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Switch off thanks to your smartphone: meditation apps in the test
Breathe! How's that again? In our overstimulated, digital age, there is a secret weapon that makes it possible to immerse yourself in a guided meditation at any time: apps! Yes, you read that right. Those smartphones that satisfy the internet addiction of many people every day also offer us the path of daily zen.
Meditation and mindfulness is the tenor that is increasingly being taken seriously by scientists . At the same time, the number of people who go through an entire coffee break without squinting at their smartphone is falling. Should the mobile companions pave the way to inner peace and deceleration?
In fact, mindfulness apps are a perfect way to unwind for a few minutes. Unlike other forms of meditation practice, such as transcendental meditation (TM), which involves silently repeating a mantra, one is guided by a speaker and can choose from a variety of meditation styles .
App tip 1: Headspace, a visual treat
"Andy Puddicombe is doing for meditation what Jamie Oliver has done for food," according to the New York Times of the Headspace app's founder. Andy knows how to properly teach the art of meditation. After all, he was a Buddhist monk before moving to England to start his meditation app.
Once one has mastered the free 10-day basic course (Take 10), countless meditation programs are available. Headspace is designed so that you spend ten minutes a day. The sympathetic design and the gamification approach with vividly illustrated videos also take away the concerns of those people who believe that meditation is only for hippies. The videos can be downloaded and listened to offline.
A great feature is the buddy system, where you can connect with friends and track their progress as well as yours. Not convinced yet? Then read this 90-day experience report with the app. Also inspiring was Andy Puddicombe's Ted Talk on the topic “10 conscious minutes is enough”.
App tip 2: 7Mind, the mindfulness coach from Germany
With the SOS Meditation from 100 to 0? This is possible with the meditation app 7Mind. The app offers a meditation for almost every situation and is an all-round talent for training mindfulness. The app teaches the basics of meditation in just seven, seven-minute lessons. In addition, the app has so-called 7Minis - two-minute meditations for in between - and the possibility to create individual gong meditations. As with Headspace, there are also various topics such as stress, happiness or health.
The reminder function and the possibility of cross-device synchronization are also useful with 7Mind.
App tip 3: With Omvana to Nirvana
Omvana is the iTunes for guided meditation apps. This mindfulness app is a great tool for advanced meditation, but it's also a great place to start for beginners, as you can choose to do a guided meditation or just sit in silence. You can also set reminders for any time of the day, letting you know when it's time to take a break. The length of the meditation can also be freely defined.
By the way: Omvana can also be connected to the HealthKit on the iPhone (the app with the pink heart in the middle).
The 3 meditation apps in comparison
All three apps are implemented at a very high quality level, which is also reflected in the ratings in the respective app stores (all three providers have 4+ stars here). Headspace impresses with its colorful characters and vivid stories, and founder Andy Puddicombe's voice is also very pleasantly calm. 7Mind is ideal for people who want German instructions. The special asset of Omvana is that it covers the entire portfolio of meditations and is therefore also a great choice for advanced users.
| headspace | 7min | Omvana | |
|---|---|---|---|
| design | sympathetic illustrations friendly, playful |
intuitive, simple | intuitive, easy |
| Language | English | German | English |
| Voice | Headspace Founder Andy Puddicombe: Of course, evenly, top! |
7Mind founder Paul J. Kohtes | depending on the item |
| Costs | 10-day free Basic program, subscription: 12.99 EUR/month, EUR 7.92 for annual commitment per month, Forever Unlimited Access 399.99 euros |
Free to get started, in-app purchases, Subscription: 8.99 euros/month 47.99 euros/year |
free items, in-app purchases |
Conclusion: Networking is good, meditation via app is great
A few minutes of “simple being” on the subway or deep sleep meditation before bed. Meditation apps make meditation an experience and motivate beginners in particular to start and make it possible everywhere. It doesn't matter whether you're sitting at work, on the subway or at home on the sofa. Technological progress therefore also has something good and can inspire more slowness.
More apps for meditation
There are numerous other great apps worth mentioning here.
Do you know any meditation apps that you can recommend? Then let us know in the comments!
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