Insight Timer
available in iOS and Android
free, with premium version available
Reviewed by Anne Burnett, Foreign and International Law Librarian and ultra-fidgety seeker of mindfulness
The Insight Timer app provides access to over 40,000 guided meditations of varying topics and lengths, either with or without music. Over 4500 mindfulness experts, psychologists, neuroscientists, and educators contribute to the library of guided meditations. In addition, the app includes music tracks of different genres (ambient, classical, drumming) as well as nature sounds.
Bedtime Tales provides stories, poems and meditations designed to aid sleep.
And if all you seek is a timer, the app provides a simple bell timer as well.
The app allows you to track and mark as “favorites” the meditations you have used as well as the time you have spent meditating. It also provides a social platform where you can connect with instructors and other users. With over 15 million members, Insight Timer also facilitates over 2000 topical discussion groups and local meetups run by users.
Almost all the content in Insight Timer is free, although a Premium Membership of $59.99/year unlocks 200 courses ranging from 10 to 20 days with titles such as “Finding Calm During Difficult Times,” and “Raise Your Vibration Through Sport.” There is a 7-day trial of the premium plan.
My experience: The extensive library of available meditations provides something for everyone, but it can be overwhelming. Filtering by length, type of voice, background music, and other options helps narrow down the choices. I have also found that the variety of options opened up a new world to me. As a super fidgety seeker of mindfulness, I have always sought guided meditations to keep my mind from veering off into primal scream left field, and I also have avoided sessions with background music. I recently decided to give some of the music in the app a try, and, to my surprise, I discovered that Tibetan drums provide just the right aural space for unguided meditations.
I recommend Insight Timer for those seeking a variety of mindfulness experiences as well as the opportunity to connect with others via a social platform.
