Life is stressful.
Concerns about new waves of COVID-19, global affairs, natural disasters, personal finances, and even family disagreements over polarized politics have dominated our thoughts to the point that finding peace of mind has become a necessary pastime.
Dozens of apps offer meditation oases that help you stay in the present moment, but to get the most out of the experience, you’ll need to pay a subscription fee.
You can try them out to see which one works best for you, but you’ll have to pay at least $10 a month to get access to features like guided meditations and self-esteem exercises.
We’ve also found some apps that are completely free, meaning there are no subscription fees and no need to cancel the service after the trial period. Keep in mind that free might mean intermittent ads, requests for donations, advertising one-to-one services, or repeating the same limited brain teasers. If saving money gives you peace of mind, then so be it.
Most of these apps ask you to register or share personal information to customize your experience. Unless otherwise noted, all apps are available from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
How to get peace of mind for free
Healthy mind. Healthy Minds Free Meditation Programs, born from Healthy Minds Innovations and the Healthy Minds Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, offer audio-guided lessons in podcast format in both seated and active poses, as well as educational modules that connect awareness, connection, insight and purpose. The goal is to provide an opportunity to not only engage in meditation and mindfulness, but also learn about the science behind strengthening and healing mental health.
Mindfulness coach. Developed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD, Mindfulness Coach was originally designed to help veterans and active duty military members practice mindfulness to reduce stress, improve emotional balance, and increase self-awareness.
Mindfulness Coach combines guided sessions with a learning section on the benefits of mindfulness, tips to improve focus, and expertise development. In the practice area, you can choose from a range of free lessons, meditation techniques, goal setting and tracking tools, and links to additional content that you can download for free. Find it on the VA mobile website.
Youtube. People may turn to YouTube to find movie trailers, music videos, or instructions on how to fix their toilet, but there are also thousands of meditation and mindfulness videos from amateur and professional instructors.
Channels include Mindfulness Exercises with Sean Fargo, Great Meditations, and Meditative Minds. Popular subscription apps Calm, Headspace, and Simple Habit also have free YouTube channels with exclusive videos. The best part is, you can watch them all anywhere, with no download required. YouTube is available as an app optimized for mobile devices and on the web.
AARP Virtual Community Center. The series of exercise and wellness classes includes meditation, mindfulness and yoga for beginners and those looking to get back into exercise. These free online events include mindful movement, calming meditation, laughter yoga, qi gong, tai chi and more, and you don’t need to be an AARP member to participate.
