Pure Joy Wellness Approved! Ten Percent Happier App

Welcome back to my monthly product series, Pure Joy Wellness Approved! This is the ninth edition, and for those of you who are new to my blog, here’s what you can expect from PJWA: 

The wellness industry is saturated with products. (It’s a multi-trillion dollar industry, after all.) My goal with this series, Pure Joy Wellness Approved, is to help you cut through the noise, and give you insight into the items and brands that I use on a regular basis. Every month, I’ll be featuring a product I love that can make achieving your health goals easier—whether you want to lose weight, take better care of your skin, develop an exercise routine, find balance with your nutrition, or improve your mental health, to name a few. 

Last week, we talked about gratitude and how it’s an essential ingredient for living a healthy and happy life. In keeping with that theme, this month’s Pure Joy Wellness Approved is my favorite meditation app, Ten Percent Happier. 

It’s no secret that meditation is a healthy habit to develop. Research shows that practicing meditation daily can transform your health and overall well-being, both physiological and psychological. And while there are plenty of meditation apps, books, and podcasts out there to choose from, the Ten Percent Happier app is my go-to for all things mindfulness. It’s easy to use, and caters to everyone, whether you’re a newbie meditator or long-time practitioner. 

Here’s why I’m a fan. 

Why I Love It

The app has over 350 guided meditations for you to choose from. 

I’m not exaggerating when I say that the Ten Percent Happier app has meditations for every type of person. They have meditations related to numerous topics, and of varying lengths. (In other words, even if you can only spare a few minutes out of your day to meditate, there are tons of meditations on this app for you!) Most of their sessions range from five to 30 minutes long, but they also have meditations that are as short as one minute and as long as 90. There are so many options that you’re bound to find one that you love that fits into your schedule.

They have different types of meditations, including ones you can do before bed, in the morning, and even while you’re walking.  

When we think of meditation, we think of sitting in a cross-legged position in silence. And while that works for some people, many have trouble getting into the zone like that (including myself). Thankfully, the Ten Percent Happier app has a library full of guided meditations that they organize by topic and category. For example, they have meditations focused on stress, waking up, relationships, health, difficult emotions, and more. (They even have meditations designed to help you cope with the pandemic.) My favorite category, though, is the On The Go meditations, which you can do while you’re walking, driving, in the shower, or drinking coffee. Looking at you, my Pure Joy Wellness Walking Warriors—these meditations are great to listen to on your daily walk!

The app has a calendar that makes it easy and fun to track your meditation habit.

Whenever you complete a meditation session, no matter the length, you get a blue circle on your Ten Percent Happier calendar, signifying that you meditated that day. For me, it feels like a gold star that I get each day, and that keeps me motivated to meditate every day. You can also see your total number of sessions and total minutes spent meditating, if that interests you. For those trying to start a meditation habit, this calendar can be super helpful for keeping track of your meditations and holding you accountable. 

The teachers are fantastic!  

The app includes meditations from 16 incredible meditation teachers, most of whom have been practicing and teaching meditation for years, if not decades. Over time you’ll find your favorite instructors and opt for their classes (I really like Oren!), but each teacher has their own style, so I encourage you to try out meditations from all of them and see whose vibe aligns with yours. The app also has a feature called the “Daily Dose,” which is a specific meditation chosen from their library for that day. I personally love doing the Daily Dose meditation, because the session and instructor rotates daily, making it an easy way to sample new instructors.

You can download the Ten Percent Happier app for free via the App Store or Google Play, if you have an Android. They offer a 7-day free trial period, which gives you time to test run the app and see if it’s something you want to continue with! I hope you’ll try it and let me know what you think on our Pure Joy Wellness Private Facebook Group. 

With gratitude, 

Renata