Buddhify: Guided Meditation

I’ve used Buddhify for a few years now, and it’s by far the most usable, helpful and interesting of any meditation aides I’ve tried, at a much more accessible price point than most. Before this I had 0 experience with meditation, and felt it was useless when I tried because I didn’t know how to go about it, or what to aim for. Then I started listening to Buddhify’s shorter 5-15 minute guided meditations most nights before bed— in addition to being a very relaxing pre-sleep ritual, I gradually learned and practiced various approaches to meditation- techniques, mind states, even fun games. I still love to listen to Buddhify’s tracks frequently, but the best thing is that Buddhify taught me templates for meditative mental states that I can now use independently as well. The app is also beautifully designed, voices are enjoyable to listen to, and there’s clearly such care put into every aspect of it— I can’t recommend it enough.

... and possibly just the best meditation app, period. If you’re like me and find yourself put off by New Age-flavored 30-minute long meditation sessions and just want to start learning techniques for enjoying the evidence-based benefits of meditation, this may be the app for you. It’s a practical approach to squeezing in a few minutes of meditative thought that doesn’t require sitting in the lotus position or intense concentration to feel accomplished. The app encourages very casual use—most meditations are around 5-10 minutes long, and can be done sitting, commuting, eating, bathing, with friends, and more. If you’re going through a difficult period or have mental health disorders, this app can help too. I have anxiety and am going through a period of major upheaval in my life, and this app has become an important part of coping. My favorite time to use it is at bedtime (very good at helping me relax and fall asleep) and waking up, but I’ve also dipped in during lunch breaks at work and while just around the apartment. I would say my one nitpick with it is a few of the meditations could be slightly better structured or written (ie: pauses that are too long or too short or misplaced), but there’s so many options that I can’t ding it for the imperfect. And even with that quibble, there’s nothing shoddy or poorly done about any of them. This is a wonderfully practical meditation app for modern use. I can’t recommend it enough.

I love this app! It makes getting started meditating super easy and relatable. There are some longer meditations but there are bunches of shorter ones. And you could always repeat one or for several in a row. And there are meditations on tons of topics(even bath time and sitting at your computer!). I love that the emphasis is basically just do what you do. There is nothing you “should” do or improve. Just get started, and see how you feel and change over time. They also have a spot to reflect on your meditation at the end of it. I think that helps remind you of how meditation can help you. Overall, they make it super accessible. I know it’s not free, but I do prefer the small up-front app cost as opposed to an ongoing membership fee. In my experience the membership fees add up over time to a much higher cost for the consumer.

A friend recommended this app when I told her I suffer from insomnia. At first, I wasn’t sure I wanted to pay so much for an app, but it has been worth it. I tried Zen meditation in the past and always felt like I couldn’t get it right, so I was a bit skeptical. When I wake up in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep, I listen to this app and it helps me relax and let go of whatever is racing through my mind. The speakers’ voices are pleasant and calming. I love their British accents. The meditations tell you it’s okay if you don’t understand it right away. Instead of missing hours of sleep, I only miss 30-45 minutes. I haven’t tried the other meditations, yet. I like that they are short and there are a variety of topics. You can sit quietly on a work break and listen to a session for 10-15 minutes. Overall, a great introduction to meditation.

I’ve searched for apps to help me overcome some obstacles. But lots of them are ridiculously overpriced MONTHLY I would like to add, and require you to be sitting there listening for 30-60 minutes! That’s nice for something like bedtime maybe. But I don’t have all day for that! Buddhify is a very reasonably priced, one time fee! The app itself is very user friendly. There are many categories available. I am also sure that the meditations will be updated to different ones. (I hope! Since it would become monotonous) I started a full time bachelors program recently. I haven’t been in college for a few years. This causes racing thoughts of how much I have to do, motivational problems of where to start. On a break I listened to one and it motivated me in 5 minutes! This is just an example of one of the amazing categories available. Take a chance and get it!! It has helped me get with the program and reduce stress and anxiety. I suffer from bad adult ADHD, anxious thoughts and I put a ton of pressure on myself causing me a lot of unneeded stress! It has helped me lesson these repetitive stressful thoughts! Helped me to become a happier, more mindful thinker who can get her work done without totally freaking out! You won’t be sorry.