There are as many ways to practice mindfulness and meditation as there are people doing it. And, while one method may work really well for someone else, it may not be the right fit for you. We encourage you to test-drive a variety of ‘genres’ to discover the ones that suit you best. You may also find that your preferred style varies with times of the day or your changing needs.

For example, you can simply sit in a quiet place and focus on your breathing. Or, you might listen to a guided meditation that provides some structure. You can also try a walking meditation or sprinkle short 5-minute meditations across your daily routine. Consistency is far more important than duration. Just like the right diet is the one you stick with, so finding the meditation flavor that resonates with your lifestyle is your optimal choice.

This list of meditation resources can help you get started:

MINDFULNESS and MEDITATION:

  1. A DEEPER DIVE

    1. 10 Science Based Reasons to Start Meditating Today
    2. This is Your Brain on Meditation
    3. Mindfulness and How the Brain Works
    4. When you Meditate You Might Also be Regulating Your Genes
    5. Why Mindfulness is a Superpower

  2. VIDEOS

    1. Adorable Animated Mice Explain Meditation in 2 Minutes
    2. The Benefits of Not Being a Jerk to Yourself | Dan Harris | TED
    3. 5-Minute Meditation You Can Do Anywhere
    4. Andi Puddicombe 10 Mindful Minutes
    5. The Power of Mindfulness: What You Practice Grows Stronger | Shauna Shapiro | TEDxWashingtonSquare
    6. [Brother David Steidl-Rast on Happiness and Gratefulness](https://www.ted.com/talks/david_steindl_rast_want_to_be_happy_be_grateful?)
    7. Brother David Steidl-Rast’s A Good Day
    8. Dr. Kristin Neff at TEDx – The Space Between Self-Esteem and Self Compassion
    9. Kristin Neff: The Three Components of Self-Compassion

  3. EXERCISES and GUIDED MEDITATIONS

    1. Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD – Guided Mindfulness Meditation 10-min (Audio Excerpt)
    2. JKZ 20-minutes Beginner Mindfulness Meditation
    3. Palouse Mindfulness Meditations (left sidebar under Practices)
    4. 5-Minute Meditation You Can Do Anywhere
    5. Berkeley Greater Good Body Scan
    6. UCLA Body Scan
    7. Yoga with Adriene MOVE 30-day free journey

  4. APPS

FREE trial apps recommended by Mindful.org are presented below. Dan Harris’ 10% Happier, “meditation for fidgety skeptics,” and Yunha Kim’s Simple Habit, “personalized meditation designed for busy people,” are two other popular apps.

Insight Timer

Available for iOS and Android

Insight Timer

is a popular free meditation app. The app offers more than 4,000 guided meditations from over 1,000 teachers. It covers self-compassion, nature, and stress topics, through its meditations, talks and podcasts. For a quiet meditation, you can also just set a timer and meditate to intermittent bells or calming sounds.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/mhl9IuDy5Mgt1kuqx2oDj9R1ysMC8QksVcMV9rS6z0QhK44PMtQJ_Uslpd_D5gCpryzuiGY1UQT8fFfVE8BW-j4FKXbeoNp8fbNNdRZ2VQ4bHAldH8y7DEaJ5zib0QQefMPoyCIP

There is a community feel to this app. Once you finish a meditation, it displays how many other people were meditating “with you” during that time. It features experts like Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, and Sharon Salzberg.

Aura

Available for iOS and Android

According to cofounder Daniel Lee,

Aura