7 Apps For Guided Meditation For The Woman Fighting To Find Peace Of Mind
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:
Self-Aware People Pray and/or Meditate
5 Essential Apps That Will Help You Keep Up With Your Resolutions
10 Ways To Calm Down When You're Stressed
Featured image by Shutterstock.
- Insight Timer - Meditation App on the App Store ›
- The Best Free Meditation Apps | SELF ›
- Best Meditation, Relaxation & Mindfulness Apps - 14 Reviews ... ›
- Headspace: Meditation & Sleep on the App Store ›
- The Best Meditation Apps: Reviews by Wirecutter ›
- Five Free Mindfulness Apps Worthy of Your Attention ›
- The 6 Best Meditation Apps For 2018 ›
- 11 meditation apps for better sleep and less stress - CNET ›
- Best Meditation Apps of 2019 ›
Charmaine Patterson is a journalist, lifestyle blogger, and a lover of all things pop culture. While she has much experience in covering top entertainment news stories, she aims to share her everyday life experiences, old and new, with other women who can relate, laugh, and love along with her. Follow Char on Twitter @charjpatterson, Instagram @charpatterson, and keep up with her journey at CharJPatterson.com .
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
This Content Creator’s Journey To Clear Skin Began With Trusting With The Process
In About Face, xoNecole gets the 411 on IGers who give us #skincaregoals on a daily. Here they break down their beauty routines on the inside and out, as well as the highly coveted products that grace their shelves and their skin.
Kyra Joe is the Queen of all things beauty. She regularly lets us in on her beauty routine while sharing updates on her dating life. The content creator debuts flawless skin and aspirational makeup routines in each video. As a consumer, it's easy to assume that Joe has always had the perfect canvas for the beauty world. However, that is not the case.
Like most of us, she's experienced her share of struggles with acne and hyperpigmentation. “I saw a dermatologist when I was 14, and the products he recommended didn’t work because I wasn’t consistent,” Joe said. The responsibility and consistency required of Joe in her adolescence made skincare feel like a job rather than a self-care act.
In 2020, things began to take a pivotal turn for Joe when she found herself regularly consuming skincare TikToks during the pandemic. “I saw people showing me how to use skincare products to get rid of hormonal acne and hyperpigmentation. That made a huge difference for me.” Her enjoyment began to arise as she tried recommended products from her favorite skincare content creators.
Joe added, “I was finally starting to enjoy skincare because I was finding products that worked for me through TikTok. I had undereye patches and creams and began building a routine.” What was once a chore has now become a passion. Joe has since grown an online community of more than 200,000 across TikTok and Instagram, sharing her beauty secrets underneath the moniker Kyra Nikole.
Courtesy
“I learned early on in my journey to keep things simple. I also try to encourage this in my content,” said Joe. Being able to get to the root when a breakout occurs is why Joe chooses and encourages skincare routines to be simple. “If I have a breakout, it’s easier for me to figure out what product causes it if I don’t have an extensive routine.”
Keeping things simple has allowed Joe to clear up her hormonal acne and manage her hyperpigmentation, and keeping things minimal has given Joe a clear canvas for her makeup.
She gave us an inside look into the skincare routine that’s changed her views on self-care:
Kyra Nikole's Daytime Skincare Routine
Step One: Hyper Skin Hyper Even Facewash
Hyper Skin
“I love this because it’s specifically made for hyperpigmentation, and it’s a gentle cleanser.”
Step Two: Pixi Glow Tonic
Pixi
“It’s an exfoliating toner, but it’s light enough to use daily. I use this for both day and night.”
Step Three: Glazing Milk Essence By Rhode Skin
Rhode Skin
“I have eczema and dry skin, so this helps give me the moisture that I need.”
Step Four: La Roche-Posay Moisturizer
La Roche-Posay
“This is just a regular moisturizer that I love because it sits well under my makeup.”
Step Five: Kiehl's Better Screen UV Sunscreen
Kiehl's
"There is no white cast, no peeling, it works under makeup, and it’s SPF 50; there’s nothing better than that!”
Kyra Nikole's Nighttime Skincare Routine:
Joe uses the same products for her nighttime skincare routine, except for sunscreen. Her main goal is to lock in hydration to last the entire evening. Aquaphor is her ointment of choice to ensure her skin gets the moisture it deserves.
Final Step: Aquaphor Healing Ointment
Aquaphor
"Aquaphor does a great job of holding in the moisture.”
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image courtesy