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If you want a free mindfulness app you should consider searching for the one developed by the US Department of Veteran Affairs on your platform's app store. It

If you want a free mindfulness app you should consider searching for the one developed by the US Department of Veteran Affairs on your platform's app store. It usually ranks very low on the list because not many people know about it and because all the other apps market themselves heavily. Unlike all the garbage apps which ask you for subscriptions and DLCs just to play 10 minutes of audio, every single thing is free and freely downloadable. It also has customization options, a journal, a very simple and rational interface and a small corpus of advice.

throw_pm23 3y ago
I find meditation, mindfulness on the one hand and apps, smartphones, and technology, on the other, to be a grotesque contradiction in terms. Obviously I know this is not a widespread opinion.
- Knee_Pain 3y ago
  Explain the contradiction of terms, otherwise this reply is worthlessly vague
  - NoZebra120vClip 3y ago
    A smartphone is a device designed to distract us and hold our attention. Even with a well-behaved app on it, it's still designed and configured to constantly beep and whistle and send notifications, and fly into our hand and compel us to doomscroll something unimportant. It's fairly impossible to reconfigure a consumer device so that it doesn't do this. Someone who is practicing contemplation should not be held prisoner by a robot voice or a glowing screen, but instead reach an inner presence of God, and His stillness encompassing all that we experience during that sacred time. It is absolutely necessary to shut out every distraction possible. At the same time, we acknowledge that the practitioner will be distracted in some way, not through his own fault, and we must learn the proper response to fleeting distractions. But to purposely tether yourself to a created, pagan object is to invite failure from the outset.
    - Knee_Pain 3y ago
      I just put my silenced smartphone on the table and after 15 minutes it sounds a pleasant bell to remind me meditation time is over. Sometimes I want to do guided practice so I listen to the instructions of the meditation guide. So, where is the problem here? Maybe you are arguing an uninformed strawman. I could argue the same thing about going to a place of worship. You are surrounded by people (the thing that biologically distracts us the most since we crave social interactions) that make sounds or move about, plus sometimes there is a master guiding people in their practice. Isn't that the textbook definition of distracting? Why can you magically ignore a whole drove of people around you but somehow a silenced smartphone is just too much to handle? Double standard much. > instead reach an inner presence of God, and His stillness encompassing all that we experience during that sacred time >pagan object this is just baseless cultist talk
      - NoZebra120vClip 3y ago
        > You are surrounded by people The idea of corporate worship is that the assembly is united in their purpose, there is an order observed, and the people develop discipline from this orderly worship. Also, people are not machines and that's disgusting that you draw this analogy. People may distract, even in that situation. Many have their minds elsewhere, some don't want to be there, someone may even be actively disruptive. But corporate worship is not usually contemplative meditation. I have been in worship sessions where silence is strictly enforced, and there is no master guiding an order of prayer. This adoration is always in a group setting. Hey, I've even used my device sometimes to look up Bible verses. It's not sterile. But if someone is sitting at home, alone, the best practice is to shut out unnecessary distractions to the extent that it is possible. And your phone obeys its corporate master. A mobile device is not under the control of the user holding it.
        Knee_Pain 3y ago
        My smartphone does exactly what I tell it to do during my meditation time. You keep arguing a strawman using religious language.
hetzenmat 3y ago
The app is called "Mindfulness Coach". The search is easier with this information.
- Knee_Pain 3y ago
  Thanks, the problem is that the name is very vague so maybe there are copycats or similar sounding options so I wanted to go with the publishers
lynx23 3y ago
Am I the only one who thinks meditation with an app is super hilariously weird? Its hard to explain without falling for too much cynism, but... the topic is mindfulness, not "have my phone tell me what to do next". If you are unable to mediate without the help of an app, start here, instead of pretending you are meditating just because some app tells you every step along the way.
- Knee_Pain 3y ago
  Have you downloaded the app? Have you seen how it works and what its options are? Everything you wrote is coming from a place of ignorance.
- wodenokoto 3y ago
  Is guided meditation on cassette tape also hilariously weird? Or what about in-person guided meditation?
  - throw_pm23 3y ago
    Yes for the first, less so for the second.
- unmole 3y ago
  > Am I the only one who thinks meditation with an app is super hilariously weird? Yes. > have my phone tell me what to do next" The phone is a tool. It doesn't tell me what to do. > you are unable to mediate without the help of an app, start here, instead of pretending you are meditating just because some app tells you every step along the way. Mindfulness and Buddhism is traditionally practiced in a teacher-student setting. Are they all pretending to meditate because they have a teacher telling them what to do every step of the way? Your entire comment reeks of utter mindlessness. Maybe an app would help?
  - lazide 3y ago
    Teachers and the Sangha exist to help guide, direct, and provide accountability for the student. None of which is possible for an App to do, because an App isn’t aware. This outsourcing of basic human awareness and community to tech is quite concerning and actively harmful to our mental health IMO.
unmole 3y ago
Link to Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gov.va.mobilehealth.ncptsd.mindfulnesscoach https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gov.va.mobileh...
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- hitekker 3y ago
  I'm not sure how useful this app is. Scanning the comments down-thread, the people preaching mindfulness seem to struggle to practice it. I thought the whole point was to help a person be self-aware, but I see resentment and rage bubbling up unfiltered.
037 3y ago
Link to Apple App Store (iPhone/iPad) https://apps.apple.com/app/mindfulness-coach/id804284729 https://apps.apple.com/app/mindfulness-coach/id804284729
carvink 3y ago
Also free and relevant - a link to WHO's guide for "unhooking from difficult thoughts and feelings". There's audio you can download. It's not even an app. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240003927 https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240003927 Here's more detail about how it was tested. https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/2022-april-trauma-intervention-ukraine.html https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/2022-apri...
- Reasonabl 3y ago
  This is excellent and to the point. Thanks for sharing.

throw_pm23 3y ago

I find meditation, mindfulness on the one hand and apps, smartphones, and technology, on the other, to be a grotesque contradiction in terms. Obviously I know this is not a widespread opinion.

