Headspace was launched by Andy Puddicombe, an ordained Buddhist monk, and Rich Pierson in 2010 to become the most downloaded meditation app on iOS and Google Play with over 70 million downloads since its debut. Offering guided meditations for sleep, anxiety, focus and stress management as well as breathing exercises, visualizations and more; its secular design makes Headspace suitable for novice meditators as well as established practices alike.
Headspace has taken steps during the COVID-19 pandemic to make its digital mental health tools more widely accessible to people worldwide, including making its premium tier free for US healthcare professionals and offering educational resources to teachers. Furthermore, Headspace is working to expand partnerships with similar apps such as Noom and Ness that provide digital mental wellness tools.
Although the company offers free introductory programs, its most comprehensive offerings can be found within their “hubs”. Sleepcasts-like grown-up bedtime stories-and white noise loops to aid sleep are provided here; “Move” sections feature mindful exercises to strengthen mind-body connections; while their “Focus” hub features short meditations to assist concentration.
Headspace offers unemployed Americans a one-year subscription of their premium service for free until June 30. In addition, this offer has been extended to its existing subscribers as well. Employers wishing to offer it as employee benefits may purchase annual subscriptions at cost from Headspace.