Waking Up: Beyond Meditation

I was totally new to meditation and mindfulness when I downloaded the app. Having completed the introductory course, I've noticed a significant decrease in my depressive symptoms and negative thought loops. The app has helped me, for the first time, take a step back from my conscious experience and just "be" without drowning in thought. Highly recommend!

If you want to build a discipline around meditation, this is a good place to start. Try to make it a regular habit, and give it enough time to take hold. Don't give up after a few sessions. There are 50 meditations that you should go through in order. The narrator is better to my ears than those of other apps (headspace for example), as he is not attempting to influence your mood simply by the tone of his voice, or over affected presentation. This is a high quality guided experience, exactly what you are looking for.

I really wanted to like this app but the guided meditations move way too quickly and I don't find them useful. There isn't enough time to ease into it for me. It would be nice if you could choose to lengthen the duration like you can with Headspace. The lessons, however, are quite interesting and digestible. Until there's an option to change the pace of the meditations I'll be sticking to Headspace.

I just subscribed as a way to force myself to meditate. A few weeks in, I'm starting to feel it's worth the price though it seemed a little pricey initially. I like the theory section and the guest sections though I haven't explored much yet. I initially felt there was too much talk during the guided meditation sessions. But a few sessions in, I'm starting to see how it's helpful in gradually altering your perspective.

This app provides a structured way to get into a meditation practice that will feel like you are being guided along the way. Being intentionally guided through the first 50 days allows one to get really into a routine. In addition, the type of meditation that Sam teaches does not feel like a fight with oneself, like meditations that are only focused on the breath, or on visualizations, and others. The app is also heavily filled with different content, and more is being added everyday. Sam knows though that less is more, and the app is not flooded with content all over the place. You never feel like "what should I be doing?" I recommend this app to any beginner or to any one who has been practicing for a long time.

This application profoundly influenced my life. I have been meditating before, but I always found it hard to make myself do it daily, and I was never sure I was doing it right. With Walking Up Sam introduces one concept at a time, slowly, and the experience is trully pleasant. In brief moments I feel the level of piece I never experienced before. I am more mindful, focused on the present and less stressed. I purchased the subscription for a couple of friends, and I am planning to give away more!

Brilliant stuff. Sam busted through a ton of my misconceptions about meditation. I'm the sort of person that goes non stop, has a zillion hobbies, and is generally successful in most of them. But all that toil eats at me on some level. This app addresses this split mindset wonderfully in a lot of ways. Best experienced firsthand though; take 20 minutes and see what you think. It's not often I recommend something so heartily much less an app.

It's totally worth the subscription. Sam has a rich knowledge of meditation and yogic traditions, I just wish there were links to other resources that he would recommend through the app to help guide the study of meditation beyond his framework. Perhaps there could be a suggested reading list of relevant books, talks by other speakers, legitimate meditation retreat resources, etc., that are listed under a separate tab? Additionally, most exercises are 10mins long but I wish they were longer.

I was one that never really bought into "spirituality" thinking you needed to adhere to some level of magical thinking. Harris opened my eyes in his book "waking up" and it changed the way i think about spirituality. i still wasn't ready to buy into meditation, but figured it couldn't hurt to try... what an amazing difference. i often find myself overwhelmed to the point of decision paralysis with work, then i remember to do this and i am able to restart the day with mental clarity. amazing app.

Love the app and felt good paying for a year because they offer it for free for anyone who contacts the company and asks. Don't let the cost stop you from trying this. First few lessons are free and there is so much great information. It really changes how you view the world, in a great way! Helps you be more mindful at all times, not only when meditation. The moment doesn't work on my android but everything else is great!

Filled with practical step by step support for building a practice. Impressed with the amount of options freely available before subscription is needed. There seems to be no adverts, doesn't feel pushy. Can get a feel if it's going to be a useful app before you need to invest in it. Subscription price is honest and seems reasonable. No glitches so far and very user friendly. 4 stars because of duration of time used so far. I'm pretty sure it will end up being a 5 star.

I suffer from daily panic attacks and depression. Every day is difficult. However, my anxiety has been easier to handle since starting these meditation exercises! I am cynical by nature, and I have always been suspicious of meditation as a method for treating my anxiety, but this app had made quite a dent in that opinion. The idea that I can train my brain is something I hadn't taken seriously in the past. Other apps offer similar services, but the amount of content in this one sets it apart.

I'm unsurprised that longtime meditators find this app's intro course so powerful. Sam dives into some advanced techniques. If you are a beginner or intermediate meditator, like me, you will probably be frustrated by the sessions about "having no head" and Sam's assertion that the self is an illusion. Overall, I like that the app focuses on the theory behind meditation and is less commercial than other apps. I'll keep using it for a year and see if my opinion changes.

I'm only on Day 7 but as someone who has tried to begin mediating regularly many times over the years, this technique is by far my favorite. You don't have to make sure your environment is perfectly silent with zero distractions. In fact you are meant to notice and focus on these things when they arise rather than try to shut them out. As Sam says, you can meditate next to a construction zone if you wanted. I also love the (optional) "moment" reminders - less than 1 min but each one is profound!

I'm up to day 14 with the app. Although there are certain components of the app that I've liked, I've found that Sam talked way way too much on days 1 to 12 and that made it too difficult for me to meditate. Day 13 was much better (more quiet time). I'll try sticking with it and hoping for more quiet time in the days to come (just some guiding from his voice).

Excellent resource for beginners, even for perpetual daydreamer like me. We've all bought in the culture of "busy-ness", and this app guides us into recognizing when our minds goes off-task. Highly recommend. Also, if you are concerned about costs, Sam Harris addresses it; he does not want money to stand in anyone's way to accessing this program.

I've tried a few meditation apps and methods. I'm a week in, and this is by far my favorite. I burst out crying during today's session because I've felt so powerless over my mind (and am already noticing I have a lot more control over it). This should be a daily ritual for every human on earth. As far as specific app feedback, it'd be nice if the moments were accessible. I can't find them.

This app serves as a great introductory course to mindfulness and meditation. Sam's voice is soothing and he comes from a place of great experience. There is nobody else I'd rather learn this skill from. Update 8/14/19 Back when I wrote my review I thought I was leaving a review for a product that might make me manage stress/anxiety differently. Now I realize I was leaving a review for the most important thing I have ever done for myself. I now think Sam is trying to save humanity from itself with this app. If we reach a critical mass of people who are not walking around permanently defined by wrong thought.. all of the suffering ends.

I've practiced meditation for more than 40 years, bit until I heard of Sam Harris, I had never used guided meditation. I've been using this app (full version) daily for almost nine months. I really enjoy the variety Sam introduces in his changing daily meditations, and have looked forward to new "lessons" as they're introduced. If I could change one thing it would be to allow thw user to save a few of rhe daily meditations for later use.

Hate to say it, but the only reason I'm meditating is because I paid for it and my thought is "Well I paid for it, I need to utilize it or I'm throwing money out the window." I'm 17 days in, and I like it. I tried Headpspace for a while but Waking up has a lot more variation while Headspace seems like the same 3 meditations everyday. I like the different categories of meditation Sam takes me through. My stress level has drastically dropped since I began. Just 10 minutes every morning.