Where’s your head at?” – Basement Jaxx
Do you wish you had a better handle over your mind – without feeling like you’re constantly at the mercy of every thought or feeling that pops up? Do you want to stop being so reactive to situations you have little control over? Do you wish you were generally better at just ?being ?chill?
Try Mindfulness!
It’s all the hype at the mo, but it’s got the science to back it up. Mindfulness is a practice that dates way back to over 2,500 years, and involves allowing your mind to focus on and exist within the present moment – as opposed to thinking about all the embarrassing stuff you did that one time or stressing about all that embarrassing stuff you might do in the future.
We’ve compiled a list of our fave mindfulness apps, so you can build a regular daily practice, develop greater awareness of your thoughts and emotions and embrace your true inner chill.
1. Headspace
$12.99 per month
A handy little app, full of cute animations, that teaches you how to meditate, breathe and live mindfully. They have a huge range of meditations so you can tailor your mindfulness practices to what you’re experiencing in life or working towards.
Even though it’s a little exxy, I love this app and use it daily (paying $$$ also means I want to make my spending worthwhile). I love that they have cute, little hype-sessions you can listen to before sitting an exam or having a difficult conversation, that primes your mind to be calm and ready to face whatever challenge you’re facing.” – Ash (Indigo’s Content Producer)
2. Smiling Mind
Free
Non-for-profit mindfulness meditation app, with programs tailored to specific age groups (so great for pre-teens & teens) as well as environments – including the workplace, and the classroom. The app is easy to use but does not offer as much in depth instruction or guidance as some of the paid apps.
3. Insight Timer
Free
Thousands of guided mediations, music tracks and ambient sounds so you can meditate in whatever what works for you. Also gives you access to an online community where you can share your experiences and journey. For $9.99 per month you can also add on additional features, where you can listen offline, or have access to specific insight courses.
I love that the time feature lets you set what background sounds you want – music, natural sounds, etc. You can set the length of your unguided session too, and it finishes off with a lovely calming gong. Who doesn’t love a gong?” – Chloe (Indigo’s General Manager)
4. Simple Habit
Free
Meditation app focused around developing a healthy regular habit of mindfulness. Access to plenty of guided meditations for specific symptoms or life situations, and a great tracking feature where you can see how many minutes you’ve logged. Similar to Insight Timer, you can upgrade for $11.99 per month to download meditations and access them offline.
I love the free ‘On the Go’ option – it lets you customize the meditation for different life situations. It also lets you set the time limit of your sessions, so you can go for as long or short as you want!” – Bianca (Indigo’s Graphic Designer)
5. Calm
Free
A mindfulness app for beginners that includes guided meditations, sleep stories, breathing programs, stretching exercises and relaxing music. It includes visuals of natural landscapes as well as video masterclasses taught by experts including Big Magic author – Elizabeth Gilbert.
6. Serenity
Free
A great, easy to use app that has great foundational resources if you’re new to meditation and mindfulness. The programs aren’t too long so great if you live a pretty busy life. It also offers daily reminders to keep you accountable and presents courses like challenges where you can unlock more free sessions as you progress. You can upgrade to premium for additional features for $5.99 per month.
7. Whats Good?
Free
A really clever little app used to fight our natural negativity bias by helping you develop a gratitude practice. Each day you’re prompted to reflect on three things that went well that day and record a happiness score. A great way to develop insight and work your mind muscles into seeking out and celebrating the positives.
