Meditating Mother

Recommended Meditation Apps for Mothers

Feel like you ‘should’ be meditating, but never really manage to get into it?

Have a monkey mind and can’t stop the endless chatter running through your head?

I hear you!

For years I tried to develop a meditation practice. I’d heard all of the amazing benefits, including less stress and anxiety, the ability to manage emotions, unwind and be more present.

Yet all I seemed to accomplish in a session was mentally scanning my to-do list or pondering what I should make for dinner.

Now I’m using guided meditation apps. They give my mind something positive to latch on to so I won’t automatically go off on a wild thought tangent.

I’ve been experimenting with several meditation phone apps. Here are some great ones and in the comments below, please share any you like too.

My Recommended Meditation Apps for Mothers

Insight Timer

I’m listing this one first as it’s my latest and greatest discovery! This app is free – and it always will be, which is incredible when you consider that there are over 1,000 guided meditations and music tracks to choose from. You can bookmark your favourites and pick one based on how long you’ve got or what you want to get out of it. I choose a lovely Morning Meditation as soon as I wake up, usually around 15 – 20 minutes long. There’s also a selection of nighttime meditations to drift you off into blissful sleep. I often grab a short one before I pick the kids up from school to put me in a more loving, present state. There are meditations for children too.

Edited: I’ve now written a whole blog post called Best Insight Timer Meditations for Mothers.

I’ve started a Group in this app called Project Me For Busy Mothers. Come and join the group so we can share our favourite meditations and support each other to make meditation a happy habit.

Calm

This beautiful app opens with soothing music and floaty bubble images. Start with the free 7 Days Of Calm series. Each guided 10-minute meditation talks you gently through mindfulness, patience, presence and pulling out of auto-pilot. (Which busy mother doesn’t need more of that?)  

It comes with a lovely two-minute Pause In Your Day meditation for those times when you need to lock yourself in the bathroom and get a grip…

I love how you can also select music and a visual to meditate to, without any guidance. I use this (carefully!) on the side of a candlelit bath. A gently flowing stream, crackling fireplace, or my fave, a tranquil beach at sunset. Calgon, take me away… 

Once you’ve explored the free stuff, you’ll find monthly and yearly subscription options which unlock more 7 day programmes. There’s one for helping you get to sleep, releasing anxiety, boosting confidence, and finding motivation, to name just a few. You can create a profile to track your stats – great for developing a meditation habit.

Omvana

This is the #1 meditation app in over 30 countries, so I knew I had to give it a try. For me, it took a little figuring out. You use two wheels to dial up a guided meditation and select the background music to mix with it. It comes with several meditations and additional ones can be purchased.

My favourite combo is Gabrielle Berstein mixed with music from The Vision meditation. As Gabrielle’s part is short, I let the music continue and I do some EFT Tapping for a few minutes longer. This is great for mornings when I want to shake any worries or anxiety and set myself up for a positive day ahead.

Headspace

This is an excellent app for total beginners as it comes with a whole series of getting started explainer meditations. Great if you’re less into the woo-woo side of meditation or don’t want music, not so great for me who prefers a more spiritual experience. A few Project Me subscribers are totally hooked on Headspace, so do give it a whirl.

Headspace is much more than an app and it’s worth exploring the website, including the blog which covers everything from productivity to pain, parenting to depression and self-esteem.

Oprah & Deepak Guided Meditation Series

This is the app that kicked off my meditation habit. (I call it my Date with Deepak!) It works alongside the free 21-Day Meditation Experiences that Oprah & Deepak run a few times a year. (Find out when the next one is running here.) Once the free series is over, you can purchase it and add to your library which is stored right in your phone app. I’ve built up a nice collection of these and love choosing a theme for 21 days and sticking with it. I need a lot of variety, so I take breaks from these series and turn to other apps for fresh voices and inspiration, but I always return when there’s a new series running.

Getting Into The Vortex by Esther Hicks

Ok folks, this is not for the faint-hearted, it costs $14.99 and comes with a super-duper heavy Woo-Woo Warning. If you’re not open minded about a woman named Esther channeling Ibraham from the other side, this ain’t for you. As I’ve read Ask & It Is Given and I’m open to the idea of manifesting love, wealth and happiness by tuning myself into The Vortex, I actually enjoy these five guided meditations and re-listen to them often.

There you have it! These are the meditation apps I’ve tried so far. I’ve also discovered a new one called Stop, Breathe & Think which looks like a great one to do with my kids. I’ll add my review of that here soon!

Happy-Mama-mindful-meditations-430px

If you’re a new mother or have very young children, I highly recommend Mindful Meditations by Amy Taylor-Kabbaz of Happy Mama. There’s nothing like a meditation by gentle Amy who’s there to help you practice kindness towards yourself, stop the comparisons, and view each situation with love.  She’ll guide you on how to focus on your strengths and connect with your inner wisdom and power. This is not an app, but rather an MP3 file which you download to your computer, then save to your phone.

