Gen Zen: Meditation apps are a dime a dozen. I tried out 5 of them for a week and here's what I found

SINGAPORE — Most of us can agree that stress is a constant in this modern life, and we are also increasingly aware that taking a moment to pause and check in on ourselves is important to our mental health.

To those seeking calm amid our endlessly busy lives, meditation is often offered up as a way to ground ourselves. Studies have also shown the benefits of meditation in reducing stress and anxiety, increasing focus and boosting sleep. 

No surprise then, that a gamut of meditation apps have flooded the app market to provide everyone from meditation novices to seasoned practitioners with convenient ways to zen out.

It can be intimidating to get started when there is so much information out there and so many options to choose from. 

And so I decided to try out some of the most popular meditation and wellness apps out there to find out which may be best for different segments of the population. 

I measured the apps based their cost, features, intuitiveness and overall experience. 

After a week of meditating and hearing soothing voices asking me to close my eyes and focus on my breath, I’ve concluded that finding the right meditation app is a personal journey.

Whether you prefer an evidence-based approach or more gentle, mindful ways to move, there is an app that understands and caters to your needs.  

HEADSPACE 

One of the most well-known apps on the market, Headspace caters to all levels, with introductory courses all the way to more advanced sessions for long-time meditators.  

The app offers various structured courses that require users to spend a maximum of 10 minutes a day, from learning the basics of meditation to more targeted courses dealing with issues such as work stress and anxiety.

If courses are too much of a commitment, there are also emotion-based single sessions, such as a 10-minute guided meditation for when you are feeling frustrated or gearing up for a difficult conversation.

Headspace also offers Sleepcasts, soothing audio to help users fall asleep, as well as animated videos that explain meditation techniques in an engaging way.

The app's Mindful Workouts series combines physical exercises and dance with mindfulness practices. For example, their Mindful Cardio series makes running or jogging an intentional and mindful exercise. During the 10-minute run, the coach guides you to check in with your body and notice your surroundings.

I enjoyed being especially present during the exercise and aware of both my mind and body working together. I left the short session feeling energised and my mind also felt more alert.

My experience with Headspace was a breeze. The app's intuitive design and vast library of content made my meditation journey a delightful exploration. 

Cost: 14-day free trial, S$17.98 per month, S$138.98 annual subscription

10 PERCENT HAPPIER 

10 Percent Happier is designed for people who may be skeptical of meditation and want to learn the science behind it, or those who prefer a more practical approach to the practice.

The app offers videos that break down the psychology behind feelings such as stress, anxiety and phobias, and offer guided meditation sessions related to each video. 

These in-depth mindfulness and mental health courses are led by experienced meditation experts, including authors of mindfulness books and academics who teach mindfulness courses at universities.

The app also has videos of interviews and talks with meditation experts for those who want to understand the nuts and bolts of the practice.

Personally, I found 10 Percent Happier’s courses helpful in learning about meditation from those in the field. I like that there is a short and engaging video that preps you before each meditation session.

Their single meditation session also covers a variety of topics taught by different experts, something I quite enjoyed.

For single meditation sessions, users can choose the length of the session, which can be as short as 5 minutes or as long as 45 minutes. 

Cost: Seven-day free trial, S$19.98 per month, S$138.98 annual subscription

CALM 

Another well-known meditation app, Calm, features guided meditations focusing on stress management, anxiety, and sleep.

Like Headspace, Calm offers content such as soundscapes, sleep stories and guided breathwork and meditation sessions.

A defining feature of Calm is the Daily Calm session. Each day the app offers up a 10-minute meditation session that is weaved together with a story.

The app has also started offering mindful stretching and light exercise guides called the Daily Move, nuggets of wisdom titled the Daily Jay, and a more fun meditation to start your day with the Daily Trip. 

A unique feature of Calm's Sleep Stories is that they are sometimes narrated by famous personalities.

I found the Sleep Stories read by Harry Styles and Cillian Murphy especially soothing, while Lebron James's session on training your mind is a masterclass in focus and how to build mental strength.

The strength of Calm is its collaboration with actors and singers to add a mindful slant to content you might be familiar with. For example, the app has an hour-long track by American singer-songwriter JVKE entitled "This Is What Sleep Sounds Like", a riff on his album track titles. 

Cost: Seven-day free trial, S$78.98 annual subscription, S$599,98 one-time lifetime subscription

DOWNDOG 

Down Dog is a fitness app that includes meditation and breathwork exercises.

You can tailor your meditation sessions by choosing the length, focus and background sounds to suit your preferences. 

The app integrates seamlessly with Down Dog’s other fitness apps, which offer guided yoga, HIIT and barre exercises. A subscription to Down Dog gives you access to all of these apps.

Down Dog is probably more well-suited to people who are already familiar with meditation and want to be able to jump into a session without any extra videos or frills to sit through.

Cost: Seven-day free trial, S$14.48 monthly subscription, S$88.98 yearly subscription 

INSIGHT TIMER 

Insight Timer is an app with an extensive library of guided sessions and a strong community approach.

The app includes a customisable meditation timer with ambient sounds, structured courses and workshops, and a strong community aspect, allowing users to connect with others and join interest-based groups. 

Meditation should not have to cost an arm and a leg and Insight Timer is one of the few apps that offers a free version that allows users access to more than 146,000 guided meditations, talks, podcasts, and music tracks.

The free version does not include access to the app's courses, offline listening, or the ability to rewind or fast-forward. 

I was impressed by the variety of guides available on the app —in addition to the usual courses on issues such as stress and anxiety, boundaries and productivity, the app even offers meditation courses on topics such as beauty and ageing. 

Insight Timer's seemingly endless library of guides can be overwhelming for those just starting out, but if you are looking to further your practice or uncover other parts of yourself, this would be a good app to dive into. 

Cost: Seven-day free trial, S$13.48 monthly subscription, S$81.98 yearly subscription 

As someone who tries to keep up with her meditation practice, this experiment in trying out various apps was a helpful to see what works for me. 

I was already subscribed to Calm for its accessible Daily Calm practice and Sleep Stories, but now I'm considering a subscription to 10 Percent Happier too.

I feel that its evidence-based approach, complemented by informative documentary-style videos, not only enhances my practice but also deepens my understanding of meditation. 

That said, what is right for me may not be the best choice for everyone else. So I suggest you close your eyes, focus on your breath and start your own exploration of the world of meditation.