This past year has been tough on everyone, creating further motivation to practice self-care as we begin 2021. Meditation can be an effective, low-cost way to deal with stress, and you don’t need a coach or class to learn key techniques. The best meditation apps provide calming guidance when anxiety and overwhelming feelings arise. There are many on the market—including Liberate, a meditation app designed for Black, Indigenous and other people of colour; as well as Headspace, which is equipped with mindful workouts, sleep sounds, and guided meditations with soothing voices that will carry you into a state of bliss, no matter where you are or how much time you have.
Whether you’re looking to improve your quality of sleep, find a moment of escape over lunch, or start your new year off on a peaceful note with an intention-setting meditation, one of the 13 best meditation apps below is bound to fit your daily needs and routine.
Headspace
Headspace offers courses on various mindfulness goals such as Navigating Change, Managing Anxiety, Restfulness, and more. The app also has guided workouts and soothing sounds to help you fall asleep. They’re offering a free year of access to Headspace meditation for anyone who is currently unemployed.
Liberate
Liberate was created by Julio Rivera for Black, Indigenous, and people of colour. The meditations are geared toward helping listeners heal from the traumas of racism, and to allow the community to feel seen and uplifted.
Aura
Aura asks, “What brings you here today?” Then it offers options like Sleep Better, Calm Anxiety, Healing, and Improve Focus to help each user better centre their day.
Calm
The Calm app helps listeners to build self-esteem, lean into gratitude, and sleep better while increasing happiness through guided meditations that ease panic and anxiety. There is also a new Daily Calm meditation each day, perfect for those who are wanting to cultivate a consistent practice while switching up prompts.
Zen: Meditation & Sleep
Zen promotes emotional balance through meditations that help with happiness and better sleep quality. New offerings are often added to the app, which has recordings that range from meditations to improve focus while working, to background sounds that help enhance sex.
Ten Percent Happier Meditation
Ten Percent Happier offers meditations that help listeners focus while at work. They also have live meditations for a “virtual break from social distancing”at 3 p.m. ET every weekday. They also feature a free Coronavirus Sanity Guide—a good place to start.
Meditation Nest
Through a subscription, listeners get access to more than 150 meditations and sleep-aiding sounds. There are meditations for every situation—Improve Productivity, Prepare for Your Day, and Control Your Breathing among them—and a plethora of gentle background sounds to create an overall relaxing vibe.
Inscape
Inscape is a meditation studio and wellness retail space whose app intends to offer a “state of zen on the go.” Meditations include soundscapes, breath work, and visualization journeys—a guided mindful image-creating technique that helps listeners achieve a state of calm and safety.
