With impossible schedules and never-ending to do lists, it may seem counter-productive to consciously attempt to slow down, whilst plugged into your smart phone. However, taking a few moments each day to be present in the here and now can actually enhance our productivity and general state of being.
No matter your level of stress or anxiety, by being mindful of your daily routine; from what you eat to how you move and by incorporating a few minutes of meditation into your day you will induce a more balanced state of being that will resonate through all other aspects of your life. We understand that sometimes it may seem impossible to get started with a task that may be unfamiliar or intimidating so below we have compiled our top 5 meditation and mindfulness apps to ease you into your daily practise. Happy meditating!
Featuring reminders throughout the day to encourage us to stop, breathe, feel and become truly present for as little as 2 full deep breaths, the Mindfulness Daily is a great and practical way to start practising this valuable life skill. Consisting of a daily practise, along with breathing exercises, body scans and the options to log how you feel at any point of the day – we love using the Mindfulness Daily on our morning or evening commute to get us in the zone for your day ahead or helping us to wind down at the end of the day.
Including individual meditation sessions for every day of the year, Headspace is a practical, easy to use platform for those seeking to inject a little meditation into their every day. Featuring 10 unique Headspace programme’s that will guide you through training programme’s designed to to reinvigorate the mind; we love the array of handy information and innovative content that is always fresh, inspiring and motivating! What we love the most is their exclusive partnership with the Royal Parks Foundation which includes a free walking meditation podcast – perfect for taking advantage of as the weather warms up!
Here at Content we believe that ‘working out’ your mind is just as important as ‘working out’ your body which is why this next app is amongst our wellbeing based favourites. Featuring guided meditations of varying lengths, body scans and relaxation exercises along with inspirational talks on integrating mindfulness in every-day life – Mental Workout: Mindfulness Meditation additionally features the handy inclusion of meditation instructions and tips to optimize and enhance your practise – assisting in all aspects from sitting position to breathing. Our favourite thing about this app is the 8 week plan it includes that features daily activities to assist you in establishing and maintaining a regular practise.
We love practical meditations and with Summer underway, nothing beats meditating outside amongst nature. Whether you already engage in a regular more stationary meditative practise, we would strongly encourage you to get out there and try out the Walking Meditations app on your next leisurely stroll. Designed to guide you on a journey of exploration as you tune in to your body and surroundings as you walk – this app is designed to assist you in quietening the minds preoccupation with analyzing and evaluating what’s going on around you, what happened beforehand and what will happen afterwards by encouraging the cultivation of complete presence
Whilst everyone can benefit from the benefits of deep breathing, if you have a tendency to become stressed out or anxious, deep breathing is an effective natural way to calm the mind and balance emotions. The Long Deep Breathing app is an easy way to incorporate the healing power of breath into your daily wellbeing repertoire or simply kept on hand for moments of distress of unease. As well as general deep breathing exercises to return your mind and body back to a state of contented equilibrium. We especially like the specific exercises for those with insomnia or illness designed to assist in the self-healing process.
Take Time Now!
