Meditation Apps

Relax and Rest is an app that will run on both your iPad and iPhone. The app allows you to customize your meditation experience. The app lets you choose music, nature sounds, or simply the gentle voice guiding you through your meditaion. The app has three different length meditations: 5 minutes, 13 minutes, or 24 minutes. The app also lets you customize the volume of the voice or music/nature. The meditations given are very relaxing and quite helpful in clearing your mind. The other benefit is price: the app is only $0.99 making it a no-brainer. If you are looking for a great low cost universal meditation app, this is it.

Happiness is a universal app that provides peace through three different avenues. The app includes a meditation narration, where you are guided through a peaceful thought process from a very calming and relaxing voice. The app also includes background soundscapes that you can customize. The app also includes a beautiful image to concentrate on while meditating. The app is a wonderful alternative to the essential app. It provides many of the same features, but lacks the great price point of the Relax and Rest.

If you want to build your own soundscape on your iPad, then this app is for you. The app allows you to combine the following sounds: the ocean, rain forest, thunder, rain, leaves, wind, chimes, flute, waterfall, crickets, campfire, creek, seagulls, birds, school, and a drip. The app works by showing you a beach with the soundscapes written in the sand, by tapping a word the sound will begin. You can tap a different custom set of sounds to create your very own custom soundscape. The app includes no timer or voice elements, but does let you relax to your custom built soundscape. The app does not try to persuade you into purchasing other sounds through in-app purchases, but comes with everything you need. The app is for the person that needs a unique soundscape app.

This is an iPhone app, but it works on the iPad as well. It won't look quite as nice on the iPad, but it's not a visual app, anyway. If you're looking for a dead simple and silent meditation app with no bells and whistles, this is the one. Not everyone likes sound when they meditate. This app offers only a simple timer you set with a swipe for anywhere from one to 60 minutes. Then - silence until your time is up. At the end of your set time, you'll hear a few gentle chimes. And that is the entirety of the app. People who like to meditate in silence need to download Mind. Incidentally, it also makes a very nice nap timer for people who don't want to be jarred awake by an alarm clock tone.

The Zazen Suite provides a unique meditation experience. The app includes four different chimes and bells. The universal app will run on both your iPad and iPhone. Zazen Suite does not include any narration to help you focus on meditating. The app does provide you with a beautiful and relaxing soundscape to help clear your mind. It includes an adjustable timer that works for pretty much any time you give it up to 24 hours. The app also features a mindfulness bell, which can be set to go off in 5, 15, 30 or 60 minute intervals. The interface is very easy to operate, and feels more like a blown up iPhone app than a true iPad app. The app is a nice choice for those that need a relaxing soundscape. If you're not sure, try the free lite version linked below.

This relaxing sound board app is universal, so it is equally at home on the iPhone, iPod touch, and the iPad. Mix and match relaxing sounds from nature as well as zen chimes and chants. Meditation is aurally pleasing, and also happens to be a very pretty app. Set the app's meditation timer for a gentle notice when it's time to stop. If you like to mediate to simple and lovely sounds, this one is a great pick.

If you really enjoyed the essential app then this is another one to check out. Simply Being is created by the same people that brought you Relax and Rest. The app is not quite as good as the essential app. The meditation track in this one is not on the same quality level as the essential app, but provides a nice alternative if you are looking for a change from Relax and Rest. The app provides the same customization options available in the essential app. The app includes different five minute increment time options (anywhere from 5 minutes to 20 minutes). Simply Being is an alternative to the essential app, but not nearly as good as it.

This little gem features a soothing voice track with gentle music binaural relaxation techniques. Choose from five different relaxation sessions, which range from 20 to 45 minutes long. You can also find a separate iPad version, linked below.

Meditator is a meditation timer that includes four different soundscapes. The universal app is more costly than many of the others at the $2.99 price point. The app also includes tons of different in-app purchases for additional sounds. If you are not careful the app could cost you a fortune through these additional purchases. The app includes many of the same features offered by other soundscape apps for meditation. The sounds offered are very relaxing and provide a nice experience. The app like many other meditation apps is simply an upscaled iPhone app. The app runs natively on the iPad, but the interface has not been enhanced for the large screen of the iPad. If you need another soundscape app, this is one to consider.