5 Simple Steps to Start a Meditation Practice

Work and school can be extremely stressful and sometimes it can be hard to relax. Stress leads to many health problems and in such a fast-paced world, people don’t always find quiet time to calm down. These five apps will help you meditate or just show your heart down a little and take time for yourself.

1. Omvana

Omvana offers guided meditations for anytime of the day. Sit down before bed with an full 60 minute session or just make time for a three minute cool down during a break at work. The app comes loaded with five or six free meditations that you can turn on whenever you have time. You can replay those as many times as you want, or buy different ones from the Omvana Store. If you think you need more than just one session every once in awhile you can start programs like Beginners Meditation that slowly build you up to a place where you can meditate without the app.

Pros:

• Comes preloaded with meditations
• Good variety of sessions
• Can find something for any skill level

Cons:

• Takes a long time to download
• Uses a lot of space on your computer
• Need Wifi to download more meditations

2. Take a Break

Sometimes all you have time for is a quick break during the day. Make the most out of your 15 from work with this app. It is incredibly easy to use. Just open the app and you’ll see a soothing background as well as a timer. Choose between 7 minutes or 13 minutes and which soothing sound you want to focus on for awhile. Also put the background photo on for a certain amount of time or just listen to the audio and let the stress fade away.

Pros:

• Incredibly easy to use
• Set a timer for a quick break during the day
• Change the soothing sound you want

Cons:

• Has ads
• Only has a few stress relief sounds
• Can’t change background photo

3. Calm

Calm will train you a little every day to become more mindful and relaxed. If you only have a few minutes, just open the app and just look at the calm scenes that are accompanied by relaxing nature sounds. This is a great option if you’re at work and need to take a minute. For those with more time, the app offers a seven day guided course to help you stay more calm throughout the week. These sessions are only 10 minutes and will work to get you to a zen place when you need it.

Pros:

• Open up and look at serene scenes accompanied by music
• A 7 day guided meditation course
• Good for beginners and experts

Cons:

• Can be hard to navigate
• Can be hard to end a meditation session
• Can be buggy

4. Mindbody Connect

Sometimes meditating by yourself isn’t a effective as going to a class so find one near you with Mindbody Connect. Create an account, enable location services and the app will find meditation and fitness classes near you. Favorite the best organizations and classes so you know the ones to go back to. If you find yourself attending a lot of classes in different places, the app will keep track of your schedule so you never miss a class.

Pros:

• Look at a good variety of classes
• Make a schedule
• Favorite classes and businesses

Cons:

• Have to make an account to use
• Can be hard to navigate
• Only shows participating businesses

5. Smiling Mind

Don’t forget to breathe with Smiling Mind. Make an account and go through the easy and fun courses to bring your body down to a place of calm. The app comes preloaded with Mindfulness 101 with easy sessions that remind you to breathe or thing of the positivity in your life. Continue through to 201, 301 and more when you begin to feel better. Before you start a session, note how you’re feeling and see if that changes after only two or three minutes. This app is great for the whole family and has sessions for any age group.

Pros:

• Has courses for every age group
• Sessions only take a few minutes
• Can turn the music off and on

Cons:

• Have to download new courses
• Can take up a lot of space on your device
• Takes a long time to download