Taking time every day for a guided meditation is my Me-Time treat. Some days it feels more like reading a chapter from a great personal growth type book, only I can do it with my eyes closed. I’m learning to stop judging myself if my mind wanders off and to simply be aware of it, gently bringing myself back without feeling like a failure.

Sometimes I sit cross-legged on my bed or on the sofa, but never on the floor like I used to think I ‘had’ to do in order to be doing it ‘right’. Some mornings I press play and don’t even sit up.

Afterwards, I feel more grounded and in touch with myself, the universe, and how I want to feel and act that day. It reminds me to be my best version of me and not switch into auto-pilot.

I’ve noticed over the months that I’m able to let things go a lot more. The other day I opened the fridge and a glass jam jar fell out, smashing all over the kitchen floor. Rather than pointing the finger and effing and blinding all over the place, I simply observed what happened, said ‘oops’ and calmly cleared it up.

I’m definitely a more loving and patient mother at breakfast when I get up before the kids and spend a few minutes meditating.

I breathe more deeply throughout the day and my inner voice is much kinder.

Now I want to hear from you. In the comments below, share your thoughts. Have you tried meditation? Is is a habit or something you haven’t managed to get into consistently? Will you try any of the apps above, or do you have any to recommend? We all have so much to learn from each other! 

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28 Comments

  1. Karen on February 29, 2016 at 10:20 AM

    Thank you SO MUCH FOR THIS Kelly. It’s just what I need right now. I tried meditating but my mind wanders all over the place and it seems pointless. It sounds like a guided meditation is what I need to stay focused. xxx

    • Kelly Pietrangeli on February 29, 2016 at 10:47 AM

      You’re so welcome Karen! I have tried meditating on and off for over a decade and what I finally realise is that I had too many ideas about how I ‘should’ be doing it.

      Once I created a kind of shrine that I felt I needed to face whilst sitting on the floor cross legged at 6:30am before my kids woke up…. I was freezing cold, uncomfortable and desperate to just get back into bed under the covers! That didn’t last long….

      I’ve finally let go of all of those ‘shoulds’ and I allow myself to stay in my warm, comfy bed. I also get it now that I don’t HAVE to have a blank, empty mind in order to benefit from meditation. Listening to these guided meditations quiets my mind and gives me time to breathe deeply and hear positive affirmations.

      Even now I have plenty of days where my mind goes off wandering, but that’s ok. It’s good to simply observe which days my mind is quieter than others and reflect on why that is. No more beating myself up 🙂 I’ll love to hear which app you try and how you like it. x

  2. Christy on February 29, 2016 at 10:26 AM

    I’m up for joining your group! How do I do that please? Thanks for the great blog. I read it every week and I always feel inspired by something you’ve tried that works for you. I’m now doing your getting to bed earlier challenge and in one week I am feeling the difference! I wake up earlier than I need to now which feels great. I can use that extra time to meditate! 🙂

    • Kelly Pietrangeli on February 29, 2016 at 10:50 AM

      Yay! I’m happy to get the Get To Bed Early Challenge in last week’s post is making a positive difference to your days Christy! Great idea to use that extra time you now have in the mornings to meditate. It’s what I do every single morning and it sets me up beautifully for a calm morning.

      To join the group, register for a free account on the Insight Timer app. Set up your profile, then go to Groups. Search for Project Me for Busy Mothers and join the group! I look forward to seeing you there x

  3. Louisa on February 29, 2016 at 11:15 AM

    Hey Kelly, thanks for the recommendations. They look great. I need to track back and sign up to last week’s challenge too! LOL on the woowoo warning!! I love me a bit of woowoo every now and again, although it is a tad embarrassing to admit it in non-woowoo circles! Have a great week! x

    • Kelly Pietrangeli on February 29, 2016 at 11:32 AM

      I absolutely love me a bit of woo woo too Louisa!

