The 14 Best Free Mindfulness Meditations

Ping!

My phone vibrated. Nope, that was not an iMessage ping. This was a round, full, warm sound that soothed my nervous system even though it was a reminder that I was done with my meditation for the day.

Insight Timer has been a mainstay on my phone for nearly three years. Originally, I used it to track my progress and meditation habit. Starting with 2 minutes a day, I sat quietly, just waiting for that ping to ring out. After a while, I began to look lovingly at the app when I was in the middle of a stressful day, or when I needed a recharge. It became integral to my mental health — especially around the holidays, when I’d retreat to my childhood room to meditate in peace and emerge feeling renewed and slightly less triggered.

Hey, I’m only human.

Going into the end of 2019, I’ve no doubt you’ll face stressors. Whether it’s end-of-year deadlines, travel woes, or simply visiting your family for the holidays, many find this time of year to be fraught with fatigue and anxiety.

Arm yourself with something — anything — that can help you maintain your sanity. I suggest mindfulness, along with approx. 1 trillion other people, because it’s free-99 and it actually works. Science says so.

Below are 14 free mindfulness and meditation resources that you can turn to when things get sticky. Keep scrolling to see some of my personal favorites (Maryam Hasnaa and Sarah Blondin!) and a few resources you may have never heard of before.

14 best free mindfulness meditation sites

liberate meditation

OK, Liberate Meditation app is so sorely needed. Liberate is the only meditation app that’s specifically built and programmed with meditations and mindfulness for the BIPOC community. Founder Julio Rivera, who identifies as Afro-Latino, launched the app in May 2019 after finding deep connections within the POC sangha at the Insight Meditation community in NYC.

The app includes programming that’s intentionally meant to address the unique stressors, issues, and experiences that the BIPOC community faces that are uniquely separate from their white counterparts. This app is incredible — I hope it takes over Calm!

ra ma tv

RA MA TV is the virtual equivalent to LA- and NYC-based Kundalini studio, RA MA. Although RA MA TV runs on a membership model, there’s Open Content that’s available to anyone who wants to get a taste of what kundalini — and RA MA’s community — are all about.

Definitely check out Guru Jagat’s classes on the Open Content tab. The founder of RA MA, Jagat has been called a “rock-star caliber kundalini teacher” and definitely has her own cult of persona going on. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that RA MA does a great job of offering free or low-cost community classes.

We’ve talked about Kundalini many a time on Holisticism, and it’s important to mention that while it can be a powerful tool (or yogic technology) Kundalini yoga and the infrastructure around it in the United States have problematic elements. Do a Google, then make the choice for yourself.

ucla mindfulness awareness research center

Hella basic but hella helpful. UCLA MARC is a great entry point for anyone who took one look at the RA MA site and was like, “This is a cult, see you later.”

Also great: UCLA offers meditations in English and Spanish. Inclusive! Me likey.

tara brach

Tara Brach is a psychologist and proponent of Buddhist meditation. She leads Insight Meditation in Washington D.C., but the woman has an enormous library of content that’s helpful to anyone who’s interested in diving deeper into the Buddhist tradition — whether you’re a well-weather meditator or a newbie.

Check out Brach’s Dharma Talks, which are a hybrid of a philosophy lecture and stand-up-comedy routine, for a deeper understanding of how meditation and mindfulness can be folded into our lives.

chopra centered lifestyle

Do you remember a few years ago when Deepak and Oprah did a meditation challenge for the masses? It must’ve been 2014 — way before apps like Calm or Headspace hit the app store. Deepak Chopra has been a spiritual teacher and thinker for decades, and his Chopra center focuses deeply on Traditional Indian practices or ideas like Ayurveda and the chakra system.

The Chopra Center has an array of meditations on its site that vary in topic and length. Need a four-minute meditation to awaken summer love? Welp, Deepak has you covered. Want a 27-minute meditation to help you fulfill your commitments? Done and done.

maryam hasnaa

I’ll never forget the first time I listened to Maryam Hasnaa’s meditation on visioning your future self. It was so powerful that I immediately shared it on a little email I’d been working on for my close friends. (#tbt to the beginning of Holisticism!)

Maryam has been on my radar since, and her voice and power is so necessary. Check out her free Transmissions and Meditations, and to offer her even more support as she shares her gifts with the world, check out her New Earth Mystery School.

insight timer

If you’re someone who’d always choose a buffet-style breakfast over ordering one dish at a restaurant, Insight Timer is gonna be your jam. The free app has thousands of guided meditations sourced from its users and from medi pros.

Of course, you can also use Insight Timer for its original purpose — as a zen way to time and track your meditations.

sarah blondin

sarah blondin had no intention of helping people heal their souls, but her daily practice of journaling catapulted her to create her live awake podcast, an awesome self-guided meditation podcast. blondin is an artist and creative, and her meditations cut deep. like, be prepared to be weeping in the bathtub as you listen to her words.

You can find her podcast on Apple Podcasts or find her meditations on Insight Timer.

dharma seed

Is Dharma Seed’s website from 1997? Maybe. Is there some powerful content on there nonetheless? Absolutely.

Dharma Seed is meditation in the Vipassana and Insight meditation tradition, so expect some chill, thoughtful medis from them.

mindful.org

Turns out an exciting meditation website is not an oxymoron! Mindful.org is your one-stop-shop for all things meditation; if you’re looking for the latest mindfulness research or just seeking a new guided meditation track, you’ll be able to find it here.

do yoga with me: meditation

Yoga Nidra, Breathwork, Total Body Relaxation, Mindfulness Meditations — Do Yoga With Me has it all. The library on this site is robust, and even includes meditations for kids (good luck and godspeed).

Those who are short on time will appreciate the meditation playlists that are broken out into bite-sized, single-digit meditations within longer, hour-long playlists on a theme.

meditation oasis

If you’re an app person, you’ll dig what the team at Meditation Oasis is throwing down. They’ve created 12 different apps that target your specific meditation needs — from walking meditation to sleep meditations, they’ve got you covered with free and paid versions of the apps.

Meditation Oasis also has over guided meditations available on their podcast.

yoga bliss dance

Youtube is truly a wonder. When I first read the title “Yoga Bliss Dance” I almost did a spit take, because honestly who can take that name seriously?

Well, turns out I’m an asshole because 5.3k subscribers say that Yoga Bliss Dance is legit. OK. Point taken. YBD’s most popular meditations have nearly 13k listens — and you guys, they’re really good.

meditation relax club

Another Youtube goody, Meditation Relax Club has a jaw-dropping 1.3 million subscribers. By far, the most popular playlist is the Delta Waves Sleep Music, which is legit. I’ll definitely be popping on MRC next time I can’t fall asleep!

conclusion

If you’re willing to kiss a few frogs, you’re bound to find a meditation practice and teacher that works for you — and it doesn’t need to cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars.