Our recommendations for buddhify users on how to start digging deeper into the world of mindfulness & meditation
If buddhify has ignited your interest in meditation, we encourage you to follow your instincts and explore further. What we present in the app is an expression of our experience and our understanding of mindfulness, but there are so many other aspects of the mindfulness tradition worth examining.
We want you to become independent and creative practitioners in your own right, using our app as a stepping stone and wise friend rather than an endpoint in itself. Our goal is that you enjoy our accessible and expansive approach to meditation, and if you’re so inclined, that you go on to deepen your practice.
Given how many mindfulness resources are out there, it can be a bit overwhelming as to know where to go next. So here are five things you can do right away to further your interest.
Being that other meditation apps are technically our ‘competition’, it might seem strange that we encourage you to download them. But we genuinely recommend it. Just as buddhify’s focus is on our unique combination of on-the-go meditations and sharp design, other apps have their own emphasis and qualities. It is worth trying a few other apps. You can use the experience to see how other apps present the practice differently, and take the time to reflect on what you do and don’t find valuable. This exercise can be incredibly useful as you start to articulate what your personal preferences are when it comes to meditation and style.
Dive deeper by adding some mindfulness books to your reading list. While guided meditations are a great way to gain direct experience with practice, there is a different kind of learning that occurs when we read more about the background and fundamentals of meditation. That’s why these Foundations are text rather than audio. There are so many mindfulness books out there, but among the noise, there are some which are truly excellent. We’d suggest titles by leading teachers such as Sharon Salzberg, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Tara Brach, and Thich Nhat Hanh. They all have different styles, and some are more on the spiritual side, so be aware of that. And if you like our app, buddhify’s creator — Rohan Gunatillake — has a book titled Modern Mindfulness, which is a natural complement to our approach.
If you’re used to meditating alone, the idea of practicing in a group setting may seem intimidating, But if you can make it work with your schedule, it can be a great complement to using the app. There are so many different types of groups — all with varied backgrounds, styles, and vibes. Everything from meditation training courses and classes to sitting-groups and drop-in sessions are out there. In our pragmatic opinion, the best option is the one that is near you and the one you can actually fit into your schedule. So give it a go. See what it’s like to practice with others. See what it is like to try different styles from what you are used to. See what it’s like to be in a room with other people who care about the same things as you. No class is perfect, but there is always something we can take away from it.
Chances are that if you are interested in mindfulness, someone else you know is too. So why not practice together? Historically, meditation traditions have always contained an element of group practice in addition to solo practice. For this purpose, buddhify offers meditations designed for multiple people, or you can have a go at formal silent meditation as a group. A good rule of thumb we like is that when meditating together you should talk about your experience for the same length of time that you actually meditate. Because through reflection and sharing, we learn so much. This is a particularly nice thing to do if you can’t find any good classes or groups near you already.
As much as we love to hear stories from you about how you use the app often and have fallen in love with particular tracks, there is another kind of story that really excites us. That is when we hear from people who take the meditations and the techniques that they like and decide to try them by themselves. So try that. Take the meditations you love and see if you can make use of them without the app. Try them. Remix them. Make them even better. We’ll still be here when you need us.
