Top Apps and Podcasts for Mindfulness
Danielle Lively is a former professor turned entrepreneur who provides brand strategy consulting, career coaching and marketing services for clients.
I am always looking for apps and podcasts that can help me become even more mindful, but the trick for me is finding ones that aren’t too “woo woo” or “out there” for me to relate to, not a technical term I know. It’s also important to me that they aren’t that long but still achieve the desired result of calming and mindfulness. Here are some of the best mindfulness apps and podcasts I have tried or listened to and who I think they would be great for!
Calm App
Calm is one of the most popular mindfulness and meditation apps available. Unlike Headspace, which I will review next, the Calm app doesn’t have structured sequences of classes for beginning meditators, which may be confusing for someone just starting out. They do offer guided meditations and more individualized exercises, for example, breathing visualization. They also have calming ambient music options and longer meditations for users. One cool thing is that it has Apple Health Integration to track your progress and potential health benefits through that function on the iphone.
Who is it best for?
The Calm app would be best for more experienced mindfulness and meditation practitioners who need less structure to guide them through the process of mindfulness and meditation.
Headspace App
Headspace offers great guided courses and short meditations. This app is much more structured than the Calm app discussed previously, and the courses really help you walk through the steps that you need to become more mindful. Headspace also offers many shorter meditations for someone on the go. This app was the most user friendly of all I am reviewing here. They also have a podcast called Radio Headspace that focuses on helping you gain perspective in your life and the issues you may be experiencing right now.
Who is it best for?
This app and podcast would be great for someone who is just dipping their toes into the mindfulness arena and is new to meditation and also for someone who is busy and can only do shorter mindfulness practices or meditations.
10% Happier App
This app is tied to Dan Harris who wrote a book of the same name, 10% Happier. There are many options for courses and meditations in this app that are taught by well-known meditation teachers. The app also offers you an opportunity to connect with your own meditation coach. I found this app to be less visually appealing than some of the other apps, but the content is still good and there is a wide variety of styles. There is also a 10% Happier podcast where Dan Harris interviews spiritual leaders, scientists, and even celebrities on happiness subjects. He has quite a variety of individuals he has interviewed from the Dalai Lama to Brene Brown!
Who is it best for?
Someone who is interested in trying different styles of mindfulness from different mediation coaches.
Morgan Harper Nichols Storyteller App and Podcast
The Morgan Harper Nichols app and podcast are one of my personal faves. I like that she keeps it short, to the point, and her messages always seem to hit me right between the eyes and in my heart, in a good way of course! Her app offers daily messages of encouragement and allows you to look deeper within. Her podcast is actually her super soothing voice providing the message of the day in an audio version. They are both nice and short, though she does offer a longer weekly message and theme for those who are subscribers on her email list. Plus, I love her visuals!
Who is it best for?
Someone who would like short, daily messages of understanding and encouragement.
Mindful Mama App
The Mindful Mama App was created with the limited time and stress of mamas in mind! The app offers blessedly short meditation and mindfulness exercises and they also have something called mini-pauses for moms to have just a quick break of relaxation in their day. A bit different than the others, this app offers breathing techniques, affirmations, and centering exercises and they also have postpartum support. It also has the ability to track your progress within the app.
Who is it best for?
Mamas who want to be mindful! Duh! But seriously, it is great for mamas who want to parent more mindfully and joyfully and who could use a quick mindfulness break listening to the app.
Hopefully, this gives you somewhere to start in your mindfulness practice with both longer and shorter options. What are your favorite mindfulness apps?
