How many times have you set aside time for meditation only to look up and realize you've been mentally running through your to-do list for the last 10 minutes? According to Healthline, studies have proven that the benefits of meditation can blow your mind; from reducing stress to improving self-awareness and channeling our inner-zen as we toss anxiety to the side (hopefully for good this time). Practicing meditation can help us get better sleep, become kinder, and even help our attention span (Lord knows my busy bee self needs it). But ironically, we're tempted to give in to one inner-distraction after another as we try to close our eyes and find our center.
It's no secret that the practice of meditation calls for discipline. In what's supposed to calm us, sometimes we find ourselves getting restless and fidgety as we hone in on our thoughts and all things within. These apps are super helpful with not just setting the tone for introspection but serving as guided meditation that can fight off any potential distractions. Let's snap into it!
7 Best Guided Meditation Apps
10% Happier
iTunes
This app was developed with the ultimate fidgeter in mind. 10% Happier provides the education and resources you need for an amazing meditation experience, one day at a time. It has a custom-made, two-week course that features video lessons for each day. It comes with guided audio meditations and even a personal coach to help you stay on track. The exercises are simple, effective, and will get your woosah back on its equilibrium.
Breethe
iTunes
If you don't think you have time for meditation, the Breethe app could prove you wrong. This app has sessions for just 10 minutes a day. You'll spend the short yet impactful time with a professional mindfulness coach, who delivers positive talks and inspiring steps to help you navigate through life's ups and downs just a few minutes at a time. And when it is time for a good night's sleep, the app offers a vast variety of sleep sounds such as nature and reading resources on how to get the most out of sleep.
Calm
iTunes
This app is currently #1 for Meditation and Sleep, two things we could all use. As soon as you open the app, you're greeted with the phrase "Take a deep breath." Sometimes, that's all we need before we jump into the day and/or before we go to bed after a long one. The app offers a new Daily Calm to keep you focused, more than 100 guided meditations to help ease anxiety and stress, and even get better sleep with a new Sleep Story that's delivered each week.
Simple Habit
iTunes
This is another great app for those who are on the go but still see the importance of taking a few minutes a day to relax and meditate. The self-proclaimed "daily vacation for your mind" has 5-minute sessions that you can choose from depending on your goal and what you hope to get out of the meditation. Ultimately, this app was created in an effort to prevent burnout by taking just a few moments to re-center and calm your mind.
Headspace
iTunes
Stress less, focus more and get better sleep. Isn't that the point of meditation sometimes? You can certainly get one step closer to that with Headspace. This app walks you through the steps of meditation, whether you're a beginner or a guru. For those who just don't know where to start, Headspace offers a 10-day beginner's course that not only shows the importance of meditation and mindfulness, but also gives you tools to have effective meditation habits moving forward.
Mindfulness
Google Play
Whether you're just looking for a few minutes of calmness or a half-hour of time away from the world with yourself, the Mindfulness offers it all along with tips to make sure your mind doesn't stray too far. It has a five-day guided meditation process and timeframes for guided and even silent meditations that range from 3 to 30 minutes. It can also remind you to meditate and comes with a digital journal for you to document your experiences and what has worked best for you.
Simply Being
Google Play
This guided meditation app might be as personalized as they come. The voice-guided, step-by-step meditation feature helps keep you focused in a moment of tempted distractions. You can also select how long you want to meditate from 5, 10, 15, 20 or 30 minutes. You have the option to choose music, nature sounds, or even much-needed silence during your meditation experience.
Want more stories like this? Sign up for our newsletter here and check out the related reads below:
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Featured image by Shutterstock.
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RELATED
Mercury enters Sagittarius on November 2, will be retrograde from Nov. 25 until Dec. 15, and will be in this sign until Jan. 8, 2025. Mercury in Sagittarius is bold and outspoken but, in retrograde, can come across as impulsive and brash. Thinking before speaking is important right now, and so is considering your values and interests before committing to something new. Since Sagittarius rules long-distance travel, this isn’t the best time to plan a new trip or to rush the ones already in place.
Consider where you want to be, and take your time getting there.
What to Expect from Mercury Retrograde in Sagittarius
A little more than a week after Mercury goes retrograde in Sagittarius, Mars goes retrograde in Leo. With these important transits happening in fire signs, energy can be misdirected right now. It’s about looking at the full picture and not overwhelming yourself with too many options or interests. Take your passions and align them with your heart and willpower, without confusing inspiration with ego. Emotions are running high, yet this activation is creating a breakthrough in personal development before the year ends.
Read below to see how this Mercury retrograde transit will be for you. Read for your sun sign and rising sign.
ARIES
Mercury goes retrograde in Sagittarius, and you are focused on the bigger picture right now, Aries. With Mercury retrograde in your 9th house of adventure over the next few weeks, this is the time to expect the unexpected and to go at your own pace. Don’t rush the clarity that is meant to bloom for you right now, and take things one day at a time.
Even if you don’t have all the answers you need right now, there are still some important truths and insights to gain. You are in the process of reinventing yourself and your life, and the universe is helping you get the space in order to do so. If you are traveling over the next few weeks, remember to be flexible and to go over plans thoroughly.
TAURUS
Mercury goes retrograde, and you enter a time of change and rebirth, Taurus. This transit, for you, is an opportunity to gain balance, perspective, and empowerment. Your commitments and close partnerships are being addressed right now, and you are seeing where your needs are being met and where they aren’t. You are on a journey of letting go and allowing more, and this is the time to focus on being more flexible rather than controlling outcomes.
This retrograde could also be affecting your shared finances and earnings, and this is a good time to take another look at the money coming in and the money going out and make sure things are in order here. Trust your intuition right now, Taurus.
