Overview
Meditation is a practice where an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state. Scholars have found meditation difficult to define, as practices vary both between traditions and within them.
Meditation has been practiced since 1500 BCE antiquity in numerous religious traditions, often as part of the path towards enlightenment and self realization. The earliest records of meditation (Dhyana), come from the Hindu traditions of Vedantism. Since the 19th century, Asian meditative techniques have spread to other cultures where they have also found application in non-spiritual contexts, such as business and health.
The Mindfulness App
iPhone rating: 5 stars
Android rating: 4 stars
Price: Free with optional in-app purchases
Meditation beginners and gurus alike will find lots of options with The Mindfulness App. A five-day guided practice and introduction to mindfulness helps you get started, and timed guided or silent meditations from 3 to 30 minutes will suit your busy lifestyle. The app also offers personalized meditation options, reminders to keep you mindful throughout the day, and statistics to track in your meditation journal.
Headspace
iPhone rating: 5 stars
Android rating: 4 stars
Price: Free with optional in-app purchases
Find calmness, wellness, and balance in your life with this app’s guided meditation and mindfulness techniques for daytime use. Before bed, try any of its 10 new sleep music tracks or 16 nature soundscapes. The app builds personalized plans based on a little input from you, so you can learn the essentials of meditation and build from there.
Calm
iPhone rating: 5 stars
Android rating: 5 stars
Price: Free with optional in-app purchases
This award-winning app has calming exercises, breathing techniques to help you relax, and even a Calm Kids section with meditations for kids between 3 and 17. The new Sleep Stories section features a great mix of voice talent — you may recognize actors Matthew McConaughey or Jerome Flynn — to lull you to sleep. A recent update to the Calm app makes for a mindful experience through the Apple Watch, with three new breathing exercises, a mindful walking meditation, and calming exercises you can all access right from your watch.
buddhify
iPhone rating: 5 stars
Android rating: 4 stars
Price: $4.99 for iPhone, $2.99 for Android
With more than 200 meditations, the buddhify app teaches you how to reduce anxiety and stress, promote sleep, and manage difficult emotions. Practice mindfulness exercises with categories suitable for whatever you’re doing — traveling, at work, waking up, eating, even when you’re online. Sessions range from 3 to 40 minutes, making this a great option for beginners or experienced practitioners.
Sattva
iPhone rating: 5 stars
Android rating: 5 stars
Price: Free with optional in-app purchases
Sattva draws from Vedic principles of meditation and features meditations, chants, and mantras delivered by Sanskrit scholars. Simple, authentic, and deep meditations begin at six minutes in length, and users can set goals to slowly extend their practice. You can also track your progress with the meditation journal and browse thought collections and playlists designed to inspire your sessions.
Stop, Breathe & Think
iPhone rating: 5 stars
Android rating: 4 stars
Price: Free with optional in-app purchases
Meditation recommendations on this app are based on your emotions. Use the app to help identify how you’re feeling, then tame your anxiety, reduce stress, breathe deeply, or sleep better with the short, guided meditations, yoga videos, and acupressure videos. You can also track your mood and overall progress, and check in with yourself daily.
Insight Timer
iPhone rating: 5 stars
Android rating: 5 stars
Price: Free with optional in-app purchases
More meditation is practiced on Insight Timer than anywhere else, and the app has 10 or more free guided meditations added every day. Browse thousands of guided meditations to begin building a simple daily habit, jump into discussion groups and the community features, and use the music tracks and ambient sounds to calm the mind and promote sleep.
10% Happier
iPhone rating: 5 stars
Android rating: 5 stars
Price: Free with optional in-app purchases
This app was designed for skeptics to help you keep going, so new content added weekly keeps meditation from becoming a chore. Daily videos and guided meditations teach you what to do in the simplest way possible, while a range of content shows you how to cope with stressors like anxiety and political stress.
Breethe
iPhone rating: 5 stars
Android rating: 5 stars
Price: Free with optional in-app purchases
Learn how to de-stress and sleep better in just five minutes a day with a personal mindfulness coach. Breethe’s guided meditations series, inspirational talks, and master classes from mindfulness coach Lynne Goldberg will help you better navigate life’s challenges and enjoy improved peace of mind. The app’s sleep music playlists, nature sounds, and bedtime readings teach you how to enjoy more restful sleep.
Omvana
iPhone rating: 4 stars
Android rating: 5 stars
Price: Free with optional in-app purchases
Designed to act as a personal meditation and mindfulness teacher, Omvana offers guided meditation for all aspects of your life. Beginners and more experienced practitioners will benefit from the app’s guided meditations, which range between 3 and 60 minutes and can be tailored to help you manage stress levels and your state of mind.
Simple Habit
iPhone rating: 5 stars
Android rating: 5 stars
Price: Free with optional in-app purchases
This app was created to offer stress relief for busy people. Commit just five minutes a day, and you’ll enjoy less stress, improved focus, better sleep, and easier breathing. The On-the-Go feature teaches you how to quickly calm your nerves and improve mindfulness, while guided meditations for specific situations and symptoms help you tailor your experience.
Meditation and Relaxation Pro
iPhone rating: 5 stars
Android rating: 5 stars
Price: Free with optional in-app purchases
This meditation and relaxation app guides your meditations with the simplest but most effective techniques. Meditation programs and sessions are designed to help you relieve stress, focus, sleep better, boost self-esteem, and find greater happiness, all in a format that’s intuitive and easy to follow.
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