Knee_Pain 3y ago
Explain the contradiction of terms, otherwise this reply is worthlessly vague
- NoZebra120vClip 3y ago
  A smartphone is a device designed to distract us and hold our attention. Even with a well-behaved app on it, it's still designed and configured to constantly beep and whistle and send notifications, and fly into our hand and compel us to doomscroll something unimportant. It's fairly impossible to reconfigure a consumer device so that it doesn't do this. Someone who is practicing contemplation should not be held prisoner by a robot voice or a glowing screen, but instead reach an inner presence of God, and His stillness encompassing all that we experience during that sacred time. It is absolutely necessary to shut out every distraction possible. At the same time, we acknowledge that the practitioner will be distracted in some way, not through his own fault, and we must learn the proper response to fleeting distractions. But to purposely tether yourself to a created, pagan object is to invite failure from the outset.
  - Knee_Pain 3y ago
    I just put my silenced smartphone on the table and after 15 minutes it sounds a pleasant bell to remind me meditation time is over. Sometimes I want to do guided practice so I listen to the instructions of the meditation guide. So, where is the problem here? Maybe you are arguing an uninformed strawman. I could argue the same thing about going to a place of worship. You are surrounded by people (the thing that biologically distracts us the most since we crave social interactions) that make sounds or move about, plus sometimes there is a master guiding people in their practice. Isn't that the textbook definition of distracting? Why can you magically ignore a whole drove of people around you but somehow a silenced smartphone is just too much to handle? Double standard much. > instead reach an inner presence of God, and His stillness encompassing all that we experience during that sacred time >pagan object this is just baseless cultist talk
    - NoZebra120vClip 3y ago
      > You are surrounded by people The idea of corporate worship is that the assembly is united in their purpose, there is an order observed, and the people develop discipline from this orderly worship. Also, people are not machines and that's disgusting that you draw this analogy. People may distract, even in that situation. Many have their minds elsewhere, some don't want to be there, someone may even be actively disruptive. But corporate worship is not usually contemplative meditation. I have been in worship sessions where silence is strictly enforced, and there is no master guiding an order of prayer. This adoration is always in a group setting. Hey, I've even used my device sometimes to look up Bible verses. It's not sterile. But if someone is sitting at home, alone, the best practice is to shut out unnecessary distractions to the extent that it is possible. And your phone obeys its corporate master. A mobile device is not under the control of the user holding it.
      - Knee_Pain 3y ago
        My smartphone does exactly what I tell it to do during my meditation time. You keep arguing a strawman using religious language.

hetzenmat 3y ago

The app is called "Mindfulness Coach". The search is easier with this information.

Knee_Pain 3y ago
Thanks, the problem is that the name is very vague so maybe there are copycats or similar sounding options so I wanted to go with the publishers

lynx23 3y ago

Am I the only one who thinks meditation with an app is super hilariously weird? Its hard to explain without falling for too much cynism, but... the topic is mindfulness, not "have my phone tell me what to do next". If you are unable to mediate without the help of an app, start here, instead of pretending you are meditating just because some app tells you every step along the way.

Knee_Pain 3y ago
Have you downloaded the app? Have you seen how it works and what its options are? Everything you wrote is coming from a place of ignorance.
wodenokoto 3y ago
Is guided meditation on cassette tape also hilariously weird? Or what about in-person guided meditation?
- throw_pm23 3y ago
  Yes for the first, less so for the second.
unmole 3y ago
> Am I the only one who thinks meditation with an app is super hilariously weird? Yes. > have my phone tell me what to do next" The phone is a tool. It doesn't tell me what to do. > you are unable to mediate without the help of an app, start here, instead of pretending you are meditating just because some app tells you every step along the way. Mindfulness and Buddhism is traditionally practiced in a teacher-student setting. Are they all pretending to meditate because they have a teacher telling them what to do every step of the way? Your entire comment reeks of utter mindlessness. Maybe an app would help?
- lazide 3y ago
  Teachers and the Sangha exist to help guide, direct, and provide accountability for the student. None of which is possible for an App to do, because an App isn’t aware. This outsourcing of basic human awareness and community to tech is quite concerning and actively harmful to our mental health IMO.

unmole 3y ago

Link to Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gov.va.mobilehealth.ncptsd.mindfulnesscoach https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gov.va.mobileh...

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
hitekker 3y ago
I'm not sure how useful this app is. Scanning the comments down-thread, the people preaching mindfulness seem to struggle to practice it. I thought the whole point was to help a person be self-aware, but I see resentment and rage bubbling up unfiltered.

037 3y ago

Link to Apple App Store (iPhone/iPad) https://apps.apple.com/app/mindfulness-coach/id804284729 https://apps.apple.com/app/mindfulness-coach/id804284729

carvink 3y ago

Also free and relevant - a link to WHO's guide for "unhooking from difficult thoughts and feelings". There's audio you can download. It's not even an app. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240003927 https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240003927 Here's more detail about how it was tested. https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/2022-april-trauma-intervention-ukraine.html https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/2022-apri...

Reasonabl 3y ago
This is excellent and to the point. Thanks for sharing.