Apps & Podcasts

Mindfulness

The first app we would like to introduce to you is called "Mindfulness". Only the free version was tested, while the full version has more applications on the topic of mindfulness. For an introduction to the topic of mindfulness, Mindfulness is well suited. It is structured chronologically, which means that the free offers are displayed first in the app and the subscriptions that have to be paid are displayed further down. System language is German. You can start as a mindfulness beginner* with the 5-day program, where you get to know the app and are introduced to mindfulness. The voice that guides you through the mindfulness exercises is pleasant and you can set different background sounds such as forest, waves or beach. Irritating during the introductory exercises is the reference during meditation to the full version of the app. In general, Mindfulness is without external advertising. The conclusion of the app is that the introductory exercises are very good to get into the topic, some more advanced exercises are free, but limited and always the same. The full version offers more mindfulness exercises in this regard.

Meditation of the day

The second app we tested for you over a week is called "Meditation of the Day". Every day, a different mindfulness exercise is presented that you can incorporate into your daily life. In addition, the concept of mindfulness is explained in the app. However, that is the only positive thing about the app. You are not guided through the meditation with a voice, but have to read it on the app. Not only is the text very small (you can't zoom in, unfortunately), but it's also counterproductive to mindful relaxation. Mindfulness is characterized by letting go of thoughts and feelings, which is not given by reading the text. If you are already a mindfulness professional, then you can get ideas for exercises here, but rather less beginners use them.

Headspace

"Headspace" is the name of the next app we tested for you. It is intuitive to use and remembers where you last left off. You can easily integrate the exercises into your everyday life, as you can choose the duration of the application yourself. A pleasant voice guides you through the mindfulness exercises, which you can also listen to offline. The basic version of the app, which is free, has introductory courses that are supposed to bring you closer to the topic of mindfulness. Still, the full version is useful if you want to delve deeply into mindful living. Headspace Plus offers the full breadth of the app.

7Mind

Last but not least: the app "7Mind". Unlike the Meditation of the Day app, 7Mind uses a pleasant voice to guide you through the entire app. This makes it easier to get started with mindfulness, and just using the app has a relaxing effect. You feel like you don't have to worry about anything anymore! The exercises are available offline and invite you to integrate mindfulness into your everyday life. During our testing, we came to the conclusion that due to the good guidance of the app, with regular meditation, it is also possible to sustainably perform mindfulness without guided practice. Despite the praise for 7Mind, we do have one criticism: the flood of mails. Since you have to log in to the app with your own mail address, emails from 7Mind arrive in your inbox almost daily. This is partly annoying, since the full version of the app is also advertised here. However, there is no external advertising.

Science, mindfulness and meditation

If you find the combination of these three terms exciting, then be sure to listen to the podcast "Understand, feel, be happy - the mindfulness podcast".  Like the other podcasts, you can listen to it on Spotify. The length of a podcast episode is about 30 minutes. So perfect for a slightly longer bus ride or a whole lot of dishes to wash. You can choose between about 60 episodes, ranging from mindfulness in poems to mindfulness in biology. New episodes are published from time to time. Especially the scientific reference is very interesting and varied. You learn quite a lot, but you can also switch off through episodes that only contain meditation. We were also convinced by the fact that the podcast is held by a psychologist/neuroscientist and a chief editor in dialogue. So the podcast comes across as not only informative on many levels, but also professional. For us, this is the best podcast for those who like to learn science-based things, but still want to switch off in between.

Chill, digress and meditate.

The second podcast we want to introduce you to is called "The Mindful Sessions - For More Mindfulness & Soulpower". New episodes are uploaded at least once a week and are between 10 - 35 minutes long. So you are flexible in choosing the length of the podcast. Thematically, this podcast differs from the first in that here the focus is on lifestyle and the emotional world. The speaker always makes sure that you have room to reflect on yourself during the podcast. The content of the topic is not very profound, but very relaxing. You can switch off a little in everyday life and reflect on everyday things and feelings. Conclusion is that this podcast is super to digress a bit and have a little uncomplicated "soul power" in the sometimes very complex everyday life. We also noticed positively that the pleasant voice and the low-threshold topics make you feel relaxed. Various meditation sessions can also be found among the numerous podcast episodes.

Esotericism, feelings and society

For the third podcast all esoteric fans are asked, who like to ponder about complex social contexts. Whether money makes you happy or not, you will find out in the podcast "Living mindfulness - Your podcast with Peter Beer". The length of the episode varies flexibly between 10-40 minutes. So you can adapt the podcast perfectly to your time management. The speaker who hosts the podcast has a very deep and bassy voice - you have to like that, especially if you like softer voices when relaxing. The subject matter moves between meditation, society and feelings. Often the last two points are linked together. Thus, you can adapt your own inner state to the social level. We noticed while listening that some episodes convey a finality, such as "Why you are unhappy!". Be sure to take space here to include your self-experiences. After all, only you can determine why you're unhappy ;)

All in all, the podcast is for people who like to deal with social-emotional complexities and are looking for stimulation to form an opinion about them. A little bit of esotericism always plays a role in this podcast as well. Just listen in and see if this podcast is something for you.