Best Guided Meditations on Spotify (and it’s free)

You may be familiar with some meditation apps like Calm but did you know you can access thousands of free guided meditations on the Spotify app? If you’re looking to start a meditation practice, Spotify is a great place to start.

You can find meditation playlists, artists, and even podcasts on Spotify. They have both guided and self-guided meditation on Spotify but this article solely focuses on guided meditation.

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My Experience with Meditation

The first time I ever tried meditation was in my Thursday night yoga class twenty years ago. Most of my yoga training was more fitness-based until that point, but this yoga teacher was a true yogi. And I loved it.

But then, I basically didn’t meditate for the next two decades. That was until Peloton reintroduced me to meditation.

If you told me a year ago, I’d be writing an article on meditations, I would have laughed.

But today, I meditate nearly every day, mainly through sleep meditation. And it’s something I find myself doing more often in my daily life.

I’ve meditated in my bed, bath, shower, next to my Peloton bike, in the car, on walks, and even in my closet. You don’t need much time to fit meditation into your day, even as little as a minute or two can provide some peace in your day.

What is a Guided Meditation?

Meditation is a practice where you focus your attention on something other than your everyday thoughts. Guided meditations are designed to take you through a series of exercises that teach you mindfulness techniques. They can also help you relax and reduce stress levels.

A friend of mine received training in meditation. She explained it to me like this once: you welcome your thoughts in but you do not invite them to stay. They float on by and you don’t pass judgment. You make a mental note to deal with them later.

Guided Meditation vs. Self-Guided Meditation

Self-guided meditation is an activity in which you focus on your own thoughts and feelings without any external guidance. You can do this at any time and anywhere. You can do this completely on your own, or while listening to meditative music.

If you’re looking for self-guided meditation, Deva Premal has half a million listeners each month, with some of her meditations having been streamed tens of millions of times on Spotify.

I am personally more successful with a guided meditation practice. I have a hard time narrowing my focus and instead, my thoughts sabotage my practice.

If you’re new to meditation, guided meditations are a fantastic way to start a meditation practice.

What are the Benefits of Guided Meditation?

There are so many benefits to practicing meditation.

Here are a few:

(1) Sleep

Although I’ve tried different meditations over the years, it wasn’t until I completed Peloton’s sleep meditation program the second time around that it became a part of my nightly ritual.

Not only do sleep meditations help me to fall asleep quicker but they somehow enable me to fall into a deep sleep and sleep better throughout the night.

(2) Relaxation

When I take a bath, I often like to listen to a relaxation meditation. I’ve even listened to it in the shower. The instructor often includes a body scan so that you can ease tension in specific parts of your body and then overall.

For example, you’ll loosen your jaw, flutter your eyes, or wiggle your toes. This relieves a lot of tension in the body.

(3) Anxiety and Mental Health

For anyone suffering from anxiety, meditation can truly help, especially in calming the mind and focusing on the breath. Even in the midst of a panic attack, meditation can work wonders at calming your body and mind. It also helps people fight depression and loneliness.

(4) Self-Awareness

I prefer to take meditation classes that focus on something I want to improve on, such as gratitude or patience. A structured practice like this can reframe your thought patterns and lead to positive changes.

(4) Focus and Productivity

Sometimes taking a break during my day to meditate can help me focus more clearly on the tasks at hand. It improves my focus and is said to increase productivity. Partly, it’s because meditation can help to alleviate stress and push negative thoughts out of your headspace.

(5) Health Benefits

When you think of meditation, you may assume we’re only talking about emotional health. But meditation has an effect on physical health too. Meditation has shown promise in lowering high blood pressure, combined with a healthy diet and exercise. It can also help those with weakened immune systems.

What Types of Guided Meditation Classes Are There on Spotify?

There are a variety of meditations on Spotify. Some examples include:

• short meditation classes (under 10 minutes and even under one minute!)
• lucid dreaming meditations
• ones specifically made for children
• Christian meditations
• affirmations
• meditation for healing
• mindful eating and weight loss
• insomnia and better sleep

Guided Meditation Playlists on Spotify

Whether you’re using the Spotify app or desktop, the easiest way to search for guided meditations is to click the search button to see Spotify’s guided meditation playlists.

Some of Spotify’s most popular playlists are this one with 15,000 likes, this one with 500,000 likes, or this one with 1.5 million likes

And remember, anyone can make a playlist on Spotify, even you.

Guided Meditation Artists on Spotify

Some of the most popular guided meditation artists include:

Deepak Chopra

Chopra is one of the leaders in alternative medicine. Born in India, he moved to the United States as a young man. By trade, he was a licensed endocrinologist. Although he’s a controversial figure in the medical field (critic claim he often gives false hope to the ill), he’s one of the most popular meditation artists on Spotify.

