Insight Timer Overview

Insight Timer is a mediation app with something for just about everyone who wants to begin practicing meditation, improve their current practice, or create new habits surrounding mindfulness. It touts itself as the #1 app for sleep, anxiety, and stress and boasts the world’s most extensive library of free meditations from some of the industries leading teachers and gurus. Not only does Insight Timer give everyone that signs up access to hundreds of guided meditations, but also to pre-recorded and live yoga classes, all for FREE. 

Insight Timer is available to download from your smartphone in the App Store or Google Play but is also available online for those that would instead practice from their laptop or desktop computer. Insight Timer was designed to give anyone and everyone free access to meditation and yoga sessions that are convenient, easy, and enjoyable. Research shows that people who practice simple acts of mindfulness are less prone to suffering from anxiety, stress, and poor sleep. That meditation and yoga practices can help connect the entire body, improve mental health, and boost immunity and well-being. 

Insight Timer offers a wide variety of meditations on different topics and styles. With Insight Timer, you’re able to follow along with pre-recorded sessions or jump in and participate in their frequent live classes. Insight Timer reviewers love this feature because when you join a live event, you’re practicing alongside other people, possibly from around the globe. This is especially cool since the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to stay away from people we loved. This feature allows you to feel connected to a like-minded community of people from the comfort and safety of your home. 

How Does Insight Timer Work? 

The Insight Timer website and app are both super simple to use, visually appealing, and easy to navigate between guided meditations, yoga sessions, and sleep programs. All you have to do is visit the website or download the app to gain immediate access to their comprehensive and free library. Insight Timer is free to download and use, and to be completely honest, a beginner or even an intermediate meditator should be more than happy with the extensive list of sessions. However, the app does offer other features that are only open to those who subscribe to the paid Member Plus program. 

Once you’ve created an account, you will be free to “move about the cabin” and explore the numerous benefits of being an Insight Timer user, including:

Guided Meditations

With access to over 75,000 guided meditations that will meet the needs and interests of just about everyone, being able to find a practice that suits you at any given moment is simple. Insight Timer is organized into categories that include specific topics, length of the practice, and unique moods.

Suppose there’s a specific topic you want to focus on. In that case, Insight Timer has more than 200 topics that are also pristinely organized by benefit, culture, discipline, philosophy, and practice types, such as Metta, Buddhist Mindfulness, or Kundalini. 

Suppose you’re in-between zoom meetings or only have an allotted amount of time--Insight has your back and allows users to search by meditation length. You can find practices ranging from one minute to a couple of hours, but let’s be real, who really has time or patience to sit in one place for more than a few minutes at a time. 

Most Popular Meditation 

• Sleep deeply

• Dealing with anxiety and reducing stress

• Getting through recovery and addiction 

• Self-love and compassion

• Focus and concentration

• Improved relationships

• Loving-kindness

Sleep Programs

Sleep is essential for staying healthy, and for those struggling with poor sleep can oftentimes benefit significantly from using meditation apps, like Insight Timer. This app gives you access to soothing music, relaxing soundscapes, calming stories, and meditations that will help you drift off to sleep and help you recharge for the day ahead. 

Yoga

Like we stated above, Insight Timer isn’t exclusively a meditation app but also offers users access to both pre-recorded and live yoga sessions. You will be able to practice alongside people from around the world in a setting that’s most comfortable for you. Each yoga session runs from 15 minutes to an hour and is available in a variety of practice types (restorative, beginner Flow, Vinyasa, and even yoga for tight shoulders). 

Other Insight Timer Offerings:

• Daily Insight - One of their newest features will help you incorporate meditation into each day, making it easier for you to practice more consistently. 

• Timer for non-guided meditations - Not everyone wants to hear the dinging of bells or strumming guitars, which makes this feature all the more powerful. With the timer, you’re able to set your perfect amount of time and will only be alerted with the time has run out. 

• Insightful Talks - Insight Timer employs some of the top names in the meditation game, and they want to share their infinite wisdom with you. From speakers that touch on topics related to changing your habits to attracting abundance and letting it flow, Insightful Talks has something for everyone. 

