By now, we’re all painfully aware that everybody and their dog, grandma, and great aunt Dorrie has a smartphone tethered to their side 24/7. You’re probably reading this on your iPhone as we speak. It’s an exciting time to be alive, having such powerful devices at our fingertips. But as they say, with great power comes great responsibility – and we also all know that our smartphones can often be a source of immense stress and toxicity. The world is more connected than ever, while simultaneously more disconnected than ever. Go figure.

The good news? While there’s a lot of shit to wade through, we can hack our smartphones to use as a tool for good, with a bit of mindfulness in how we’re using our devices and the help of some great apps. We’ve gathered some of our favourites that we use regularly to help us live a more elevated, intentional, and spiritual life, so you can too.

Insight Timer

Insight Timer is by far my favourite meditation app I’ve found, and I rely on it daily as the crux of my spiritual practice. At its core, the app is a meditation timer. You set how long you want to meditate for, any interval or ending bells, and background noise whether that’s the sound of a waterfall, a soft piano melody, or Tibetan singing bowls. The app is also chock-full of amazing resources, from guided meditations for everything from releasing blocks to sleeping well, to talks by the likes of Abraham Hicks, to courses on how to begin meditating. It also tracks your sessions, so you can look back and see the progress you’ve made. Insight prides itself on being a completely free to use app, with the “largest database of free meditations on earth.” Their slogan is “Magic happens when you give meditation away for free,” which we’re totally on board for!

Leafly

LIf you’re a cannabis user or know anyone who is, chances are you’ve heard of Leafly. Leafly started as a website, and now also operates as an app. It’s classified as the most successful cannabis website in the world with over 15 million monthly visitors. Leafly allows users to rate and review different strains of cannabis and cannabis dispensaries, and is a gold mine of information for anything weed-related. It provides in-depth profiles of every strain imaginable, including its flavours, effects, and properties, and also offers useful cannabis content on an array of different topics including growing, industry news, cannabis products, and more. The app is completely free to use and a must-have for any user wanting to learn about the cannabis they’re consuming.

Co –Star

If you’re into astrology, Co – Star is going to blow your mind. Unlike generic horoscopes, Co –Star uses NASA data coupled with the methods of professional astrologers to generate hyper-personalized readings that cover your moods and emotions, intellect and communication, love and pleasure, basic identities, life philosophies, and more. It updates in real-time, and takes into account not just your birthday, but your entire natal chart. According to their website, access to astrology this accurate has historically been restricted to to those with access to personal astrologers, until now. The app is free to use but offers in-app purchases.

Calm

Calm is another mindfulness meditation app, with a few differences from Insight Timer – the main one being that it’s a paid app. Calm offers several guided meditations, including meditations for sleep, staying on track, managing stress, self-esteem, and much more. And for all the insomniacs out there: there’s a whole section of the app dedicated to sleep stories, where you can be lulled to sleep with calming stories told by the likes of Stephen Fry and Matthew McConaughey (alright, alright, alright). The app also boasts video yoga tutorials, as well as what they call ‘masterclasses’ that cover everything from conscious parenting to peak performance by world-renowned mindfulness experts. Apart from being packed with resources, the app is simply beautiful to look at and use. While it’s free to download, you’ll need to upgrade to premium to use most of the app’s best features, which will run you $69.99 per year or $12.99/month.

Law of Attraction Toolbox

The Law of Attraction toolbox by Abraham Hicks (all hail!) is exactly what it sounds like: an app full of useful tools for your manifesting practice that raise your vibration and help you attract what you desire. It offers various exercises and games that focus on visualization, gratitude, positive affirmations, empowering questions, and daily wants / goals. The app is free to use, and a fantastic addition to your spiritual practice.