By: Nuala Martin

Nuala Martin — Sat, 30 Jun 2018 02:59:29 +0000

After reading a review for insight timer I would not recommend this app. You can design your own meditation and share it with other users of the app who can meditate alongside you. If the content is not acceptable you may be blocked, with no explanation given. This does not seem
Ike meditation to me!

By: Jackie Kimpton

Jackie Kimpton — Thu, 28 Jun 2018 19:22:11 +0000

I love insight timer. You can get the basic app free which gives you a lot of options.

By: Maureen Bellavia

Maureen Bellavia — Wed, 27 Jun 2018 12:30:33 +0000

Hi Margaret,
Thanks for your informative emails through Melioguide, I thoroughly enjoy them. I would like to comment on your recent information with regards to meditation. I am a physiotherapist, and also have taken Mindfulness meditation facilitation training. I am a little concerned about people recommending meditation and mindfulness without providing people with the entire picture. The literature routinely paints this practice as helpful in all aspects of life. We should remember that it is the brain we are dealing with, and, just like with exercise, mindfulness and meditation should be prescribed and monitored by professionals who have expertise in this field because adverse reactions CAN and DO occur. If you look up the literature on adverse reactions with meditation and mindfulness, there is a plethora of information. It is not necessarily a common thing but it is a real issue. The interesting thing is that adverse reactions (ex. depression, psychotic events, suicidal thoughts etc.) have occurred in both short and long term meditators without any history of mental health issues or past traumas. I have specifically looked at the work of Dr. Willoughby Britton, Dr. Lorin Roche, Dr. Dean Shapiro, Dr. Miguel Farias, and Dr. Stephane Treyvaud. They are all either academia/research or in the medical profession and all are meditators. So at the very least you should let your clients know that it is not necessarily a practice for everyone, and that if they have any concerns, to do so under the supervision of a trained professional.

Cheers, Maureen Bellavia, PT
 “Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being. A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis” JAMA Intern Med, 2014 174 (3), 357-368 by Goyal, M., Singh, S., Sibinga, E. et.al
 Creswell, J.D., Pacilio, L.E., Lindsay, E.K., and Brown, K. W. Brief Mindfulness Meditation alters psychological and neuroendocrine responses to social evaluative stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014 (44), 1-12.
 Eberth, J., and Sedlmeier, P. The Effects of Mindfulness Meditation: A Meta Analysis. Mindfulness. 2012 3 (3), 174-189.
 Goyal, M., Singh, S., Sabinga, E., et al. Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA Intern Med. 2014, 174(3), 358-366
 Jha, A.P., Stanley, E.A, Kiyonaga, A. et.al. Examining the Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training on Working Memory Capacity and Affective Experience. Emotion 2010, 10 (1), 54-64.
 Jivasu. Meditation Path of Relaxation, Awareness and Expansion of Awareness (class notes from Meditation Facilitator Training Program, 2016)
 Kabat-Zinn, J. Full Catastrophe Living: Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain, and illness. New York: Bantam Dell, 1990. Print.
 Khoury, B., Lecomte, T., Fortin, G. et al. Mindfulness Based Therapy: A Comprehensive Meta Analysis. Clinical Psychology Review. 2013, 33 (6), 763-771
 Newberg, A.B. and Iverson, J. The Neural Basis of the complex mental task of meditation: neurotransmitter and neurochemical considerations. Medical Hypothesis. 2003, 61 (2), 282-291.
 Ortner, C.N.M., Kilner, S.J. and Zelago, P.D. Mindfulness meditation and reduced emotional interference on a cognitive task. Motivation and Emotion. 2007, 31, 271-283.
 Shapiro Jr., D.H. Adverse Effects of Meditation: A Preliminary Investigation of Long-Term Meditators. International Journal of Psychosomatics. 1992, 39 (1-4), 62-67.
 Shian-Ling, K., Smoski, M., and Robins, C.J. Effects of Mindfulness on psychological health: A review of the empirical studies. Clinical Psychology Review. 2011, 31(6), 1041-1056.
 Vestergaard-Poulsen, P., van Beek, Skewes, J., et.al. Long term Meditation is associated with increased gray matter density in the brain stem. Neuroreport. 2009, 20 (2), 170-174.


By: Laurel

Laurel — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 23:29:30 +0000

I vote for Insight Timer as well. I especially like the ability to select a meditation based on a variety of choices, including how much time you hav.

By: Richard Martin

Richard Martin — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 22:27:15 +0000

In reply to Kathy. Hi Kathy: Looks like the Meditation Studio people changed their terms since I wrote the post.

By: Kathy

Kathy — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 21:38:35 +0000

I just looked at Meditation Studio in the App Store and it was only offered as a monthly or yearly subscription, not a one time purchase.

By: Christine

Christine — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 19:22:05 +0000

Insighttimer has thousands of free meditations, all varieties, stress reduction etc, music, talks and a meditation timer, a community and multiple groups if you are inclined. I absolutely live this app and recommend it to my coaching clients and weight loss groups.
Thankyou for covering such an important topic, our ability to handle stress is so important to our health and well-being