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Mindfulness in the metaverse: Headspace XR is a virtual playground for your mind

By Your Headspace Mindfulness & Meditation Experts

May 30, 2024

Ready to discover a brand new world made for your mind? Headspace’s beloved mental health content has found its way over to the Metaverse, but in an entirely new app with a unique XR experience. Guided by your favorite meditation teachers, Headspace XR is a mixed reality experience bringing mindfulness to life through a new, virtual lens. Available on Meta Quest, you can embark on a single or multiplayer adventure through an immersive playground of mood-boosting games, one-on-one guided meditations, and techniques to help strengthen mind-body connection through movement and breathwork.

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In this article

  • Getting around Headspace XR
  • Bringing the mind-body connection to life
  • Headspace XR: A playground for your mind
  • How to get started with Headspace XR

No matter how you’re feeling, Headspace XR is designed for all stages of your mental health journey. Working with Meta and Nexus Studios, we’re creating one-of-a-kind XR mindfulness experiences to make mental health more accessible, helping players build lifelong habits they can bring back to the real world. It's an experience that's meant for a wide audience, including reaching Gen Z where they already are — playing in the metaverse.

Not only are people spending more time in the metaverse, a study conducted by Gallup and Meta found a quarter of adults worldwide feel very or fairly lonely, and 27% of younger generations (ages 19-29) feel loneliness even more acutely. Additional data from the APA and CDC found that more than 9 in 10 Gen Z adults (91%) report having experienced at least one physical or emotional symptom due to stress, such as feeling depressed or sad (58%) or lacking interest, motivation, or energy (55%).

These studies point to an overarching trend of Gen Z and younger millennials feeling the impact of stress, and Headspace is here to offer a new, accessible medium to build lifelong mental health habits. With the extended reality activities (mixed reality and virtual reality) in Headspace XR, players will learn how to incorporate mindfulness techniques into their everyday lives, while also participating in immersive socialization and community-building with friends in single and multiplayer games.

Headspace XR with smiling face

Getting around Headspace XR

When you put on your Meta Quest headset, you’re instantly transported into the vibrant world of Headspace XR. You’ll be welcomed by the balloon-shaped Moodstream, which asks, “how are you feeling?” and recommends Headspace XR experiences based on your mood. As you explore the experience, you’ll always have the option to go back to the Moodstream and update/change your mood and journey as you go.

In the center of the map you’ll find the Blue Sky Tower that visually tracks your Blue Sky Journey. By engaging with more activities and exercises throughout the world, you'll unlock new experiences stored within the Tower.

The map is divided into three territories: The Energy Dome, The Playground, and The Hideout.

  • The Power Up experience in the Energy Dome is designed to boost your energy through fun movement and performance.
  • The Playground is for letting off steam and getting creative — by yourself or with friends. The Paint Wall, Hoops Court, and Club House games are great for single and multiplayer modes.
  • The Hideout is for winding down and reflecting. Relaxing meditation exercises like body scans and box breathing are incorporated into activities within the Bonfire, Firefly Treehouse, Boxy Treehouse, and Coloring Mural.

All of these in-app experiences are led by the soothing voices of Headspace’s mindfulness and meditation teachers, Kessonga and Dora.

Download Headspace XR for Meta Quest

Bringing the mind-body connection to life

Mixed reality describes experiences that blend digital content with your physical space, and ones that are fully immersive. In Headspace XR, your Quest headset immerses you in VR while guiding you through activities and physical exercises that can be applied to real life. Mixed reality experiences found within the app include Quiet Your Inner Voice, Take a Beat, and Quick Breaths.

Headspace XR leans into the power of play and its effectiveness in mindfulness and meditation. Research shows that when humans — and all mammals — play, their brains are activated in a way that can change neuron connections in the prefrontal cortex, which impact emotional regulation and problem-solving. Play can also release chemicals in the brain, including oxytocin (which helps regulate emotions and supports social skills) and dopamine (a neurotransmitter that impacts memory, motivation, attention and mood).

Headspace XR: A playground for your mind

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How to get started with Headspace XR

Headspace XR, developed by Nexus Studios and published by Headspace, is available in English on Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest Pro in single and multiplayer immersive 360 formats. Headspace XR is available for $19.99 as a one-time purchase. The experience is rated E for Everyone.

To try Headspace XR for yourself, visit the Meta Quest Store.

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