• Courses - Allow yourself to grow more on a personal level with one of Insight Timer’s intensive courses (only available with the paid subscription).

• Meditation for kids - It’s never too soon to get the next generation of leaders interested in the benefits of meditation. The ‘For Parents’ section of Insight Timer can help your child or any child in your life become a more calm person and teach them how to handle stress with stories, classes, and music that is specifically designed with them in mind. 

Insight Timer is an all-inclusive mediation app that appeals to people of all ages, backgrounds, and cultures. Whether you’re a novice or expert meditator, the massive arsenal of offerings has the capability to keep you tuned in for quite some time. Insight does a great job keeping things simple because we all know that starting something new, especially something that is totally foreign, can be a daunting task. With Insight, you’ll learn from some of the top meditation experts that will be there to guide you through a practice that is completely unique to you. They understand that meditation is a personal practice and want to be there with you every step of the way. 

How to Get Started with Insight Timer

The process of getting started is quite simple. Once you’ve read this review and we’ve positively influenced you to start your meditation journey, you can do the following:

Step one - Download the app and signup for FREE. There’s no need to give any credit card information as the founders of Insight always want to be able to offer this app at no charge. 

Step two - Once you’ve downloaded the app or signed up online, you’ll be taken to the starting screen, which gives you options that include: Timer, Guided, Sleep, Music, Kids, Featured Events, Essential Listening. The free version offers all the aforementioned robust features; however, the paid version will give you access to Courses and tons of extra content to explore. 

Step three - If you’re curious as to what the paid version has to offer, you can sign up for a free seven-day trial to poke around and see if it’s worth it. Compared to other meditation apps, the cost ($59.99 per year) is about the same, but in our opinion, Insight is a much more well-rounded and comprehensive offering. 

Step four - Explore everything Insight has to offer! Insight Timer reviewers love the ‘bookmark’ feature, so you can come back to your favorite sessions without searching. In the ‘My Profile’ section of the site, you’ll be able to track and view your progress. This is a great way to keep yourself accountable and set personal goals. 

Is Insight Timer Right for You?

Insight Timer is truly excellent for anyone, but more so for those interested in learning more about meditation--how it can improve your mental health and overall well-being, reduce anxiety, improve sleep, and heighten your levels of compassion for yourself and others. Insight Timer has a ton to offer even the most novice meditators and can be a great app for the whole family. 

Meditation and mindfulness, in general, are very personal practices. No two people have the same practice or get the same benefits as the next. With Insight Timer’s giant meditation library, you are able to have a different meditation experience every day. If you’re more motivated doing things with others, Insight also has a feature for users to join groups of communities that other members lead. Each group is different and focuses on specific themes or purposes. Current groups include Buddhist Mindfulness, opening yourself up to relationships, and many others. 

How Much Does Insight Timer Cost?

As we’ve mentioned, Insight Timer has a ton of FREE content, but for those that want to take their meditation to the next level, they might want to think about becoming a member. 

Insight offers its users two options:

• FREE Version 

• Member Plus Subscription - $59.99/year (billed annually), or $9.99/month (billed monthly)

• Access to everything the free version has to offer, plus added content, courses, and personalized playlists. 

Everyone who uses the app has access to:

• 75,000+ meditations

• Live and pre-recorded yoga sessions

• Sleep programs

• Music tracks

• Content specifically for kids

• Insightful Talks

If you’re interested in knowing more about the Member Plus subscription, you can try it out for 7-days at no cost. You will be required to enter a credit card number, but don’t fret, you won’t be charged until the end of the trial if you decide to stick with the free version. 

What Do We Think About Insight Timer?

Insight Timer makes meditation approachable with its expert teachers, a vast library of sessions, and affordability. If you’re new to meditation, you will have access to everything you need to begin a journey to increased well-being and boosted inner peace. However, some reviews have mentioned that first-time meditators were a bit overwhelmed with all the options, but if you can organize your thoughts when it comes to your goals, you shouldn’t have a problem getting on board the Insight Timer train. 

Insight Timer has something for everyone! We recommend that you find a cozy place to sit, light some incense, channel your favorite yogi, and give Insight Timer a chance!