Headspace Review | Medical News Today

According to the National Health Survey, 14.2% of American adults meditated in 2017, more than three times the number who did just 5 years earlier. The same survey found that 5.4% of American children meditated in 2017, up from 0.6% in 2012.

This article explains what Headspace is, the features it offers, and how meditation can impact health.

Head space was founded in 2010. It started as an events company and grew into an online app offering meditations, animations, articles and videos.

The company offers meditation for adults and children to help people who are anxious, stressed and find work-life balance. It is available on desktop computers and iOS and Android devices.

Learn more about meditation for children.

At the time of publication, Headspace does not hold accreditation with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). The BBB gives the company an F rating. Reviews on Trustpilot give Headspace an average rating of 2.3 out of 5 stars.

Negative reviews on Trustpilot and the BBB mention the auto-renewal feature of the subscription, saying they had no idea the company would automatically take money from their accounts. Others say Headspace continued to take money from their accounts after reviewers canceled their subscription.

The positive reviews on Trustpilot indicate that Headspace’s customer service was helpful and prompt when the app stopped working. Other reviewers say the app helped them sleep better, feel less anxious, and focus during work.

Headspace states that the company’s mission is to improve the health and happiness of the world. The company offers meditation that offers support and guidance for:

• insomnia
• anxiety
• stress
• work-life balance
• change
• self-improvement goals
• Burnout

Headspace has a library of over 500 meditations. Additionally, people can choose from:

• Sleep meditation. The company offers music, soundscapes and sleep-promoting exercises for adults and children. Learn more about the best apps for sleep meditation.
• Workouts. People can choose from daily workouts to boost mood and release tension.
• Yoga exercises. The company offers several yoga exercises that can help reduce stress.
• Music playlists. People can choose from several music playlists that can promote concentration during work and creative activities.
• Wellness items. Headspace has a variety of articles that provide tips for promoting sleep, managing stress, and mindful eating, among other things.

Headspace offers free samples of its meditation on the website. However, to access Headspace’s comprehensive library of meditations, a person must purchase a subscription.

Headspace offers free content, including:

• 10 sessions of the Basics course, which introduces meditation and mindfulness
• 3 Today’s Meditation and Today’s Headspace Sessions
• stress release and anxiety reframing workouts
• a popular sleepcast
• various standby mode meditations
• a sample of music that can promote concentration

Headspace is free to download. However, to access all content, a person has to pay a subscription.

At press time, people can pay for a monthly or yearly subscription.

A monthly subscription comes with a 7-day free trial, after which it costs $12.99.

An annual subscription comes with a 14-day free trial, after which it costs $69.99.

Before downloading or using Headspace, a person may wish to consider the pros and cons of this service.

A person may also consider the following meditation apps and websites:

• Preview timer. People can access meditations, playlists, and courses for free. Subscribing to the MembersPlus paid service provides access to hundreds of additional premium meditations, courses and features, including offline listening.
• Will have. This app offers a library of resources, taught by leading coaches, storytellers and teachers. It provides users with personalized recommendations to help people cope with stress, anxiety, insomnia, and other emotional health issues. Users can either use the various free features or pay a monthly, yearly or one-time lifetime subscription to access the premium features.
• Buddhify. This app offers guided meditations of varying lengths that the company designs to suit the needs of the user. It has additional features, such as meditations for kids and the ability to save a meditation to a friend who might need it. People will need to purchase a monthly subscription to use most of Buddhify’s services.

Learn more about where to find meditation online.

People have used meditation and mindfulness practices for centuries to help manage stress and promote well-being.

According to National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)meditation can help:

• High blood pressure. There is evidence that Transcendental Meditation can lower blood pressure in young adults who are at risk of developing high blood pressure. However, there is not enough evidence to suggest that this form of meditation is any more effective than other types.
• Insomnia. There is some evidence that mindfulness techniques and meditation, especially mindfulness-based therapy for insomnia (MBTI), aid sleep, with MBTI being more effective than other forms of meditation.
• Anxiety. The NCCIH states that there is evidence that meditation can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Some people who meditate report feeling less anxious than those who don’t.
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). There is some evidence that meditation can help relieve pain that people with IBS may experience, and this practice may reduce the severity of the condition. However, the improvement a person notices may be small.

A study 2021 found that mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) may benefit people with migraines. The researchers divided the 89 participants into two groups. One group underwent MBSR and the other underwent headache eduction.

Researchers found that MBSR improved participants’ quality of life and reduced the amount of pain they felt. However, the study notes that more research needs to be conducted in this area.

A Meta-analysis 2020 found that older people with depression reported fewer symptoms after mindful meditation interventions. Additionally, guided meditations had a greater positive impact on symptoms of depression than those that did not.

Learn more about the different types of meditation.