App Review: Healthy Minds Program’s Meditation App

Best free Meditation App (as reviewed by NYT WireCutter). Developed by scientists who study well-being as a skill that can be measured and trained.

Meditation is almost as old as civilization. Before smart-phones and even TV sets, meditation masters oversaw the training of monks who wished to learn meditation. There are still masters for those who don’t have a device that runs today’s meditation applications — and who may have trouble resisting the temptations that come from endless distraction streams <wink>.

Although I’ve meditated for far longer than I’ve had a smart phone, I do recognize the value of app-based guided meditation. I hope you’re curious what I have learned from the Healthy Minds meditation app. We humans never stop learning new tricks.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the recommendation from the New York Times Wirecutter. Of the number of meditation apps they reviewed, the Healthy Minds app was recommended for those who don’t want to spend money on an app (it’s free). The phrase “you get what you pay for” doesn’t apply to this app. I’ve found the app to be useful to both beginners and experienced meditators. (There is also a review of another free app geared toward younger practitioners — even kids — but I have not yet reviewed this app.)

Features

Here are features of the Healthy Minds Program app this reviewer likes:

• For many of the sessions, the app allows you to choose the length of your session. Options from 5, 10, 15, 20 or 30 minutes make a practice session easier to fit into the time you have available. You can dip your toes into some topics, deep dive into other topics, and later on, revisit any topic for a different length of time, and for as many times as you like. You can also see the last time you’ve practiced each session.

• You can choose whether your session is a “sitting” meditation or an “active” meditation. The session is adjusted to whether you’re seated (commuting on transit or sitting on a porch swing, for example) or active (walking, stationary cycling, or watering plants).

• There are different speakers. Try out different speakers to find the one that works best for your practice. No matter your preference, the material is the same.

• A path is laid out for you to follow if you choose. This is appropriate both for beginners and experienced meditators who wouldn’t mind some structure. The path proceeds from an introduction into:

  • Awareness

  • Connection

  • Insight

  • Purpose

• Interspersed among the meditation practice sessions are learning sessions where you find out about the science behind the meditation practice. The app was developed by scientists at Healthy Minds Innovations. Those scientists have found that well-being is a skill that can be taught and measured (Ramblin Nerd appreciates this, I’m sure). The sessions reflect that science.

Visit the Healthy Minds Program site to install the app on your device.