This past year I’ve started to take meditation seriously. Doing that meant diving headfirst into the world of mindfulness apps, and let me tell you, I never expected there to be quite so many out there. Along the way, I’ve found a lot that aren’t quite right for me, but that process led me to the perfect app for my needs – and it may just be right for you, too.
I’ve long wanted to find a meditation app that could help me focus, get my mind in order, and find new ways to deal with stress and difficult thoughts when they arise. My aim has been to meditate for a few minutes every day before I start work, enabling me to get started on the front foot. Finally, I think I’ve found the solution: Meditation by Down Dog (which is also on Android).
Searching high and low
I’ve tried a lot of meditation and mindfulness apps but have come across several problems. In the end, almost none felt right for me.
Some apps are packed with too much content, making it overwhelming to know where to start. Open almost any app in this genre and you’ll see 20-step mindfulness courses, a range of sleep stories and relaxation materials, special offers and time-limited promotions, in-depth sessions lasting an hour or more, and many other offerings.
While that might sound appealing if you want anything and everything, it’s an awful lot to take in when you first open an app. This kind of overwhelming greeting had the effect of putting me off before I even really began.
Other apps are more restrictive, funneling you down paths that might not be right for your needs. Sure, the first few steps in that one particular course might have looked inviting, but these programs can sometimes veer off to places you’re not interested in covering. With no way to adjust what was on the meditation menu, I found myself getting bored, frustrated, or both.
Many of the apps I tried are also on the pricey side. When everyone’s finances are pinched, I just couldn’t justify a huge outlay alongside all my other expenses.
In other words, I was stuck trying to find the right app. But then I stumbled upon the answer almost completely accidentally.
Finding the answer
I’ve been using Down Dog’s Yoga app for a while, and it’s been an excellent way to get in a quick bit of exercise during my downtime. For a long time, I was content to stick to yoga and nothing more.
But then I noticed that the Down Dog team does apps for other activities, like HIIT, Pilates, barre, and more. One of the other apps was for meditation, and since I was on the lookout for exactly this sort of solution, I decided to give it a go. Much to my surprise, it turned out my paid membership to the Down Dog Yoga app also unlocked the Meditation app, meaning there was no need to pay twice.
But while the price got me in the door, it’s the app’s customizability that kept me coming back – and it’s what I love most about it. In practice, that means you can adjust almost every aspect of your yoga session to ensure it’s right for you:
- The duration, from four to 60 minutes
- The theme, including self-care, letting go, mood boost, focus, patience, relationships, and more
- The type, which covers guided meditation, walking mindfulness, sleep stories, and others. You can also choose the amount of guidance
- The music and how its volume is balanced with that of the guide
- The voice of the person guiding your session
TL;DR – Top tips for meditation apps
1. Seek variety
The best meditation apps will have a wide selection of materials, including subject matters, session types, and more. Check to see your chosen app isn’t just a one-trick pony.
2. Make it yours
I love Down Dog’s Meditation app for its easy customization and breadth of options. Not all apps do this, but those that offer more in the way of adjustability are more likely to meet your needs
3. Watch the price
At a time when the cost of living is on the way up, it can be hard to justify yet another app subscription. Finding the right app at the right price is well worth the effort.
With all these changeable parameters, it’s supremely easy to create exactly the type of meditation session I need at any given moment. The app adapts to me, rather than the other way around.
That’s something I found very off-putting about the other apps I tried: wherever I looked, I found prescribed sessions and courses that lacked flexibility. For many people, that kind of rigid outlook might be perfect. But it’s the opposite of what I’ve been looking for.
Call me fussy, but even something like the voice of the yoga guide can strike the wrong note for me. With Down Dog Yoga, I can pick from 12 different people to lead my sessions. Better yet, every session is voiced by a real person, not generated by artificial intelligence (AI). At a time when many people are worried about AI putting people out of work, it’s heartening to see Down Dog taking the human approach.
A more mindful 2026
The Down Dog Yoga app is the first meditation app that has really stuck for me. That’s mainly thanks to the high level of customization it offers, in addition to the affordable price tag that grants access to a suite of other handy apps.
If you’ve been looking for a meditation app that adapts to you with a wide range of customizable options, it’s well worth a try. With any luck, it should help me on my way to a better, more mindful 2026 – and perhaps it can do the same for you, too.
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alexblake.techradar@gmail.com (Alex Blake)
