I’ve had meditation experiences ranging from full-day, in-person meditation retreats, learning from meditation teachers over Zoom, and using other apps like Headspace and Insight Timer. Even for someone like me with quite a bit of experience with meditating, the Calm app helped strengthen my mindfulness toolbox to effectively get me through my week. The Calm app was founded in 2012 by Alex Tew and Michael Acton Smith. According to an Inc. report, the origin story of the app starts with Smith’s bout of burnout and a big dose of skepticism around the “woo-woo” of meditation. But after cultivating his own mindfulness practice and reading more about the neuroscience behind meditation, Smith was convinced it was the right focus for his next business venture. Over the years, Calm’s popularity has grown, snagging Apple’s “App of the Year” in 2017. With over 4 million users, Calm continues to receive high praise on The App Store (4.8 stars) and Google Play Store (4.4 stars). In general, accessing meditation and mindfulness through an app is way more convenient than researching a meditation studio, making your way there, sitting for 30 to 60 minutes, and making your way back home. If your goal is to make meditation and mindfulness a daily habit, using an app lowers the barrier, making your mindfulness practice as convenient as possible. With Calm, you simply sit wherever you are, open the app, and select a Calm meditation. Some noteworthy categories and features include: If you’re debating between the free and paid versions of Calm, you can try Calm Premium (the paid version) for free for seven days to decide if it’s worth it to you. As soon as you sign up, you’re required to input your credit card information to access content (even for the free trial), but you can cancel anytime, which essentially makes the trial free of charge. With the free version of Calm, you get access to: Here’s what’s included in Calm Premium: From an inclusivity standpoint, I’m happy to see practitioners like Lama Rod Owens featured with a “Coming Out” series caring for the LGBTQ+ community, and actress and LGBTQ+ changemaker Emily Rios narrates a sleep story called “Dreaming with Frida.” Overall, I’m a fan of the Calm app, and I’ll likely keep it for the Daily Jays, walking meditations, and sound bath music. It has easily become part of my morning routine, and I’ve only had it for a week. Though, while I personally like this app, it’s not for everyone. This probably isn’t for experienced meditation practitioners who want to deepen their meditation practice in any specific tradition. Those looking for a more robust practice will need to look for a meditation school. Personally, both Headspace and Calm have a special place on my meditation journey. I started to learn the basics of meditation with Headspace. I took a break because I finished all the basic meditation courses. I’m now converting to Calm because it has a broader variety of mindfulness tools to support my meditation practice—and it’s prettier to look at. I’m surprised it took me this long to try the Calm app. I’ve heard and read great things about it for a few years, and now I can see why. Adding this to my routine has helped inject a few minutes of serenity into my day. Overall, I’d say the Calm app is a great tool to help move people from chaos to calm. Catahan currently runs, writes, and lives in San Francisco.
