Why Waking Up is the Ultimate Meditation App & My Curated Meditations for Every Emotion
As I mentioned in this previous article, meditation has been a valuable part of my life since 2012. Over the years, I've experimented with more than 10 meditation apps, starting with the popular Headspace and exploring others like Calm and The Tapping Solution. I've also attended spiritual retreats and workshops with Dandapani in Nepal, Belgium, and Germany, where personal meditation was always a key component (some of which I recorded and continued to practice at home).
In 2021, I came across Sam Harris's Waking Up app. The promise "Waking Up isn’t just another meditation app" intrigued me, but I was also skeptical. What could be genuinely different and significantly better than the countless other solutions on the market?
Today, I'm an avid user of Waking Up, and I consider it the best meditation app on the market, and I'll tell you why in a moment.
But I found that something essential was missing on some days. So, I've devised my own solution and shared it further down so you can benefit from it if you’re already using the Waking Up app.
Why Waking Up stands out among meditation apps
Waking Up offers a comprehensive understanding of mindfulness and meditation, along with unmatched guidance and support. Its unique blend of ancient wisdom and contemporary science, including lessons on Stoicism, effective altruism, sleep, and psychedelic research, lends depth and nuance to the practice of meditation.
I appreciate how Sam Harris incorporates various ancient religions, philosophers, and more while effortlessly blending them with the latest scientific knowledge. This creates a wonderful mix in the Waking Up app, combining the best of millennia-old proven practices with cutting-edge science.
Exploring the app's offerings
The app's introductory series is a great place to start, and its extensive and high-quality selection of lessons and conversations on various topics serve as occasional sources of inspiration for me. The daily-changing meditation (which can be set to 10 or 20 minutes) is my go-to, but the app's growing selection of topic-specific meditations is fantastic as well.
My exclusive collection to instantly address strong emotions
Despite the app's many offerings, I found that on some days, something essential was missing, prompting me to come up with my own solutions. With consistent use, I've meticulously compiled my favorite meditations from the past few years, focusing on experiencing and processing strong emotions in the present moment. Unlike the normal daily meditations in Waking Up, which lead to greater inner clarity and relaxation over time, my exclusive collection covers a range of concrete use cases for meditation, offering the most powerful and effective meditations for different situations. I highly recommend completing the Waking Up Introductory Series (or having prior meditation experience) before diving into my selected meditations to ensure they have their full effect on you.
Here are my top five meditations for emotional balance in different situations
Focused breathing meditation: This is my go-to technique since focusing on the breath can help in almost any situation. The best part is that once you've internalized this meditation, you can even practice it with open eyes in public or in a meeting when you need a moment to relax or calm down.
Observing negative emotions and feelings meditation: Learn how to mindfully observe negative emotions and thoughts, best applied when experiencing them. This meditation may not sound intuitive at first. However, the wonderful aspect of focusing on current negative emotions that concern or worry you is that when you confront them, they "disappear before your own eyes." Thus, you feel better immediately after the meditation, and negative emotions and thoughts lose their power as you repeatedly see and internalize how they vanish on their own.
Acceptance and relaxation meditation: Realize that everything, no matter how challenging, is exactly as it should be, promoting relaxation. This meditation is powerful because it helps you accept what currently is. Especially when it's difficult to accept and you'd rather fight the present reality, I find this meditation very helpful.
Disappearing negative thoughts about yourself meditation: Consciously observe how short and irrelevant negative self-thoughts become when confronted during meditation. This meditation focuses on consciously invoking something you regret, feel ashamed of, or feel bad about. You intentionally notice how powerful these thoughts (which are indeed only thoughts) influence you in the moment when you acknowledge them. Similar to the meditation on worries and fears, consciously confronting negative thoughts about yourself weakens the negative feelings they create and, over time, makes them disappear entirely.
Impermanence and mindfulness meditation: Impermanence and mindfulness meditation: Embrace the impermanence of everything in life and cultivate mindfulness to achieve a more relaxed state of mind. I find this an incredibly powerful meditation because we often live with the illusion that we'll "arrive at the destination" someday. But that will never happen in life. Consciously acknowledging, feeling, and accepting this notion greatly helps develop and establish a fundamental acceptance of whatever may come next in one's life. I recommend this meditation for times of inner unrest when you can't pinpoint the exact source of the agitation.
Bonus 1: Deep Love and Connection Meditation
Experience deep love and connection with yourself and others, creating a sense of overall well-being. This wonderful meditation highlights a core element of human happiness: love and connection with others. I find this meditation leaves a beautiful, loving, and positive feeling for oneself and the world around. What could be more beautiful?
Bonus 2: Sleep Meditation
For those who struggle with falling back asleep during the night or need help with initial sleep, this Waking Up sleep meditation is designed to relax you without triggering distracting thoughts. Sometimes, simply entertaining the mind when you wake up at night or can't fall asleep is the most effective "medicine" for drifting off. Podcasts or audiobooks may also be suitable for this purpose. However, they have the disadvantage of potentially discussing topics that might remind you of work or other disturbing thoughts. This sleep meditation gently focuses your attention on yourself and your body, making it just a matter of time before you gently glide into sleep.
Closing thoughts
I hope this article has provided you with valuable insights into my personal experience with the Waking Up app and my exclusive collection of emotion-focused meditations. My goal is to inspire and encourage you to explore meditation as a life-changing practice, whether you're already a seasoned practitioner or just starting out. With a vast range of lessons, conversations, and meditations, there's something for everyone.
As a special offer, you can use my exclusive link to get a 30-day free premium access to the Waking Up app here. Please note that I recommend all apps mentioned here (incl. Waking Up) out of pure conviction. I do not receive any compensation or commission for this article or for sharing the link.
And if you still need a little help on how to make meditation a daily habit, this article of mine might be interesting for you.