GEMINI
Mercury goes retrograde in your sister sign, Sagittarius, and you are ready for a fresh perspective in love. This retrograde will highlight your 7th house of partnership, connection, romance, and inner harmony, and your heart is figuring things out right now. Confusion or disagreements are more likely within your relationship dynamics, and this is the time to address what your partnerships need.
If you have been feeling out of balance when it comes to love, then this is the time to get things back on track.
This Mercury retrograde is helping you gain a new perspective and reminds you that you deserve the love you are looking for. Use this time to forgive, grow, and use better judgment regarding matters of the heart and the relationships you are building in your life right now.
CancerCoveteur
CANCER
This Mercury retrograde transit for you is a chance to gain some renewed clarity regarding your health, well-being, and work life. You could be feeling more pressure to perform and have it all together on the job, and there is a need to delegate, let go, and take care of your health more right now, Cancer.
This transit will highlight where some cracks are seeping, where you may need to build stronger foundations and healthier daily routines, and also how you can manage a better work/life balance. Your daily lifestyle may feel a little more difficult to find consistency in right now, and this is because new avenues and perspectives are waiting for you to grab ahold of. Overall, use this time to listen to your inner voice and do more of what feels right for you and your body.
LEO
Mercury goes retrograde in Sagittarius, and this transit highlights your 5th house of romance, creativity, passion, and happiness, Leo. This retrograde is an opportunity for you to address what and who makes you happy and how you can show up more for these fortunate experiences in your life. You are looking at if you’ve been making your happiness as much of a priority as it should be this year and also taking a look at what sources help you align with that energy altogether.
This time is about being a little bit more flexible, doing things differently, and being open to a new perspective. Relationship developments are also providing your heart more clarity right now, and you are balancing your needs with the needs of your partnerships and creative ventures.
VIRGO
Your ruling planet Mercury goes retrograde before the year ends, and this is helping you rebuild your foundations, Virgo. Mercury will be retrograde in an area of your life that has to do with your home, history, family, and emotional stability- and you are getting a new grasp on things here.
Where you have been planting your seeds and building for your future are coming up for review during this time, and you are gaining clarity on which of these foundations is stable enough to continue to build upon. You could be feeling less secure than you would like to right now, and this change of pace is helping you reassess your goals and figure out what is worth it for you and the legacy you want to live.
LibraCoveteur
LIBRA
Mercury goes retrograde in Sagittarius, and the focus turns towards your communication channels, Libra. Mercury retro is already a more chaotic time when it comes to communication, and with this retrograde also happening in your 3rd house of insight and communication, you may feel this heaviness a little more right now.
This transit, for you, is about taking your time getting your message across, being patient while traveling and running errands, and giving yourself space to gain some new clarity.
Meditation, journaling, and talking to someone who can support you are therapeutic, and know that your voice deserves to be heard. You are looking at ways you can take up more space and show up in the world without letting your insecurities keep you away from true connection, vulnerability, and understanding.
SCORPIO
This Mercury retrograde is happening in your 2nd house of income, values, assets, and self-confidence, and you are taking a step back to assess your current reality, especially financially, Scorpio. This is a good time to go over your spending habits and earnings, to find greater balance here, and to think about some of your financial goals moving forward.
Look at your resources, skills, and talents, and make sure what you are receiving is equal to or greater than what you have been giving. Less is more right now, and this isn’t the best time to overspend or overindulge, as you need more time to grasp your current stance on things, and how to increase your overall wealth and abundance.
SAGITTARIUS
With this Mercury retrograde happening in your sign, it’s hitting a little closer to home for you, Sagittarius. This is a good time to refine your goals and direction in life and how you want to show up right now. You deserve to be able to change your mind when you need to, and you are thinking about some of the things you have done and what you want to do moving forward.
Miscommunications are more likely while Mercury is in retrograde, but you can use this as a source of empowerment, knowing that you are living in your truth and allowing yourself room to grow in the process. Remember to be a little kinder to yourself during this transit and to give yourself the grace you need right now.
CapricornCoveteur
CAPRICORN
This Mercury retrograde for you, Capricorn, is about rest and taking care of your emotional world. You are being given the opportunity to spend more time alone, to gather your strength, and to heal before you enter the new year. A lot has happened, and there have been many changes in your world this year. This Mercury retrograde is here to help you find acceptance and closure.
You are in a preparation stage right now, and things can feel a little more lonesome in this energy, but with a different perspective, you can see just how much of this space your heart truly needs right now. The past is coming up for you to see things in a new light, and you are ready to gain some renewed insight, closure, and healing.
AQUARIUS
This Mercury retrograde highlights your friendships, community, and your hopes and dreams, Aquarius. You are being reminded of the importance of connection, but more significantly, of good connections. You are looking at who and what surrounds you right now and gaining clarity on whether this energy matches who you are and the things that you stand for.
Your social circle and the people around you are shifting as the power dynamics do, and you are finding your place and purpose amidst this change. It’s about identifying who and what makes you feel good and aligning things in your life to bring in more of that energy. Don’t be discouraged right now; find your people and ask for support.
PISCES
Your career and ambitions are the focus during this Mercury retrograde, Pisces. You have a lot to address here, and you are gathering your skills and talents and reminding yourself that you are worthy of your dreams. Miscommunications and setbacks are more likely within your professional world, but they are here to ask you if what you are striving for, is really what you need right now.
You are thinking a lot about how you show up in the world, what you want to be known for, and what successes you still want to obtain. This isn’t the time to let anyone’s idea or vision of you define who you are; rather, define that for yourself. Show up as you want to be seen, and don’t count yourself out right now, Pisces.
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