      Nothing to physically sign up for with the sleep challenge – it was just something I mentioned in this post about meeting Arianna Huffington http://myprojectme.com/arianna-huffington-advice-for-busy-mothers/ and I wrote the challenge in the comments. I’ve also been posting it on FB and Twitter as a reminder to SHUT DOWN and get to bed 🙂

      • Louisa on February 29, 2016 at 12:03 PM

        Done now! Your posts are always so timely for me. Both this one and last weeks’ arrived in my inbox with jaw-dropping synchronicity for me! 😀 (I just didn’t get a moment to post a comment last week! Been off social media mostly.) Thanks for shining brightly always Kelly. xx

        • Kelly Pietrangeli on February 29, 2016 at 3:30 PM

          I’m so happy to hear that Louisa!! You’ve made my day 🙂

  4. Mariah Dolan on February 29, 2016 at 3:08 PM

    Totally on my to-do list for 2016! I’ve been trying to meditate for YEARS! But it’s the one thing that always falls to the wayside. I’ve actually started scheduling it into my day so I have no choice. I know I have to commit 100% in order to make this a daily practice and I’m determined to do so. Thanks for the recommendations, Kelly 🙂

    • Kelly Pietrangeli on February 29, 2016 at 3:32 PM

      You know how I am about setting goals and taking ACTION Mariah, so I’m thrilled to hear you’re now feeling determined and committed! The great thing about some of these apps is that your stats show you how many consecutive days you’ve meditated. It’s quite motivating when you don’t want to end your winning streak 🙂

  5. Aarty on February 29, 2016 at 4:52 PM

    Thanks Kelly. You are so inspiring. I use an app called Sattva. Love the meditations by His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar by the Art of Living Foundation. (Just need to get more regular)

    • Kelly Pietrangeli on February 29, 2016 at 5:43 PM

      I’ve just downloaded it Aarty! I can’t seem to resist trying out meditation apps now that I’m on a roll! It’s a fun & rewarding line of work I’m in 🙂

      • Patty on March 9, 2017 at 5:13 AM

        sier det noe om hvilken type fett som fosrnivner? mettet / umettet? hvis det er det umettede fettet som forsvinner blir jo kjøttet i snitt mer usunt enn før

  6. […] Meditations. I stuck with my daily morning meditation using the Insight Timer app, but I could have done others while I was lying […]

  7. […] Print out a week’s worth of Design My Day planners and plot out your 3 MIT’s (Most Important Tasks) and your scheduled events. There’s a place to jot down what you’ll take with you – a perfect time to think about packing that book you want to start, or headphones to listen to a training video you’ve been meaning to watch, or downloading a guided meditation app. […]

  8. […] I discovered the Insight Timer meditation app. Meditation is one of those things I’ve always felt I ‘should’ be doing and I […]

  9. […] January of 2016 I discovered the Insight Timer Meditation app and finally got into a daily meditation habit I can’t live without. I also read Ask and It is […]

  10. […] wrote about my trial attempts at several meditation apps here. Insight Timer meditations quickly won me over and my app stats show that in the past 12 months […]

  11. […] keeping a gratitude journal, meditating, reading inspirational books or exploring mindfulness techniques. I wrote a whole blog about how […]

    • Alisha on February 5, 2019 at 11:21 PM

      I love to create and record my own guided meditations, but sometimes I seek a little variety from time to time. I recently started using Insight Timer and it has been a great tool for me for finding any and everything under the sun to enhance my meditation practice!

      • Kelly Pietrangeli on February 11, 2019 at 8:24 AM

        How wonderful Alisha! I agree that Insight Timer offers everything under the sun. And new ones are uploaded daily! xx

  12. Lilly Hanscom on January 29, 2018 at 11:35 AM

    I have been meditating with Aware for more than a year, and I can easily say, after trying out Calm, Headspace & Insight Timer, I found Aware to be the best. Very authentic, simple yet teaches meditation meticulously.

    While headspace and Calm make meditation look better with a brilliantly designed app, it was Aware that made meditation a daily habit for me. That effective it is.

    They provide personal assistance that helps when one is in doubt about anything related to meditation which is very obvious, and they’re very helpful.

    • Kelly Pietrangeli on February 11, 2019 at 8:27 AM

      Wonderful Lilly! It’s great to experiment until we find one that really fits us perfectly. I wish meditation apps had existed years ago so I could have developed my daily practice much earlier. But very grateful to have it now. xx

  13. Nikki Walsh on April 2, 2019 at 1:37 AM

    Hi Kelly,

    I’m a mom of two and I use the Kelee Meditation App. It’s a five-minute meditation and I just sit down, plug in my earphones and listen to the meditation to quiet my mind. It’s easy and was less than your go-to Starbucks order!

  14. Sikandar Subhani on September 27, 2020 at 11:29 PM

    Nice article on the meditation app. I really didn’t know any of these apps before very informative.

  15. […] thing as alone time. The reality is that taking care of yourself is an act of survival. So start meditating, working out, take a walk, and enjoy some much needed quiet time. YOU deserve […]

  16. meditation on September 28, 2022 at 12:16 PM

    thank you posting this informative post on meditation app, as many of us has hectic schedule we its important to take care of well being and this is were meditation app will help mothers.

  17. meditation on October 20, 2022 at 5:57 PM

    Thank you for posting this informative post onh meditation . It’s quite helpful

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