7 Recommended Meditation Resources
Free and Affordable Meditation Resources for Everyday Life.
Research shows that meditation can help with our overall health and wellbeing, so why do so few of us do it on a regular basis? Probably because we’re trying to practice it by ourselves, with no guidance and no idea of what we’re supposed to be doing. I’ve been there and done that. I used to get so frustrated because I couldn’t stop thinking long enough to meditate in what I thought was the “right way.” But the way I was trying to do it wasn’t really “right” at all – at least for me. I was trying to sit there and not think about a single thing, to have my mind be completely blank for at least 10 minutes. I now know that I’m definitely not alone in the fact that this is nearly impossible.
The idea of meditation isn’t that you’re turning your brain off, in fact, the point of most meditation techniques is that they give you a way to be more actively engaged in what’s going on inside of and around you. But unless you’re a truly experienced meditator, you’ll probably need some help in guiding your mind in the right direction. In that, we are incredibly lucky. Meditation has become so accepted that there are now numerous resources to help guide you in your practice for almost any everyday life situation that you can possibly encounter. So much so that the abundance of meditation resources in and of itself can almost be overwhelming – which is not what you want to be feeling. That’s why I’ve put together a list of seven of my favorite free and affordable meditation resources that I would highly recommend for anyone – from beginners to those who are more advanced.
Loving Kindness Meditation to Develop Mindfulness and Compassion
The practice of metta meditation or loving kindness meditation is basically directing well wishes toward other people. WiseMindBody’s beautiful version of this is available in a YouTube video that anyone can access. It walks you through the entire process in a simple, soothing and easy to understand way that helps to take you out of yourself and to cultivate feelings of compassion and kindness toward other people. When might you want to do this? Anytime that you’re feeling too caught up in yourself; when you’re angry, upset or feeling judgmental toward someone else; on a day when you know that you’re going to be dealing with people in difficult situations; or when you’re simply feeling overwhelmed by events or actions in other parts of the world. The video runs 13:34.
The 6-Phase Meditationwas developed by MindValley founder Vishen Lakhiani as a way to help you become very intentional about creating your ideal life. In this guided meditation available as a YouTube video, Vishen takes the very abstract idea of manifesting abundance and walks you through how to do that in a very systematic, practical way. If you’re feeling like you’re floundering around without a clear purpose or goals in sight, or that your daily actions aren’t aligning with your vision, this is a fantastic resource to help you gain more clarity for your life and for the day ahead. The original meditation runs 21:18, but there is a condensed version that runs 13:36.
20-Minute Mindfulness Meditation for Being Present
While the 20-Minute Mindfulness Meditation for Being Present by The Mindful Movement is definitely on the longer end of the meditations I usually do, it is beautiful, powerful and grounding. I highly recommend using it on a regular basis because it helps you to develop the skill of being mindful and present. I also recommend having it as your go-to resource if your day is just clearly starting to go off the tracks. You know those days. We all have them. But we also know that if we keep plowing ahead just like we are, that things probably aren’t going to get much better and may even get much worse. So, what’s a 20-minute investment on a day like that? I can almost guarantee that this meditation will help you to reset and turn things around, or at the very least, it will help you feel empowered to be able to handle whatever comes your way. The YouTube video runs, you guessed it, 20 minutes.
The Tapping Solution App offers an easy and portable way of taking some of The Tapping Solution’s most popular guided meditations with you wherever you go. The Tapping Solution was founded by Nick Ortner and has helped to bring Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) or “Tapping” into the mainstream. I will fully admit that you may see me using this while sitting in my car because that’s often my best chance to stop and collect myself if things are starting to feel overwhelming or if I want to positively affect whatever it is I’m about to do. My favorite meditations are “Turn Your Day Around: Create a Great Day” and “Releasing Anxiety.” There are free meditations available as well as those accessible only with a subscription. The cost for an annual subscription is $94.99, and a monthly subscription is $11.99 per month.
This website is one of my go-to resources for guided meditations. Laura Irwin offers a number of meditations for a wide-range of everyday situations in a down-to-earth way. And best yet – they are appropriate for beginners and those that are more advanced. The meditations are offered as individual downloads, so you can pick and choose the ones that will serve you best. Some are available for free, while others cost a small fee. Guided meditations are also available through video as well.
Headspace is the meditation resource that most people have heard of, and with good reason. It was one of the first to take meditation out of the esoteric and to show how it could be applicable to everyday people in everyday life. They even offer meditation for kids. While their meditations are available only by subscription – $69.99 for a year or $12.99 per month – this is the resource that many beginners say worked best for them. If you just want to try them out, you can get three sessions for free.
Soulvana is an app for those who are ready and willing to get a little more “out there.” While some of the meditations are very practical – the 6-Phase Meditation mentioned above is available for free – others revolve around energy work and may be seen as being a little more “woo woo.” While I like practical and down-to-earth, I also completely appreciate the benefits of energy work and have had very good experiences with the Soulvana meditations that I have tried. My favorite one so far is “Restoring Your Life Force Energy,” which actually isn’t nearly as abstract as you might think and does wonders for me when I simply just feel drained. While many of the guided meditations are free, there are also group meditations and classes that you can join. To be able to access the full package of resources, the cost is $59.99 for a year or $9.99 per month. A seven-day free trial is available.
Clearly, these are just a few of the meditation resources out there, but they are my favorites and should offer something for just about everyone. If you have other favorite resources or if you try one of these, please let us know in the comments section below.
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