The Mindfulness App Review

• Mindfulness App features over 2,000 exercises, meditations, soundscapes, talks, courses, and more.
• The company’s mission is to offer the life-changing benefits of mindfulness through an accessible and easy-to-use application.
• The app’s features are ideal for both beginners and advanced mindfulness practitioners.

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It was 2018 when I had my first panic attack. With a heart rate of almost 200 and numbness in my left arm, I thought for sure I was having a heart attack.

A few minutes later, I found myself in the ER with a paper bag taped over my nose and mouth, breathing deeply into calmness.

I didn’t have a heart attack, after all, but it was the first of many panic attacks after that. A cardiologist couldn’t find anything wrong, so he prescribed me Alprazolam, a highly potent anti-anxiety yet addictive drug.

According to Drugs.com, Xanax, which is a brand of Alprazolam, is addictive because it can cause withdrawal symptoms upon discontinuation. Because of this, using the drug may lead to a pattern of dependent use, and the need to get higher doses to alleviate the symptoms of anxiety.

Thankfully, I didn’t get addicted to the drug, but I thought to myself that there must be a better way to help me other than popping a pill.

And so, I discovered yoga and meditation. But alas, quieting the mind is not the easiest thing to do. I’ve enrolled in classes, read books, ventured into spirituality and New Age Thought practices, and, yes, meditation apps. And in my journey to find the antidote to my anxiety, I discovered Mindfulness App.

Dubbed the #1 mindfulness app in the industry, I wanted to know what the hype was all about and whether it could help me find calm and peace.

In this review, I’ll share some of my experiences with Mindfulness App, what to expect when downloading the app, and what it’s all about.

Overview of Mindfulness App

 

Mindfulness App is a company dedicated to making mindfulness accessible to everyone. You can find it in Google Play and the Apple store, as well as use a browser to visit the official website.

It has over 2000 exercises, practices, talks, programs, playlists, soundscapes, and courses by some of the world’s leading mindfulness coaches and teachers.

It’s a complete and comprehensive app for meditating, relaxing, learning mindfulness, conscious living, and so much more.

The Story Behind Mindfulness App

To understand what the app is all about, you need to know how it started. Mindfulness App was founded by tech entrepreneur Matt Dickinson and mindfulness teacher Melli O’Brien.

They began this venture in 2014 when they got together and had the same vision of making mindfulness accessible to the general public. They both knew the power of mindfulness and its ability to transform lives, so they organized a global mindfulness conference.

This conference was attended by over 300,000 participants and featured over 40 of the most globally recognized names in the field of mindfulness.

It was such a success that Dickinson and O’Brien decided to create a company and launched it in 2020 as the Mindfulness app.

The company’s slogan is: “Train your mind, change your life.”

It is so short and straightforward but truthful and direct. Everything starts with your mind. What the mind thinks, the body will follow, and I truly resonate with this message.

My anxiety is all in my mind. If my mind can cause my heart to race, it can also cause my heart to calm down. And seeing their slogan on the website and the app showed me they know exactly what they’re talking about. I felt connected to the app because I thought it spoke to me. I was hopeful and excited to learn more about it.

Let’s talk about what you can find when you download the app.

Features

Here are the Mindfulness app features you will find once you download it on your phone or tablet (it’s iOS and Android compatible):

1. Mindfulness Exercises

This is the heart and soul of Mindfulness App. You’ll find meditation exercises, recorded coaching sessions, sleep guides, guides to practicing daily mindfulness, music, and breathing exercises. There are over 2,000 of these exercises, courses, talks, playlists, and so much more.

2. Breathing Exercises

There’s a collection of 13 breathing exercises that range from different lengths or time durations. These exercises are the perfect introduction to mindfulness and calming down the nerves when you’re stressed, anxious, or emotionally overwhelmed.

I love that you can choose the time durations because sometimes, you need a prolonged, relaxing exercise at the end of the day, and sometimes, you just need a short exercise to calm you down during an emotional episode.

3. Customized Programs

When you download the app, you’ll be asked a few things, such as your interests, age, time you want to practice meditation or do your mindfulness exercises, career, and so on.

The app then creates a customized mindfulness program specifically based on your answers. For example, you’ll be asked about your interests in terms of what matters to you, such as better sleep, ease of anxiety, learning mindfulness, cultivating happiness, etc. There are 13 options, and you’re asked to choose 3.

In my case, I chose Better Sleep, Ease Anxiety, and Relieve Stress.

The app created a daily program for me that consisted of mindfulness exercises in the morning, in the daytime, and at night. There were also talks from coaches, music, and other recommendations. All the discussions and exercises were based on my interests, age, and additional information I filled out.

I loved one of the talks on my program. It was a 5-minute talk, a morning meditation to help me start my day on a good note. The background music was light and relaxing, and the teacher’s voice was soothing.

The guided meditation was just what I needed to relax before I continued to do work and get on with my day.

