Open: Breathwork + Meditation 4+

As a millennial, my introduction to meditation was through Headspace. At the time, I loved the platform and credit it with introducing me to the power of meditation. Through the years, I’ve bounced between Headspace and other meditation/exercise apps. Open is the first app that I’ve managed to consistently use for a month without trying.

The beauty of the app is that there are multiple 2-60 minute exercises you can do that focus on breathwork, movement, or meditation. Priory to Open, I was unaware of the power of 5 minutes of targeted breathing, which is not always something meditations will include. The app’s simplicity stops me from feeling overwhelmed or distracted by the array of options. Additionally, the most of the exercises do not require more than a yoga mat and are very accessible for less fit folks like myself. I’ve yet to find as wide an array of targeted breathwork exercises on the other apps as I have on Open.

So far, Open has been my main meditation/exercise/breathwork app, and Insight Timer fills in for any other meditations I’d like to get deeper into.

I discovered O-P-E-N on January 1, 2023, and it is the first meditation app that I have not only been using every day, but have looked forward to using every single day. The guided meditations are short yet impactful, the voices are soothing, the variety is appealing, and the self-guided options are an added bonus. I love the breathing practices, the opportunities to practice live, and the visual appeal of the app design. At one point, I had an issue accessing the app, so I contacted customer service, and they were responsive (in a timely manner), kind, and helpful. I also greatly appreciate that by sharing the app with others who sign up for a free month, I receive a free month in return! I could not be happier with or more grateful for this app! Thank you to creators and everyone behind the scenes who make it possible for me to have this experience every day. This is the most consistent I’ve ever been with meditation, and I can feel and see the difference that it makes in calming my nervous system, easing my anxiety, and supporting me through depressive moments. Thank you!

I cannot say enough good things about this app. I discovered it through a recommendation from the breathwork teacher Jennifer Patterson and have been using it ever since. It makes it so easy to try new breathwork and meditation techniques and I love that I can add live classes to my calendar. All of the teachers are so compassionate and gracious and take time to make me feel seen in live classes. It’s beautifully designed in a way that appeals to my aesthetic sensibilities and it has given me a true sense of community. I have been using it for a long time but recently got way more consistent via the monthly challenges, and the added mindfulness has greatly improved my quality of life—I’ve been less anxious, more present and content, and sleeping better. I especially love Manoj’s live meditations and Ally’s live breathwork classes and have been using the "body scan for rest" every night before bed. I tend to use other apps for exercise because I have a lot that I like, but have also been really impressed with the Move classes that I’ve tried.