tool that should not only be accessible to the wealthy, however, the people who create these mindful pieces of art also deserve positive energy returned to them for what they’ve made! It mindfully encourages you to give but also with no pressure or guilt.
Now that I’ve found my go-to meditation app, my next step is to simplify my life by deleting the others that just didn’t make the cut from my phone!
I’m curious?
Do you have a meditation practice? If so, have you used meditation apps to support your practice and how does role does technology play in your practice?
You can participate in the discussion in the comments section of this post or on Instagram. I’ll share some of my favorite meditations from this app on that platform so make sure you are following me there!