4. Mindfulness Coaching

This is one of my favorite features of the app. They have a list of some of the world’s most trusted mindfulness teachers who can help you with your interests and issues. Some of the things they teach include understanding anxiety, meditating, and much more.

Some of the most notable teachers on the app include Tara Brach, who is considered to be the leading meditation teacher in the world. She’s also a clinical psychologist, bestselling author, and founder of the Washington, DC-based Insight Meditation Center.

Jack Kornfield is another teacher with a notable background. He’s an author and Buddhist practitioner dubbed one of the pioneering teachers behind the Buddhist mindfulness practice movement in the West.

Melli O’Brien, one of the founders of Mindfulness App, is also one of the teachers on the app. You’ll find some of her talks, courses, mini-meditation sessions, and countless videos and recordings as well from other teachers.

Other features include Mindful Radio, where you can find podcasts, playlists, and Q&A sessions with the teachers.

Pricing

Mindfulness App’s app can be downloaded for free but is not completely free to use. At first, I didn’t want to pay the subscription cost because I wanted to know if the app had the features I was looking for.

I downloaded the app and signed up to register but didn’t avail myself of the free trial period right away.

There is minimal content to enjoy for the free version without committing to a free trial or subscription. Yes, you still get a personalized program, but most features are locked, so you’ll only get a preview of what’s in store.

You must sign up for the free trial version or pay the fees outright to practice the exercises.
There are two subscription options, which are:

Basic or Annual Plan at $24.99
Plus + = $16.99 billed monthly or $84.99 billed yearly, or $169 for lifetime access

I got the free 7-day free trial for the Basic Plan, which I highly recommend so you can test the app before purchasing. You can always cancel before the trial period ends if you decide the app is not for you.

Pros and Cons

I’ve been talking about what the app is about, the features and pricing, and this time, I want to share with you the things I like about Mindfulness App and some of the things I wouldn’t say I like so much about it.

Pros

• Comprehensive list of mindfulness exercises
• Access to some of the world’s best mindfulness teachers
• User-friendly interface and easy to navigate
• Wide variety of mindfulness programs, courses, talks, exercises
• Exercises are specific to your interests
• Daily reminders of your program

 

Cons

• The large number of features can be overwhelming
• Some exercises are too specific
• It takes too long to get to the features when you sign up
• Free features are too limited

I’ve listed down the pros and cons of the app, and now I want to explain why I chose to share these insights.

I love that the app has everything you need for your meditation practice. If you’ve never meditated before, this app is a great introduction. There’s a whole feature designed for beginners so you can choose that and progress to the app’s other features later on.

But aside from beginner courses and exercises, there’s also a ton of content for advanced practitioners. The Mindfulness Coaching feature of the app is an excellent tool for anyone who wants to delve deeper into their practice.

I also love the customized program made for you. If you want to ease anxiety, the app creates a specific program using a wide range of meditations targeting your everyday needs. So it gets to your needs and what you’re going through.

In my case, I love the sleep playlist they gave me, which has 12 different music to listen to as I drift myself to sleep. I also love the gratitude exercise, which helps remind me of all the great things that are happening in my life despite my stress and problems.

While I enjoyed the app and the features of the Basic Plan, there are a few things I didn’t entirely like.

When I downloaded the app, I had to answer a few questions before accessing the features. It takes a while; sometimes, you want to see what’s being offered before answering questions. But that’s just me.

Also, I wouldn’t say I liked the minimal features if you don’t pay for a subscription. You can see the thumbnails of the content, but they’re mostly locked. They designed it this way to get you wanting to pay so you can unlock everything.

Lastly, I think if you’re new to meditation or you just want to listen to a few soundscapes and guided meditation to reduce stress and anxiety, the app may be too overwhelming for you.

There are a lot of features to check and use, and it can be too much if you want a simple tool to help you relax.

Final Thoughts

The first time I discovered the proven benefits of practicing mindfulness, I was blown away. I didn’t realize that there was a holistic, safer, and enjoyable alternative to popping a pill for anxiety.

One study revealed that mindfulness facilitates adaptive psychological functioning and improves the regulation of behavior.

But simply knowing about it is not enough; you have to put it into practice. And this is where it gets challenging. If only everyone knew how to quiet the mind, so many mental health problems wouldn’t even exist in the first place.

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That’s why companies like Mindfulness App are such a blessing to people like me. I’ve discovered an app where I log in, find a guided meditation, practice it for a few minutes, and I instantly experience a sense of peace and calm.

Of course, it’s not the only thing I need for my anxiety, but the app surely helps. It has given me a structure to follow for navigating the waves of my emotions, it has given me an anchor to ground my anxiety, and it gives me a secure and comforting feeling that when fear strikes, I have something on my phone that can help bring me to my center.

It could be better, of course. At first, I was overwhelmed with all the features and the thousands of videos and content on the app. But you just need a few days to get the hang of it, and the app will surely give you the same comfort and guidance it has given me.

If I were asked if I’d recommend it to someone who’s also suffering from anxiety like me, I’d recommend it in a heartbeat.

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