A Beginner's Guide to Meditation: Using Technology to Get Started
Meditation is all the rage, and for good reason. There are countless benefits associated with meditation, ranging from decreased anxiety, depression, and cravings, to increased energy, more productivity, and improved mindfulness. Yet, getting started with meditation can feel daunting. It is a vague term that seems to be really complicated and time-consuming. However, regular meditation practice is something that anyone can incorporate in their lives with ease. Moreover, there are several smartphone apps and videos that help make meditation more user-friendly and easy to access.
Smartphone Applications for Meditation Practice
Calm
Calm is currently ranked #1 in the Health & Fitness category of the Apple App Store. This app includes guided meditations for a variety of topics, to help users improve focus and imagery on the topic they wish to focus on. The Calm app also features breathing exercises and calming music for users to build upon their own independent mindfulness practice. There is a monthly, yearly, or lifetime membership subscription.
Headspace
Headspace is currently ranked #5 in the Health & Fitness category of the Apple App Store, with hundreds and thousands of ratings. This app provides hundreds of guided meditations, ranging from just a couple of minutes to more lengthy sessions. Topics vary widely, and include help with sleep, stress control, as well as sports and academic performance. This app comes with a limited trial, but does cost a monthly or yearly membership for unlimited access and use.
Insight Timer
Insight Timer is another popular meditation app that includes guided meditations, as well as self-led meditations. These meditations allow users to set a timer, choose from a variety of calming ambient sounds, and track progress over time. The guided meditations cover a wide variety of topics. The self-led meditations and tons of guided meditations are free, but there is a subscription for full access.
10% Happier
Created by news correspondent, Dan Harris, the 10% Happier app is based off the book 10% Happier, which posits that with meditation, we can make ourselves just a bit happier overall. This app features guided meditations as well as a spot to track user adherence and progress over time. There is a subscription for full app access.
Using Apps to Support Meditation Practice
While these apps will not do the meditation for you, they can be very helpful with getting started and promoting long-term practice. These apps all offer guided meditations, which allow for users to follow the prompts throughout the meditation. This can be especially beneficial for beginners if the thought of sitting in silence with your thoughts sounds confusing and overwhelming. In addition, these apps allow users to track their progress over time and also set daily reminders to help maintain consistent practice.
A Final Note on Meditation
Meditation is a wonderful addition for just about everyone. However, it can feel unnatural and even ineffective at first. The key is patience and consistency. Continue to set aside some time each day for meditation practice and over time, you will begin to notice small, and then gradually larger, changes in yourself and the way you interact with the world around you. These changes do not occur overnight, rather over a long period of time. In addition, getting into the habit of setting aside even a few minutes of time to sit with yourself is invaluable for overall self-care and maintenance of well-being.
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