Headspace XR, A New Fun Way To Virtually Meditate & Relax

Source: Nexus Studios / Headspace XR

We all endure some form of stress in our daily lives that requires us to sit back, take a deep breath, meditate, and say woosah one good time to preserve our mental health. Unfortunately, meditation isn’t something a lot of people turn to. Still, Nexus Studios and Headspace want to change that and make meditating relaxing and fun with its new mental support mixed reality app Headspace XR.

Headspace is already an app used by 100 million people, so it’s not new to the world of mental support through relaxation and meditation via smartphones. However, with Headspace XR, Headspace and Nexus are using virtual reality to turn users’ minds into a virtual playground.

The idea of relaxation and meditation is to unplug from the world both physically and, now, with platforms like X, formerly Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, also socially. But with Headspace XR, you’re plugging in but, in the process, still escaping into a space where one can hone in on one’s mental well-being.

When you enter the Headspace XR’s virtual world, users can engage in numerous activities, such as mind-boosting games that teach breathing techniques, meditation, and relaxation, with some help from Headspace teachers. These activities can also be done with friends.

Headspace XR Can Be A Powerful Tool To Put Gen Z Onto The Art of Meditation & Relaxation

Source: Nexus Studios / Headspace XR

Ahead of the VR app’s release, we had the opportunity to try it out and speak with some of the people who helped make the app, which has been over two years in the making, a reality.

We spoke with Kessonga Giscombe, a meditation and mindfulness teacher at Headspace who consulted on Headspace XR, and Sara Cohen, Headspace’s VP of Content Creation.

Giscombe talked about bringing the practice of meditation to the VR space, reaching a younger audience, and wanting to make it a thing in everyday life.

“I thought it was extremely powerful, especially because tech is moving so quickly. The ability to reach a younger generation, Gen Z, at ages 12 to 27, 29. I think it’s an excellent way to reach that generation,” Giscombe said. It’s about exposing them to mindfulness and meditation that they normally might not be exposed to. And also making it normal, normalizing it.”

He continued, “Remember, mindfulness and meditation is not just techniques and exercises. It’s really a lifestyle. So normalizing this lifestyle and blending the experience that you have on the tech, on the XR into your everyday life, just as you would do outside in real life. When I meditate, my purpose and intention are to bring this principle of awareness into my everyday life.”

Reaching Gen Z Where They Are

VR is still a niche product, and Meta Quest 3 headsets are not in everyone’s homes like television sets…yet. Still, Nexus and Giscombe know there is an opportunity to reach people where they are and introduce them to the meditation lifestyle.

“You have to start at some point because tech is so… Like I said, it’s moving fast. It’s becoming a normal way of life, especially for the younger generation. It’s an excellent way to reach them where they are,” Giscombe begins. ”

“I know that VR, XR is becoming something that the younger generation is doing every day. Wow, here’s a way to bring this practice of mindfulness and this lifestyle of mindfulness and meditation to this generation. To where it is not even strange or… It is their normal way. I’m feeling hella stressed today. Let me do some meditation on my Meta Quest 3. They’re already on [the] Quest 3. They’re already doing other games, right?” He continued

Group Meditation On A Virtual Level

Source: Nexus Studios / Headspace XR

Another aspect where Headspace XR can revolutionize the meditation game is how it will connect the world through meditation.

While heading to an in-person meditation class is still the go-to method for many, Headspace XR could close the gap by bringing people into the virtual space and delivering a much more immersive experience.

“How powerful would that be? Because that group dynamic with meditation is everything. If you are able to go to, like you said, a class or in other neighborhoods or a community center, and the teacher is there with their headset, you have that whole… Oh, were you able to try the group,” Giscombe told HHW Gaming.

He continues, “That group dynamic is so powerful when it comes to mindfulness and meditation. I think that would be awesome.”

Cohen adds, “It’s also such a different experience if you think about a teacher leading a class in front of you versus getting in headset together in a completely immersive experience. Being able to actually make a designated time and space to check in with yourself. How are you feeling today? How are you coming into this? Ask each other how you’re feeling. Then, engage in these experiences that, as you said, help teach you how to do some of these mindful activities properly. I think sometimes just pure audio can’t do it, right? There are some people who have trouble with that. And so I think at Headspace, we have to be really mindful of making meditation and mindfulness available and accessible to everyone. And that includes generations who are gaming on their headsets.

The Worries of VR Eliminating The Human Experience

Source: Nexus Studios / Headspace XR

There is also the worry that using Headspace XR could eliminate the human experience of being face-to-face or experiencing things in person, which is very valid after experiencing lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Giscombe and Cohen understand the fear and feel that Headspace XR can be very beneficial if used properly, like any tool.

“Well, tech in and of itself is not a bad thing, but it’s how we relate to it. So, sure, just as we do with social media and every other tech that’s coming out, being aware of how you’re using it, being aware of how you utilize it. So, sure, this can be an excellent tool for bringing that mindfulness practice into your life and your space. But remembering the idea is to have this practice and then bring it into your real life. All right, so that’s the intention. This is another tool where we can be with the practice, practice it, and then transfer it into our real-life experience,” Giscombe said.

Cohen adds, “I think we know the pitfalls of technology. We know where those are. And I think it’s especially important for Headspace to show up in those spaces and utilize technology for all it has to actually offer, the benefits of the tech. You could be in there doing a multiplayer shooter game and having fun with your friends. Or you can be there in a multiplayer experience in Headspace XR, taking care of your mental well-being with your community, which is a really powerful thing. So I think people are connecting there anyway. People are going on those platforms anyway, and it’s our job to show up in those spaces and be able to teach people the tools to take care of their mental health.”

Curated Headspace XR Events

Source: Nexus Studios / Headspace XR

To continue discussing how Headspace XR can connect users, we asked if they intend to host curated events through the app.

Cohen told HHW Gaming that Headspace is currently looking at how users interact with the app and will keep the idea of doing in-app events on the table.

“I mean, so we’ve been hard at work for over two years on this. For now, I think we want to release Headspace XR into the world and see how users use it and behave with it, ” Cohen said. “But that is so on the table as something for us to be able to explore. I mean, I’d love to bring Kess in there for a live meditation. There are many different, I think, experiences that we can continue to build off of once we see how users are really utilizing the product.”

The Reasoning Behind Your Avatar’s Design

Source: Nexus Studios / Headspace XR

We were curious about the game’s avatar design to close out our conversation. While most apps or games try to recreate the user’s look, Headspace XR takes a unique approach to how you look in its virtual world.

Sarah Cohen explained why Headspace went in the direction it did regarding users’ appearance in Headspace XR.

“We spent a lot of time thinking about how you would show up in that space. I think specifically with Gen Z, we know how much social pressure there is based on your appearance. I mean, by the way, it’s not just Gen Z. It’s all of us. You show up in a space, and you’re so conscious of what you look like in every physical way,” Cohen begins. “And we just wanted to design something where the Nexus team was really involved in this that could be more abstract. That didn’t delineate your shape, your size, or the color of your skin. Something that could abandon any judgment so people can feel safe. It was really, really important to us.”

“And then on top of that was obviously being able to interact with the world and have the world imprint on your avatar, and have that ability as a deeper metaphor for how we go about our everyday lives. We walk through life; everything’s affecting you, but you don’t always see that everything’s affecting you, but you don’t get to see that physical manifestation. And so we really wanted people to be as free of judgment as possible in this space and be able to see the impact they have on the world around them and the impact the world has on themselves.”

Headspace XR is now available exclusively on the Meta Quest 2 and Quest 3 headsets.