Are you familiar with the term mindfulness? It’s gained popularity in the past few years and many people swear they have gotten their lives together, lost weight, learned to be happier and relieved stress by practicing the principles of this technique.

 

Still, some people have yet to catch up with the mindfulness train and if you’re one of them, then today our goal is to help you get started! Let’s start living a much more calm, aware and stress-free life by identifying some of the best mindfulness apps to help you get in on it.

 

What is Mindfulness?

 

Mindfulness is a state of being more aware, living in the present moment and being conscious of your feelings, emotions, and thoughts as well as your physical presence.

 

encourages you to let go of the past and mistakes you have made and focus more on living life to the fullest in the present. It’s a powerful therapeutic technique that can help you feel more at ease.

 

Focusing on the past or future instead of the present can make you anxious and stressed out which reduces your quality of life and productivity. If you’re looking to cut out those negative thoughts that make you feel stressed, and become more present in the moment, or if you already actively practice and want to enhance your practice, mindfulness apps can help.

 

Could relief be as close as your smartphone?

 

 

Let’s find out.

 

Calm

The Calm app lets you customize your experience by selecting soothing tracks to accompany your practice: the sound of the outdoors or rain, chirping crickets, or whatever sounds soothe you and puts your mind at ease. Calm features an exercise that helps you refocus your mind when it wanders, build awareness and learn to “snap out of it” when your mind goes into autopilot mode.

 

There are a series of 10-minute long videos on mindful movements and sleep stories that are read to you in a calming voice, like a bedtime story to put you at ease and help you sleep better.. There are also guided sessions for “daily calm” to help you relax and unwind. It has a wide selection of up to 100 music tracks to relax and sleep peacefully.

 

The app is free, but you can access even more helpful features with a premium subscription. It’s available on the Google Play store and iTunes App Store.

 

Headspace

Headspace is one of the most popular and best mindfulness apps available today. Creator Andy Puddicombe makes meditation and mindfulness a breeze with guided sessions based on what you want to achieve from your practice.

 

The app’s interface is bright and cheerful with animations and even has sessions for kids and short mini sessions to help you incorporate a bit of mindfulness into your daily life. You can track your progress as you meditate more and set reminders for days when you might forget to get a session in.

 

There are a variety of guided sessions to choose from like sleep sounds, emergency meditations, and short meditations. There is also an option for you to save some of these sessions for when you’re offline so you can access your favorite guided meditation sessions when you are off the grid.

 

The Headspace mindfulness app is available for free, but to access all of the available courses you’ll need to subscribe to a monthly plan. You can download the app from the Google Play store or iTunes App Store.

 

Stop, Breathe & Think

As the name suggests, this mindfulness app encourages you to breathe and think by giving you a handy timer for mediations and breathing exercises while a soothing soundtrack plays in the background. What’s really unique about this app is that it tailors each session to you by letting you check in and answer questions about your physical and mental health to decide which meditation or yoga session would work best for you.

 

There’s a wide selection of sessions—from forgiveness to short stories and acupuncture videos that help you focus on living more in the present. This beginners mindfulness app has a guide on mediation for those who need more help getting into mediation as well. At the end of the week, you get a review of what your week was like, based on the moods you checked in before each session.

 

You can enjoy using this app for free but for full benefits, sign up for a monthly subscription. The app is available on Google Play store or iTunes App Store.

 

10% Happier

This app is one of the most helpful mindfulness apps available for first time meditators. It’s based on the popular bestselling book by Tv Host Dan Harris with the same name and provides practical exercises you can follow, as well as sessions and talks by world-famous scientists, writers and psychologists. This app gives you the chance to communicate with a real-life coach if guided sessions simply aren’t doing it for you.

 

10% Happier takes a no-nonsense approach with its guided sessions on mindfulness, which is great for people who prefer a practical approach. The sessions and talks cover a range of topics including the benefits of practice on your brain and mind, mindful eating, and learning to be kind.

 

Take advantage of a 7-day free trial period after which you will have to pay for a yearly subscription if you decide it’s the best mindfulness app for you. The app is available on Google Play store or iTunes App Store.

 

Insight Timer

What’s really special about this mindfulness app is that it’s more like a community or social network of meditators from all around the world. Insight Timer gives you information on how many people are currently mediating with you around the world and even gives you the option of inviting friends to meditate as well. Because you’re so connected to other like-minded people there are group discussions on meditation and mindfulness where users can share ideas, ask questions and learn from each other.

 

This app offers a wide range of guided meditation sessions—from sessions on self-love to overcoming addictions. You can also time sessions and choose soothing background sounds.

 

Insight Timer is free to download but you’ll need a premium subscription for access to more courses and content. Because of the wide range of users, there’s a lot of content that can be overwhelming for beginners. The app is available on Google Play store or iTunes App Store.

 

Which app will you try? Have you ever tried mindfulness or meditation practice? Let us know in the comments!