Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCostHow I Used the AppWhat I LearnedPros & ConsFinal Thoughts
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Cost
How I Used the App
What I Learned
Pros & Cons
Final Thoughts
The good news is that I found this app to be hugely beneficial in helping me better incorporate mindfulness practices into my day-to-day life and helping me feel more productive. Here’s my review.
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How Much Does the UCLA Mindful App Cost?
However, it also offers nine online MAP (Mental and Physical) training classes for an additional fee:
These classes are each eight weeks in length and the costs range from $165 to $200.
The UCLA Mindful App website explainsmeditationandmindfulnessin the “Getting Started” tab. There, I found four different helpful introductory videos: an introduction to mindfulness, how to choose a meditation, how to select the best meditation posture for you, and the science behind it all. These videos are just one of the many free resources that the app offers. I learned that meditation is the practice of stopping what you’re doing to focus on your body: your posture, breathing, thoughts, and feelings.
Verywell Mind / Ashley Rowe
I also found out that mindfulness means focusing purely on your current situation without distraction. These two practices together form mindfulness meditation, which the app notes is intended to help enable individuals to focus on each moment calmly as it occurs. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), mindfulness should be used to become aware of sensory information and to focus on each moment as it transpires,and the UCLA Mindful App states that it can be used to relievestressand promote relaxation and overall health and well-being.
Basic Meditations
The free audio meditations are separated into “Basic Meditations” and “Wellness Meditations” tabs in the app. Meditations usually start off with a chime to bring your mind into a meditative focus, then they are narrated. A soothing, almost hypnotically slow narration guides you toward becoming increasingly aware of your body, your breath, and the present moment. At the end of the meditation, that same chime sounds to signal the end.
Basic meditations, according to the app, are the ones that are supposed to be used throughout the day to help with routine stress and to foster relaxation and focus. The options for basic meditations include Breathing Meditation, Breath Sound and Body Meditation, Meditation for Working with Difficulties, Loving Kindness Meditation, Body and Sound Meditation, Body Scan Meditation, and Body Scan for Sleep Meditation. Basic meditations are available in 16 languages, including American Sign Language. Most of the basic meditations are short: Many are only three minutes long and most range fromthree to 13 minutes.
Wellness Meditations
Wellness Meditations, meanwhile, are those specifically designed for people in hospitals or who are otherwise experiencing health issues. They are supposed to be used to help address more personal and reflective needs, like loving yourself, overcoming difficulties, and combating anxiety. Among the options are Body Awareness, Sound, Breath and Tibetan Singing Bowls, as well as longer versions of many of the basic meditation options. Most of the wellness meditations are longer than the basic meditations, between eight and 14 minutes. There is also a separate file of audio instructions for the wellness meditation section.
Best Guided Meditations
Classes
These classes discussed the importance andbenefitsof mindful meditation and the different approaches to meditation. For example, there is not one meditation posture that suits everyone. Instead, it is about personal preference and comfort. In the class, the instructor spoke about how to find, or help someone find, the best posture for effective meditation. This was one of the more basic practices discussed. I found that more often than not, the instructor seemed to be speaking to other clinicians, and upon research, I found that this course could be used for clinicians’ CE (continuing education) requirements.
MAP ClassesAs someone who was just looking to implement some stress-relieving measures, I did not find this class to be necessary or especially useful.
MAP Classes
As someone who was just looking to implement some stress-relieving measures, I did not find this class to be necessary or especially useful.
While some of the explanations were illuminating, I found the app’s free resources much more helpful.
As I became more familiar with the guided meditations, I began feeling prepared to meditate on my own. With the help of the app’s meditation timer, I was able to meditate independently. The timer begins and ends with the ringing of a bell. This bell helped me to effectively transition out of whatever task I had been focused on, and into meditation. Some days, when I was more stressed or scattered, I still chose to go with a guided meditation video, but more frequently, I found myself enjoying meditating on my own. This is not something that I would have been able to do effectively before using this app.
After using the app, I found that I was more focused and productive with my time. Ironically, stressing about how much I had to do was actually taking away my ability to accomplish a task. With mindfulness and meditation, I am better able to focus and complete each task efficiently and calmly.
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Pros and Cons
While I was very pleased with the many features of the UCLA Mindful app, there are a few factors to consider before signing up.
ProsLarge catalog of free resourcesEasy to navigateSelf-guided meditation timer includedMeditations available in 16 languagesHelpful, free intro to mindfulness and meditationFree informative newsletter and podcastConsSome of the longer videos took a bit of time to loadLimited number of basic meditationsClasses seem to be geared toward clinicians or professionalsAs a free resource, app is very basic and minimal
ProsLarge catalog of free resourcesEasy to navigateSelf-guided meditation timer includedMeditations available in 16 languagesHelpful, free intro to mindfulness and meditationFree informative newsletter and podcast
Large catalog of free resources
Easy to navigate
Self-guided meditation timer included
Meditations available in 16 languages
Helpful, free intro to mindfulness and meditation
Free informative newsletter and podcast
ConsSome of the longer videos took a bit of time to loadLimited number of basic meditationsClasses seem to be geared toward clinicians or professionalsAs a free resource, app is very basic and minimal
Some of the longer videos took a bit of time to load
Limited number of basic meditations
Classes seem to be geared toward clinicians or professionals
As a free resource, app is very basic and minimal
To be frank, if I were to re-do this whole experience, I would not have enrolled in the MAP class. While it was informative, I did not find that it was worth the time or money. I was searching for a tool, not a technical explanation. That being said, if I were a mental health professional, I probably would have enjoyed using this course for a continuing education credit.
Instead of taking this class, I would have stuck to the many free resources that this app offers. The “Getting Started” tab prepared me to begin the basic meditations. In addition to these features, I found myself enjoying some of the podcasts while driving. These were almost as informative as the course and completely free. Surprisingly, the most helpful services for me were some of the free guided meditations, podcasts, and the timer. Moving forward, I will continue to use those instead of the MAP classes.
Overall, I am grateful for the tools that I gained while engaging with this app’s resources. I plan to continue to use the meditation tools indefinitely.
Going into this review, I had hoped to find an outlet to relieve some of the everyday stress that I experience. Instead, I have implemented a life skill that helps me to consciously prevent stress from seeping into my mind, my body, and even my sleep. I will be encouraging everyone to give this app a try.
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1 SourceVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.APA Dictionary of Psychology.Mindfulness. American Psychological Association.
1 Source
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.APA Dictionary of Psychology.Mindfulness. American Psychological Association.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
APA Dictionary of Psychology.Mindfulness. American Psychological Association.
Olivia Campbell
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