If you’re looking for meditation challenges, try out his free Meditation and Well-Being app, downloadable on his website.

The Honest Guys

While the name may not sound calming, the Honest Guys have a big following for relaxation meditations and their fantasy sleep series.

Their Guided Meditation: Deep Relaxation meditation has been streamed almost 10 million times!

The man with the soothing British accent, Rick Clarke, will guide your breathing against the sounds of nature like crashing waves. They have over a million subscribers on YouTube. They also live stream there.

Michelle DuVal

Duval is the director of The Mindful Center and is a leading meditation teacher in the Southwest.

Her body scan meditation has been streamed over 1.5 million times. She also has a bunch of sleep meditations. You can also find her on The Insight Timer, a free meditation app that hosts over 130,000 free meditations.

Sarah Blondin

Sarah Blondin is one of the most popular voices in the above-mentioned meditation app, Insight Timer. She has a limited Spotify channel but you can find more of her on her “Live Awake” podcast.

Janice Wong

Another one of The Insight Timer’s meditation guides, The Wong Janice, created a playlist with hours of her cello-accompanied meditation from The Insight Timer on Spotify.

Jason Stephenson

Stephenson has almost 3 million subscribers on YouTube. His healing music playlist on Spotify has been liked almost 6 million times.

Headspace

Headspace has a limited music playlist on Spotify.

If you want more of Headspace, you can subscribe to their app. Check out their free trial first.

Guided Meditation Podcasts on Spotify

Tara Brach

Tara Brach has a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and is and author of the best-selling book Radical Acceptance and other books.

She releases new episodes of her podcast once a week on Spotify, covering mindfulness and self-compassion.

Declutter the Mind

Declutter The Mind is a daily meditation podcast of 20-minute or less guided meditations focused on different topics: sleep, stress, positive emotions, and letting go of past mistakes.

Ten Percent Happier

This podcast hosted by Dan Harris, a self-described “fidgety skeptic” (referencing the title of his second book) comes out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on Spotify.

You may know Dan Harris as a news anchor for ABC News. About 10 years ago, he had a panic attack live on-air. After his initial embarrassment, he sought out meditation which forever changed his life.

On his podcast, he brings on guests, everyone from the Dalai Lama, Brene Brown, and Malcolm Gladwell to discuss mindfulness practices.

He also has short meditations and guides you through everything from meditation on-the-go for busy people to meditative housework.

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Meditation Minis

Hosted by psycho-hypnotherapist Chel Hamilton, this is one of the best mindfulness podcasts out there and claims to be .05% of the most downloaded podcasts in the world.

Her tagline is “meditation made for modern minds.” She covers topics ranging from how to get over someone, creativity, decluttering, and easing chronic pain. She often has a purposeful short talk before each episode but you can jump ahead to the meditative portion.

Mindfulness vs Meditation

There are many benefits of mindfulness, i.e., awareness in the present moment. However, it’s often difficult to differentiate it from meditation. Deepak Chopra has a good description of the differences between mindfulness and meditation.

Mindfulness can be practiced informally throughout the day. You’re more conscious of your actions, thoughts, and impact on others. Children are often taught mindfulness in schools.

But you can also set aside a specific time during the day for a formal practice to work on mindfulness meditation.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’ve been meditating for years or you are in the beginning stages of your meditation journey, there are hundreds of good guided meditations on Spotify. Many take different approaches.

Some meditation podcast episodes feature new guests each week. Some meditations include a calming bedtime story before bed. While others focus on different themes like relationships, mindful eating, or empowerment at work.

What all these Spotify shows, artists, and playlists have in common is an approach to strengthening your meditation skills. You’ll learn how to focus not only on the mind but the whole body, including your breathing practice.

While I used to struggle to relax during meditation sessions, I now immediately calm as soon as I hear that soothing voice and nature-inspired music tracks. While it’s not yet a daily practice for me, it’s been a great way for me to take a few moments of self-care when needed. It’s a nice way to reflect on my own life and actions.

Taking a short pause in your day to meditate, whether in the morning, before bed, or on your lunch break, choosing to meditate is an excellent choice for both your emotional and physical health. So rather thank taking 5 or 10 minutes to scroll through your social media feed, make good use of your time, and turn on a mindful meditation Spotify playlist or podcast.

The best part is that you don’t even need a paid Spotify account. I use the free version to find my guided meditation.

For more information about Free Meditations on Spotify, check out our video on YouTube and don’t forget to subscribe.

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