Meditation: To App or Not To App

When it comes to the new age stuff, it’s surprisingly easy to find technological ways to access it. You can get a quick Instagram tarot reading or manifest extra money by simply typing “yes.”

But even just sitting with your eyes closed can be improved with an app, it turns out.

I’ve tried a few apps to help with meditation, and I’ve tried meditating on my own. Just with me. And, honestly, I’m not sure they’re even comparable. It’s like comparing doing yoga in your room to going to a class with a teacher who walks around the room, correcting your alignment.

An old coworker once told me that she would just do some stretches that she learned from taking dance classes, and those became her kind of meditation. That seems like a nice way to go. But, I’ve also had a harder time meditating in the traditional way. For me, sitting down or lying down and just letting my thoughts roll around is really hard. It comes easier when I’m moving, and I feel like I get closer to a meditative state when I’m walking the dog or going on a hike.

When I’m home, I try the app route. Paying for an app to help you meditate may not sound ideal, but I was gifted a year subscription to Headspace for Christmas, so I’ve been using that periodically. I have to say, it is nice to have someone guide you along, instead of just letting your thoughts go wild. But, you can’t rely on the app to do all the heavy lifting. If I’m not careful, I tune out and start going through my to-do list or working through a problem I have.

Ultimately, if you want to try meditation, I think it’s worth trying a few different things. You can find apps with free trials or free sections so you can experiment before you start spending. Insight Timer is a nice one if you want to meditate on your own and use a timer, or if you want to try different types of meditations from a lot of different people.

Do you meditate? What works for you?