6 ms·

Would you recommend an app like Calm or Headspace to get started with meditation?

cube2222 7y ago
I haven't used any of them. I've heard good things about them though from other people using them. I myself think that meditation is the hardest - and for me the most effective - when I do it with as few external stimuli as possible.
ir0s 7y ago
I've recently started using Headspace, and am a big fan.
c1sc0 7y ago
To get started. Absolutely. Headspace has been instrumental in dealing with a very hard time in my life. For a secular, scientific look at mindfulness meditation read the book “Why Buddhism is true.”
- aNoob7000 7y ago
  Thanks for the feedback. I'm going to give it a try.
- Fishysoup 7y ago
  Haven't read that one, but "Buddhism without Beliefs" is also a great read on Buddhism without the supernatural stuff people have attached to it over the centuries.
- adolph 7y ago
  Here is a podcast with the author: https://samharris.org/podcasts/is-buddhism-true/ https://samharris.org/podcasts/is-buddhism-true/
  - hombre_fatal 7y ago
    Of course, Sam Harris himself has a meditation app (Waking Up). I think might be the best option for the HN crowd.
    - c1sc0 7y ago
      Thanks. Didn’t know that. On my second listen of the book but will check out the app for sure now.
    - Fnoord 7y ago
      Here [1] is the Exodus Privacy report for this app. To be fair, I did like the FAQ on the website. [1] https://reports.exodus-privacy.eu.org/en/reports/38025/ https://reports.exodus-privacy.eu.org/en/reports/38025/
      - hombre_fatal 7y ago
        Fwiw, Waking Up gets better marks by those metrics than the other popular meditation apps mentioned in these comments: Headspace and Calm. (Lower is better) - Waking Up (3+11=14) - Headspace (11+16=27) - Calm (9+15=24)
    - kranner 7y ago
      I've tried the Harris app. Everyone can do better than 10-20 minute sessions with Harris rambling in the background, acting as a constant distraction by going on and on about free will and the nature of consciousness. IMO the HN crowd doesn't have to limit itself to any specific apps. We all have access to books that discuss the hows and whys in much greater detail than any app currently does.
hailwren 7y ago
I started with Headspace, but feel like I get significantly higher returns without it. Something about having to concentrate on someone else's voice that makes the whole experience a little bit less effective for me. That said, I'd certainly recommend an app vs nothing, and perhaps as a good way to dip your toes in. I'd just also recommend trying it without the app after you've gotten comfortable with it.
- number6 7y ago
  How do you meditate without the app. I tried headspace. It's great but it is too expensive for me.
  - alex504 7y ago
    Not sure what your practice is like with the app. But for a stability practice which is the more common type, I would set a timer and sit with good posture so your skeleton is supporting itself. Focus on your breathing especially within the body. It's important not to meditate from the head but from the body. When your attention wanders and you notice it go back to concentrating on your breathing.
    - number6 7y ago
      Basically listening what to do - mostly it is focusing on breath. Let go of thoughts. Bodyscan. Well this. I am not sure why I don't just do it on my own but somehow I dont without a primer
      - alex504 7y ago
        It sounds to me like you will reach a better practice without the app regardless of cost. I would force myself to do it without the app for 20 or 25 minutes, just wait for the timer to go off. Do that a few times and it will get easier. From my experience you will get better results this way as the guides are ultimately a distraction.
  - codeisawesome 7y ago
namanyayg 7y ago
For beginners, I would recommend two things: ambient noise (with headphones/noise-cancelling works best for me), and a soft alarm for the timer. I used to DIY it, but I find the InsightTimer app is a free & customizable solution filling both these needs.
- vmurthy 7y ago
  I use the Chimes tone on my iPhone at a low enough volume. Quite gentle to wake up to after a session of meditation.
  - cmroanirgo 7y ago
    I've used apps and various bell tones, but now I generally choose Moonlight Sonata: it's quiet and gentle and beautiful and very gradually drags you out of the place you were.
- krtkush 7y ago
  Oak app on iOS is pretty good for these requirements. It is very minimalistic and does not try to push paid features.
bonniemuffin 7y ago
Sure--I recommend whatever gets you to practice every day. If that's an app, then use an app. If it's a book or an in-person class/group or a meditation buddy, use that. I started with an in-person class and audio guided meditations, and then "graduated" to Insight Timer (just white noise with a bell at the end) once I felt like I was getting the hang of it. In the beginning it felt like the spoken guidance was helpful, then after a while it started to feel like it was distracting me or holding me back, so I stopped using it.
phil_folrida 7y ago
since 2014 I am using Muse https://choosemuse.com/ https://choosemuse.com/ It helped me.
mitko 7y ago
Yes, I’d recommend Headspace, to start. It makes it EASY, and really breaks down the technique in simple parts! I was arrogant before that and thought I don’t need a “guided” meditation, but I was wrong. I’ve also been using Waking up recently, though that definitely has a steper learning curve. Headspace is like a “elementary school” while waking up is “middle school” in terms of difficulty. I don’t think I would have been able to form a lasting habit had I started with Waking up. Headspace is so well curated. Today I use both- one session per day each. I haven’t tried Calm and have no opinion it.
jammygit 7y ago
The waking up app was more to my taste personally. I’m not a consistent practitioner however
rewgs 7y ago
I’m going to be the contrarian here: no, I do not recommend ever using an app to meditate. Using an app vs simply sitting is (potentially strange analogy here) sort of like being in a restaurant with TV’s vs without. When there’s TV’s, it’s much harder to keep a conversation going because they suck our attention like bugs to a light. Without TV’s, you feel more present, more “there.” Given that, very often, the “point” of meditation (if there is one) is to cultivate a sense of being right here right now, an app seems to me a very uncomfortable and unnecessary middleman. There is nothing to “do,” no way to make starting “easier.” Just sit, and see what happens, and proceed from there.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
leetbulb 7y ago
Brain.fm works extremely well.
Obi_Juan_Kenobi 7y ago
A simple timer is all you need, and that's of course optional as well. It is good to provide a bit of structure to your practice, and the duration of the sit is important. To get started, I think it's much better to offload that worry (have I sat long enough? etc.) to a simple timer. Then you just sit until it sounds. Directed meditation is fine, too. Try it out if you like; it's usually best to try a few approaches and learn from each.
0xdeadbeefbabe 7y ago
Headspace is too bossy.
Fnoord 7y ago
I have some very good audio [1] guided meditations (in my own language). I guess they're called podcast in popular culture? Not sure, as they're not publicly available. Anyway, they're from mindfulness teachers. One teacher my partner had, the other one I had. These can absolutely help. It can teach you the methods of the different meditations without further help or reading (though it was recommended to read up on them in a complimentary book). The ones I have also have a friendly, calm voice. One's even specifically for people with autism (I have a diagnosis). With regards to apps, I'd mind my privacy. I'd rather pay for an audio fragment than that. I also do yoga weekly which is concluded with a 10-15 min long meditation. My yoga teacher also has a friendly voice. Sometimes I find his visualization techniques rather... flighty? but then I just follow my own flow and ignore him. Doing it in a group has the advantage that you're into it together, but it has the disadvantage that other people can be noisy at times. One guy in my group falls asleep and snores which enforces pressure on staying calm, as it can upset me, but you could consider that part of the exercise.
codeisawesome 7y ago
I. love. Headspace. Life changing.

