I love to meditate, and have spent a majority of my time on the floor practising transcendental meditation, or “TM” for short.

While I still enjoy TM, I figured it might be time for me to give another form of meditation a shot. I’d always looked away from guided meditations, mostly because it was foreign to me. All of the reading I’ve done on the subject has focused on TM or other forms of silent, still meditating. Having someone guide me with vocal cues as I tried to remain focused seemed very conflicting to me.

At the same time, I’d heard that guided meditations could be used for falling asleep (something I’d been struggling with), and figured I’d give it a shot. I downloaded the Calm app and after a few intro sessions, subscribed for the month.

Once you’re subscribed, the app gives you full access to its slew of guided meditations. I’ve tried nearly all of them now, and really enjoyed the sleep categorized meditations in particular. The app gently instructs you to tense muscles in your body, then relax them, which leads to a really relaxed state that prepares you to drift off. I’d highly recommend it for anyone with trouble sleeping.

Some of my other favorite categories include ‘Motivation’ and ‘Energy’ in the mornings, and ‘Gratitude’ and ‘Body Scan’ in the evenings. I’m still practising TM regularly, but guided meditations have been a nice addition to my daily routine. I find it to be very useful situationally. The service is $40 for the year (quite a bit cheaper than their main competitor, Head Space), and for me it’s been well worth it. One of the best purchases I’ve made under $100 is a long time.

Check them out here:

Calm

Calm for iOS

Calm for Android

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