Meditation Studio
Rinzler also loves this meditation app because “they have really thoughtfully curated their teachers,” he says. There are 50 or so veteran instructors with different backgrounds (you’ll find Zen Buddhist monks alongside child psychologists and addiction recovery specialists) so you can pick the voice that speaks to you best, or mix it up.
“In my experience, meditation becomes a daily practice when it feels relevant to our lives,” says Chrissy Carter, a yoga and meditation instructor, who (along with Rinzler and Goldstein) is one of the teachers. With themed groupings (meditations for life transitions, for instance, or compassion) and for specific groups (veterans and children, to name two), “you can practice in a way that meets you where you are,” she says.
You can also use the timer feature and listen to instrumental music or nature sounds, and save the meditations you particularly like to go back whenever you need.
Waking Up
Waking Up is an ideal meditation app for beginners, since it opens with an introductory course and slowly introduces users to more in-depth, daily meditations as they progress. And anyone who’s interested in mindfulness should give this app a download, too: You’ll get access to lessons in philosophy, science, and wellbeing, plus lectures and conversations from teachers and scholars.