I haven't used any of them. I've heard good things about them though from other people using them. I myself think that meditation is the hardest - and for me the most effective - when I do it with as few external stimuli as possible.

ir0s 7y ago

I've recently started using Headspace, and am a big fan.

c1sc0 7y ago

To get started. Absolutely. Headspace has been instrumental in dealing with a very hard time in my life. For a secular, scientific look at mindfulness meditation read the book “Why Buddhism is true.”

aNoob7000 7y ago
Thanks for the feedback. I'm going to give it a try.
Fishysoup 7y ago
Haven't read that one, but "Buddhism without Beliefs" is also a great read on Buddhism without the supernatural stuff people have attached to it over the centuries.
adolph 7y ago
Here is a podcast with the author: https://samharris.org/podcasts/is-buddhism-true/ https://samharris.org/podcasts/is-buddhism-true/
- hombre_fatal 7y ago
  Of course, Sam Harris himself has a meditation app (Waking Up). I think might be the best option for the HN crowd.
  - c1sc0 7y ago
    Thanks. Didn’t know that. On my second listen of the book but will check out the app for sure now.
  - Fnoord 7y ago
    Here [1] is the Exodus Privacy report for this app. To be fair, I did like the FAQ on the website. [1] https://reports.exodus-privacy.eu.org/en/reports/38025/ https://reports.exodus-privacy.eu.org/en/reports/38025/
    - hombre_fatal 7y ago
      Fwiw, Waking Up gets better marks by those metrics than the other popular meditation apps mentioned in these comments: Headspace and Calm. (Lower is better) - Waking Up (3+11=14) - Headspace (11+16=27) - Calm (9+15=24)
  - kranner 7y ago
    I've tried the Harris app. Everyone can do better than 10-20 minute sessions with Harris rambling in the background, acting as a constant distraction by going on and on about free will and the nature of consciousness. IMO the HN crowd doesn't have to limit itself to any specific apps. We all have access to books that discuss the hows and whys in much greater detail than any app currently does.

hailwren 7y ago

I started with Headspace, but feel like I get significantly higher returns without it. Something about having to concentrate on someone else's voice that makes the whole experience a little bit less effective for me. That said, I'd certainly recommend an app vs nothing, and perhaps as a good way to dip your toes in. I'd just also recommend trying it without the app after you've gotten comfortable with it.

