How we find our calm
Our favourite meditation apps
Running a small business can be a lot of work. Managing staff, finding new clients, keeping on top of the admin, the socials, the bills. There’s a lot going on and not all of it fun. Add in a global pandemic, a splash of isolation and a few nationwide shut downs and it’s a wonder any of us ever get anything done ever!
When Marzipan Media started we were a team of two, relying on an army of freelancers, friends and peers to make it work. Our personal and working lives have altered dramatically in the last twelve months but one thing has remained: For me at least, it’s been my meditation practice.
I started meditating for personal reasons using various apps and methods and it seemed that it would never cross over into my work life. It felt right posting about the best three apps to help manage your social media campaigns, or recommending top kanban tools to better prioritise your work flows but meditation seemed seperate. A past time at best, and, not the type of thing that would help with work. Nowadays, as my practise deepens I realise the two are inseparable.
Meditation helps me stay calm and focused throughout the work day. To gain a deeper patience with my my clients, reduce anxiety and those nagging thoughts of self doubt. These skills ultimately help me deliver a greater service to our beloved clients and strengthen our working relationships.
Many of our customers are repeat customers who come to Marzipan for the same events and projects year on year.
There are less fires, less issues and more productivity, allowing us to create strong digital content refined online marketing strategies free from the noise of day to day life. For that I’m truely grateful.
So it seems right, as we head into October and a month of mental health awareness to give you my top three suggestions for mediation apps.
It began with Headspace
Headspace is a great meditation app for beginners.
Created by Andy Puddicombe who is a former monk and mindfulness expert. An accomplished presenter and writer, Andy is the voice of all things Headspace.
The app has tutorials, and works in packs of ten that will guide you through a range of meditation techniques including visualisation, breath work and noting to help with a certain aspect of your life such as stress, anxiety, relationships or more. This year they even rolled out new features including stretching and sports into the app. Each of the meditations can be practised in sittings of 3, 5, 10, 15 and 20 minutes.
It’s a great all rounder but if you’re not into Andy’s voice it can become a bit repetitive. It can also feel a bit cute sometimes which while welcoming at first, can sometimes diminish the great work that’s gone into the teachings. They do have a beautiful brand and the app is simple to use and to the point.
Headspace app costs around $90AUD for a year but well worth it. Try the free trial and see how you go first.
Insight Timer
Insight Timer publish the world’s largest collection of free guided meditations, with over 60,000 titles. If the simplicity of Headspace is one, app, one voice, then Insight Timer turns this premise upside down.
There’s a meditation for every emotion, every moment, every feeling you might have. It can be a little overwhelming at first but the app has great features and allows you to follow, save and bookmark meditations as you go. I highly recommend Sarah Blondin, Dora Kamau and David Ji as an ideal place to start but they also have heavyweights such as Tara Brach and Russell Brand.
Many of the meditations are free and they’re backed up with music, talks and soundscapes to help you relax or sleep. It’s a formidable app and one I recommend to anyone who’ll listen.
Vedic Meditation
Ok this one wins because there’s no app included. For twenty minutes you can put down your phone, not worry about internet, headphones, or the rest of the world. Learning Vedic meditation has shifted my mindset and allowed me to really be comfortable in the space that exists between thoughts and feelings.
There are many people teaching Vedic meditation and often they offer free trial classes so you can experience it. Like many of the great free meditation apps the exist, it coms down to finding a voice and a style that suits your needs so don’t be afraid to try a few.
Have questions? Drop us a line we’re always happy to talk : )
