Benefits of Meditation
Taking care of your mind is just as important as taking care of your body. We live in a world that believes that the busiest people get ahead. But do they really? With burnout on the rise, psychologists and doctors are telling people that chronically work long hours or living a fast-paced lifestyle with no downtime isn’t healthy for your body or your mind.
In fact, in a Psychology Today article “20 Scientific Reasons to Start Meditating Today” written by Emma M. Seppala Ph.D. explains that being mindful or meditating can impact both your body and mind in a beneficial way. She explains that just taking time to yourself to do nothing but shut your eyes and breathe is proven to increase your body’s immunity, decreasing how often you get sick.
She also explains that meditation helps with depression, anxiety, stress, and helps you feel better emotionally. Active exercisers, trainers, and athletes will be happy to know that mindfulness can also help lower inflammation and pain that comes with life experience or overuse of muscles.
Here are 6 VR meditation apps that are headset ready. Take a deep breath…and breathe out.
1. Guided Meditation
Take a breather from your busy day by accessing 22 environments like meditating on the moon or being inspired beneath the Aurora Borealis and 400 other meditation spots. If you want to find peace alone, through guided meditation, or you want to walk around and simply look at the beautifully designed scenery, it’s up to you.
Developer/Publisher: Cubicle Ninjas
Compatible with: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, with tracking or touch controllers
Price: $14.99
Links: Guided Meditation, Guided Meditation
2. VR Meditation SkyRun
If you love the great outdoors, SkyRun is for you. You’ll be guided with visual messages as you soak in the sights of a mountain range, changing sky, and comforting sounds of nature. The transitioning between night and day is soothing and peaceful, but they could stand to add various environments. A good starting point for new meditators and people on a budget.
Developer/Publisher: Weekend Soft
Compatible with: Oculus Rift with touch or motion controllers
Price: $0.99
Link: VR Meditation SkyRun
3. Skill Master VR — Learn Meditation
If you are new to meditation or want to gain new techniques, then this app is for you. You’ll be free to transcend to 12 other worlds like Morning, Sunset, Midnight, Stars, and Illuminated in 5 to 10 minute sessions. There are 10 objects like a pumping heart and a colorful orb that visually represent your breath in real time. Lightly hold the controller so the breath trackers can monitor your breath as you are guided to calm focus.
Developers: fletcher.richman, owockitalki
Publisher: Boulder VR Studios
Compatible with: HTC Vive with tracked motion controllers
Price: $14.99
Link: Skill Master VR — Learn Meditation
4. House of Meditation
If you have endless mind chatter or feel overwhelmed then transport yourself to a world where you can regain your peace of mind. This app will take you to 8 stunningly designed locations, including a beautiful Japanese garden, an underwater ocean, to a spaceship, and even to Mars! You’ll be guided by a soothing voice and a visual element that will help keep your breathing stable and will give your body and mind a reboot.
Developer/Publisher: Cerevrum Inc.
Compatible with: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, with tracked motion controllers or touch controller
Price: $6.99
Link: House of Meditation
5. WiseMind
This is a mindfulness app that is used by doctors, scientists, and therapists around the world. Regardless if you’re just beginning or have been doing it for years, your body and mind will benefit from the calming yet empowering exercises of Tai Chi movements and the patience building Stone Balancing exercises. Train your mind to remain calm in stressful situations by learning breathing and relaxation techniques as you meditate in nature.
Developer/Publisher: REALITEER Corp.
Compatible with: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, OSVR
Price: $19.99
Link: WiseMind
6. Perfect
The Perfect app is not a meditation or mindfulness app but can be used as one if you know how to meditate. Recoup all that misplaced energy by giving some attention to yourself. Visit a relaxing tropical beach, look upwards at the colorful dance of the Northern Lights, or make yourself comfortable as you take in the view of a forest landscape. Create and listen to your own soothing playlist as you breathe, let your mind wander, or meditate.
Developer: Near Light
Publisher: nDreams
Compatible with: PlayStation VR, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, OSVR
Price: $9.99