Insight Timer - Meditation App

I wanted to write a longer review, but I can't - fu Google. Insight Timer looks nice and in theory it has a few free courses to get started, but they're impossible to find on the app - but the premium courses are right in your face! I wanted to destress, now I'm just angry a company that claims to try to help instead so blatantly manipulates. Insight Timer could easily have gotten my money, instead they were so eager to push me into premium immediately that lost me and got this review instead.

3.5 stars. GREAT track library, but app is SUPER busy: too many sections to check. It's cluttered & difficult to find what you want to use regularly. There should be more redundancy, a streamlined interface, so you can find meds more easily. They claim 1000s of tracks, but I feel bottlenecked when searching and having to scroll thru 1000s of tracks ONE. AT. A. TIME. What am I missing out on bc I didn't want to scroll for hours to find some great deep cuts? 5 star library, 2-star functionality.

Love this app! I use the free version and there are more than enough meditations, talks, music tracks, etc. to choose from. I like bookmarking and categorizing my favorites for repeat or seasonal listens. There is a search bar to find a topic I want to listen to or teacher I like. I've used the timer feature a few times and enjoy it also. My only gripe is I haven't found a way to hide the Plus meditations. I wish there was a search option to exclude these.

I do like the app. It's was great to use to find my practice. Though as an experienced mediator, it has too much "nudging"; to the part of intrusiveness. Anti-meditation; for me. Screens pop up regularly asking to commit, days of meditation cannot be turned off, suggesting I don't meditate, and other nudging. I turned off all notifications I can within the app. Fortunately, I see this as an opportunity to practice letting go. I use other apps including just my clock timer, or no timer at all.

This app has changed my life. I've been meditating and visualizing for several years, but have not been consistent at all. with this app, I'm now at 23 consecutive days of meditation, including visualization, manifesting, and gentle movement. I do not have the Plus membership, and all of this progress has been through the basic app. There is a seemingly endless library of guided meditations. Pure joy!!