Moments of mindfulness
The holidays can be stressful and you might believe smartphones contribute to your daily stress levels. But that same device could also help nudge you to take muchneeded breaks throughout the day, thanks to a handful of meditation and mindfulness apps. The following is a brief look at five picks available at the App Store (for IOS) and Google Play (for Android), unless otherwise specified.
Simple Habit
One of the newest players is also one of the most impressive. Simple Habit is an on-demand meditation platform built for busy people. With simple five-minute lessons, the app features more than 1000 meditations guided by mindfulness teachers from around the world – and for a more tailored lesson, you can choose the time, place and cause of your stress. For example, tap Tough Day or Big Event (perhaps before public speaking), or Morning Meditation, or At Work.
You can also pick a lesson by Series (Drift to Sleep, Sharpen Focus, Meditate in Nature), and by Teacher of your choice.
More than 50 sessions are free, with the option to upgrade to a Premium version. It’s also available through a desktop website, and Simple Habit will remember where you left off.
Calm: Meditation and sleep stories
Calm is a meditation and mindfulness app with guided sessions in varying lengths, ranging from three to 25 minutes, and with content designed for beginners, as well as intermediate and advanced users.
Similar to some other apps of this kind, you can choose a topic that matters most to you: Calming Anxiety, Deep Sleep, Self-esteem, Forgiveness, Happiness, Managing Stress, Focus and Concentration, and so on. Track your progress with gamification elements, such as daily streaks, as well assessing a tally of time spent meditating.
While there’s some free content to get you started, subscriptions cost money.
Headspace
Your ‘‘gym membership for the mind,’’ Headspace wants to teach you how to meditate in just a few minutes a day.
Endorsed by Emma Watson, this UK app features a clean and easy-to-use interface, and offers a free beginner series called ‘‘Take10’’ – 10 sessions, each 10 minutes, over 10 days - using proven meditation and mindfulness techniques that could help clear your head, reduce stress, sleep better, and enjoy greater overall happiness. Available for IOS, Android, Amazon, and the web, the lessons include stat tracking, rewards, and an optional buddy system (for friends to motivate each other).
If you want more than the introductory Take10, Headspace offers a subscription service.
10 per cent Happier
Designed for ‘‘fidgety skeptics’’, 10% Happier offers clear and simple meditation lessons.
The app (IOS, web) features quick meditations by many respected teachers which you can do whenever you have a spare moment.
10% Happier Free offers free access to a 7-session introductory course, with daily meditation videos (with offline access), guided audio lessons (for when you can’t look at a screen), advice and tips to applying mindfulness to your personal and professional lives, and new content added monthly to keep things fresh. While the app is free to download and use, members get a lot more content.
Breathe
Reminders to take a time-out aren’t just on your smartphone, but are prompted by your smartwatch, too. Built into the latest Apple Watch is Breathe, Apple’s own app that encourages you to relax, focus, and breathe.
You’ll feel a slight tap on your wrist every four hours, and when you glance down at the screen the app will ask you to start a session, if you’re able to. The app will guide you through some deep breaths over a one-minute session of seven breaths, but you can tweak these session lengths.
Other recommended meditation apps for IOS and Android include Buddhify, The Mindfulness App, Take A Break and Omvana. – MCT