9 Powerful Guided Meditations Worth Trying
From mindfulness meditation to spiritual healing affirmations, try these guided audio sessions and discover which works best for you.
“The more regularly and the more deeply you mediate, the sooner you will find yourself acting always from a center of inner peace.” – J. Donald Walters
Whether you're a meditation newbie or a spiritual guru, the tonnes of meditation apps and audio recordings available online can be a little overwhelming when you're not quite sure what you're in the mood for. Similarly to when you're flicking through Netflix to find the perfect movie to watch, rummaging through a sea of hippie content can sometimes take more time than doing the meditation itself!
Being a meditation junkie, I've certainly trialed and errored a bunch of guided meditation sessions myself - there have been some great ones, some okay ones, and some ~strange~ ones that have left me feeling even more puzzled than before (wait, why is this dude making orgasmic noises during the recording?!). Though trying to get into the groove of meditation can sometimes feel like a lot of work, I think the best thing I ever did in my adult life was to start digging deep and asking myself why I am the way I am. It requires a lot of willpower and intentionality to dedicate time to meditation, but getting to know myself on a deeper level has really helped me thrive.
And because sharing is caring (and to hopefully help save you time hunting for your next meditation), I am gifting you, my dear reader, a list of some of my favourite guided meditation sessions which I have thoroughly enjoyed. Below you'll find the name of each meditation, the author, what it is about, and either the direct link to the audio or info on where you can access it :)
Loving And Listening To Yourself - Sarah Blondin This was one of the first sessions I stumbled upon when I started to meditate, and damn it made me feel all of the feels. Sarah's words hit deep and to quote my boyfriend after I convinced him to listen to one of her episodes, "that was poetic, she's got bars" - bars being a word I've only ever associated with rappers! Anyway, this meditation explores the importance and transformative power of self-love. Sarah has a very soothing voice, and the moment she asks you to close your eyes and place your hand on your heart whilst repeating after her - I felt a beautiful vulnerability that I had never felt before.
Meet Your Higher Self - Jessie Herman
In this guided meditation, Jessie invites you to come face-to-face with your higher self, a version of you that has all the qualities that you have always desired, and gives you the opportunity to learn everything they are trying to communicate to you. It is incredibly uplifting to visualise your higher self smiling back at you with unconditional love. Towards the end of the session, you merge with your higher self and you realise that they were within you all along, always trying to bring growth into your life. If you are ready to make a change, this meditation will help you let go of any old thoughts or pattens that do not serve you.
Journey Towards Peace - David Ji
You can tell by simply looking at David Ji that he is a zen master - only someone who truly does not give a sh*t about superficial appearances can rock hair like that! Whenever I listen to David's sessions I feel as if it is just me and him in the room. In Journey Towards Peace, he walks you through an emotionally calming and healing guided visualisation meditation - where you are led through various scenic landscapes, soaking up the sights, sounds, and sensations. After this meditation, you will return back to your body peacefully at ease. David has many other audio recordings that are great too - if you enjoyed this one, check out the others!
Managing Anxiety - Andy Puddicombe
“Remember the blue sky. It may at times be obscured by clouds, but it is always there.”
Although I wouldn't describe myself as a particularly anxious person, I have had moments in my life where my nerves have taken over me (speaking a million miles an hour to avoid awkward silences? Yep that's me!). This 30 day course gradually helps you learn how to cope with anxious thoughts so that they no longer overwhelm you. The practice is simple yet very effective, and I found it useful to not only help me identify emotions related to anxiety but also all other emotions too, especially in times of emotional turbulence. The concept is that you are always free, no matter how busy your life is. It's not to say you stop experiencing any "negative" thoughts, but rather becoming clear on when they arise and understanding that they are just fleeting, and you can return to the present moment (or the 'blue sky', as Andy likes to describe it) whenever you want.
You can find this course on the Headspace app.
Attracting All That You Desire - Carrie Suwal
Never underestimate the power of your thoughts. In this audio Carrie dives into the Law of Attraction in simple terms, and explains how like attracts like. Whatever you focus on internally will ultimately manifest externally, so why not become a conscious creator? This meditation uses gratitude, dreaming and affirmations - listening to it on a regular basis is a strong practice to help create your dream life.
Choosing Your Space - Jeffrey Allen
I did a course on Mindvalley (an expensive self-development platform which I had access to thanks to my sister - cheers sis!) called Duality which sparked my interests in spirituality, chakra healing and aura cleansing. Jeffrey's soft voice and warming personality made this course really engaging for me! This particular Choosing Your Space meditation was part of the course training, and it is all about protecting your aura (the luminous energy that surrounds your physical body) and understanding that you always have full control of your space - this means that no one can harm your mental state of mind unless you allow them to. Jeffrey teaches you to find a healthy balance of being able to empathise with others whilst not allowing their energy fields to affect your own - you have the power to choose, always. If you aren't willing to pay for a Mindvalley membership (understandably so!) you can find some similar content from Jeffrey Allen floating around on YouTube.
Find some of Jeffrey's free guided meditations here
The 6 Phase Meditation - Vishen Lakhiani
Another one I discovered through the Mindvalley app, though luckily this guided meditation is free to listen to on the Omvana app and on Mindvalley's YouTube channel (woohoo!). In this session, Vishen dives us into six phases which include:
Phase 1: Love and Compassion
Phase 2: Gratitude
Phase 3: Forgiveness
Phase 4: Future Dreaming
Phase 5: Perfect Day
Phase 6: The Blessing
Vishen guides you through a series of creative visualisations and mind exercises. He believes that meditation isn't about clearing your mind, but rather engaging your mind and manifesting abundance in every aspect of your life. This is a great one to do in the morning to help start your day with positive intention, both consciously and unconsciously, as it helps you reflect on what is important to you. However, the first time I attempted this audio I did find Vishen to go a bit too fast, so you'll need to stay focussed otherwise he might move onto the next phase before you know it!
Find Your Life Purpose - Hypnosis Live
This session is pretty long (approx. 30 minutes after you skip the intro) but very enlightening when you come out the other end. This is one of the few hypnosis mediations that have actually worked on me - once I was in the trance my body felt like it literally could not move even if I wanted to! It requires deep visualisation where you imagine your life in two opposite extremes, to help you realise which part of the spectrum you want to be at in order to live a life that is truly fulfilling to you.
You can find this meditation on the Omvana app.
Divine Connection - Jason McGrice
A deeply soulful series of affirmations that you can repeat to yourself either out loud or silently in your mind. I found this meditation to be very calming, helping connect my mind, body and soul. Repeating positive affirmations to yourself can be extremely powerful for boosting your self-esteem - it's like being your own personal hype man! I recommend listening to this at night right before bed as a relaxing way to finish your day.
Let me know which meditation you enjoyed the most!
You can find me on Instagram @mindfulmonkay :)