number6 7y ago
How do you meditate without the app. I tried headspace. It's great but it is too expensive for me.
- alex504 7y ago
  Not sure what your practice is like with the app. But for a stability practice which is the more common type, I would set a timer and sit with good posture so your skeleton is supporting itself. Focus on your breathing especially within the body. It's important not to meditate from the head but from the body. When your attention wanders and you notice it go back to concentrating on your breathing.
  - number6 7y ago
    Basically listening what to do - mostly it is focusing on breath. Let go of thoughts. Bodyscan. Well this. I am not sure why I don't just do it on my own but somehow I dont without a primer
    - alex504 7y ago
      It sounds to me like you will reach a better practice without the app regardless of cost. I would force myself to do it without the app for 20 or 25 minutes, just wait for the timer to go off. Do that a few times and it will get easier. From my experience you will get better results this way as the guides are ultimately a distraction.
- codeisawesome 7y ago

namanyayg 7y ago

For beginners, I would recommend two things: ambient noise (with headphones/noise-cancelling works best for me), and a soft alarm for the timer. I used to DIY it, but I find the InsightTimer app is a free & customizable solution filling both these needs.

vmurthy 7y ago
I use the Chimes tone on my iPhone at a low enough volume. Quite gentle to wake up to after a session of meditation.
- cmroanirgo 7y ago
  I've used apps and various bell tones, but now I generally choose Moonlight Sonata: it's quiet and gentle and beautiful and very gradually drags you out of the place you were.
krtkush 7y ago
Oak app on iOS is pretty good for these requirements. It is very minimalistic and does not try to push paid features.

bonniemuffin 7y ago

Sure--I recommend whatever gets you to practice every day. If that's an app, then use an app. If it's a book or an in-person class/group or a meditation buddy, use that. I started with an in-person class and audio guided meditations, and then "graduated" to Insight Timer (just white noise with a bell at the end) once I felt like I was getting the hang of it. In the beginning it felt like the spoken guidance was helpful, then after a while it started to feel like it was distracting me or holding me back, so I stopped using it.

phil_folrida 7y ago

since 2014 I am using Muse https://choosemuse.com/ https://choosemuse.com/ It helped me.

mitko 7y ago

Yes, I’d recommend Headspace, to start. It makes it EASY, and really breaks down the technique in simple parts! I was arrogant before that and thought I don’t need a “guided” meditation, but I was wrong. I’ve also been using Waking up recently, though that definitely has a steper learning curve. Headspace is like a “elementary school” while waking up is “middle school” in terms of difficulty. I don’t think I would have been able to form a lasting habit had I started with Waking up. Headspace is so well curated. Today I use both- one session per day each. I haven’t tried Calm and have no opinion it.

jammygit 7y ago

The waking up app was more to my taste personally. I’m not a consistent practitioner however

rewgs 7y ago

I’m going to be the contrarian here: no, I do not recommend ever using an app to meditate. Using an app vs simply sitting is (potentially strange analogy here) sort of like being in a restaurant with TV’s vs without. When there’s TV’s, it’s much harder to keep a conversation going because they suck our attention like bugs to a light. Without TV’s, you feel more present, more “there.” Given that, very often, the “point” of meditation (if there is one) is to cultivate a sense of being right here right now, an app seems to me a very uncomfortable and unnecessary middleman. There is nothing to “do,” no way to make starting “easier.” Just sit, and see what happens, and proceed from there.

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

leetbulb 7y ago

Brain.fm works extremely well.

Obi_Juan_Kenobi 7y ago

A simple timer is all you need, and that's of course optional as well. It is good to provide a bit of structure to your practice, and the duration of the sit is important. To get started, I think it's much better to offload that worry (have I sat long enough? etc.) to a simple timer. Then you just sit until it sounds. Directed meditation is fine, too. Try it out if you like; it's usually best to try a few approaches and learn from each.

0xdeadbeefbabe 7y ago

Headspace is too bossy.

Fnoord 7y ago

I have some very good audio [1] guided meditations (in my own language). I guess they're called podcast in popular culture? Not sure, as they're not publicly available. Anyway, they're from mindfulness teachers. One teacher my partner had, the other one I had. These can absolutely help. It can teach you the methods of the different meditations without further help or reading (though it was recommended to read up on them in a complimentary book). The ones I have also have a friendly, calm voice. One's even specifically for people with autism (I have a diagnosis). With regards to apps, I'd mind my privacy. I'd rather pay for an audio fragment than that. I also do yoga weekly which is concluded with a 10-15 min long meditation. My yoga teacher also has a friendly voice. Sometimes I find his visualization techniques rather... flighty? but then I just follow my own flow and ignore him. Doing it in a group has the advantage that you're into it together, but it has the disadvantage that other people can be noisy at times. One guy in my group falls asleep and snores which enforces pressure on staying calm, as it can upset me, but you could consider that part of the exercise.

codeisawesome 7y ago

I. love. Headspace. Life changing.