How long do mindfulness VR sessions last?

The VR meditation sessions last between 10 – 15 minutes and the breathing exercises are between 5 – 8 minutes long.

Start with one session of meditation or a breathing exercise of your choice. As time goes on, you may like to advance your Mindfulness Practise to combine two different practices in one session.

We recommend that your VR mindfulness session is no more than 30 minutes.

Which mindfulness session should I choose?

You can choose a mindfulness session from our rich VR mindfulness library.
Ask yourself how you feel today and what should be your focus area, out of the following options: Self Kindness, Relationships, Improving Focus, Reducing Stress, Finding Happiness and Unlocking Creativity.

In each of these focus areas, you will find a variety of guided meditations and breathing exercises. A brief description is attached to each practice to help you choose the one that is right for you today.

How can I make sure that I am doing the Mindfulness sessions right?

There is no right or wrong way to practise mindfulness. In the beginning, you may struggle to switch off your thoughts and be mindful of the present. Don’t worry! This is exactly why you need to continue the practice. As time goes on, it will get easier for you to immerse yourself in the VR worlds and you will feel less distracted.

Can I repeat sessions that I’ve already completed?

Yes of course! You can repeat a session at any time.

The way to get more benefits from the mindfulness programme is by practice and repetition. Set a reminder on your phone, or a goal in the InsideOut App to build a healthy VR mindfulness practice habit.

To set a goal in the InsideOut App go to Journal > Goals > and select the ‘+’ symbol in the circle. Setting goals and reminders in the App is easy and takes less than 60 seconds!

What posture should I use during the mindfulness VR sessions?

You can sit, stand up or lie down. The important thing is to find a position where you can relax.

We recommend as a default posture to sit in the middle of a chair with your legs uncrossed, feet flat on the floor and hands resting in your lap. You can relax your head on the back of the chair – this will help to take away the weight of the headset.

Is there a particular way I should breathe during mindfulness sessions?

During the meditation session, you can breathe naturally, there is no need to change the rate of the rhythm of your breathing.

During the breathing exercises, you will receive instructions on how to breathe, which we recommend you follow.

How can I navigate between different virtual worlds?

To move to a different world, you will need to press and hold down the trigger button on the back of the controller until it stops vibrating – this action will take you back to the main home screen. From there, you can select a different world and mindfulness exercise.

Are there any risks in mindfulness VR practice?

Mindfulness is generally a safe practice that produces many health benefits, especially for those who feel stressed, burnt out or mentally weak.

Talk to your doctor before beginning any breathwork, especially if you have a medical condition or take medications that may be affected by the practice. This includes if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

We recommend that you do not practise breathwork if you have any of the following:

• breathing issues
• cardiovascular issues
• high blood pressure
• history of aneurysms
• osteoporosis
• recent physical injuries or surgeries
• severe psychiatric symptoms
• vision issues

I am feeling dizzy, nauseous or have a headache following the mindfulness VR session. What should I do?

Unfortunately, some people who try VR get symptoms of “motion sickness”, as can happen in moving vehicles.
Many factors can contribute to the feeling or motion sickness in VR such as, the field of view of the visuals, the frame rate of the display and software, headset weight and even how well you slept, or what you ate and how much before the session.

If you feel unwell whilst using the VR headsets, immediately remove your headset and stop the session. Give yourself time to relax and stay seated for a few moments. You will start to feel better straight away.

What should I do if I feel symptoms of hyperventilation following a breathing exercise?

On rare occasions, the breathwork practice can induce hyperventilation. This can feel like:

• Fast or deep breathing
• Shortness of breath, or the feeling that you can’t get enough air
• Anxiety, fear, panic, or a strong feeling of dread or doom
• Dizziness
• Chest pain or squeezing in the chest
• Fast, pounding, or skipping heartbeat
• Sweating

You can help yourself to calm down and regulate your breathing by following these simple steps:

1. Pause the breathwork and take off the headset
2. Return to normal breathing by bringing your attention to an object in the room
3. In cases where it continues you can try the following exercise:
   • Purse your lips. Put your lips into the same position that you’d use to blow out birthday candles. Breathe in slowly through your nose, not your mouth. Then, breathe out slowly through the small opening between your lips. Take your time to exhale, and do not blow the air out with force. Repeat these steps until you feel normal
   • Limit your airflow. Keep your mouth closed, and press one nostril closed with your finger. Breathe in and out through the open nostril. Do not inhale or exhale too quickly, and do not exhale too hard. Repeat several times. You can switch nostrils if you like. Just do all your breathing through your nose, not your mouth.

How can I continue my mindfulness practice outside of the VR headsets?

The InsideOut App provides a Mindfulness guide that can accomplish your practice in your day-to-day routine. You can listen to meditations while you are resting, walking or doing some physical activity for example. Check out the meditations in the InsideOut App by going to ‘My Plan’ and selecting Coping, Happiness, Relationships, Self-worth, Sleep or Work. Once in your chosen category you can filter the tools by selecting the filter and choosing ‘Meditation’ from the tags list.

How do you put the headset on?

Check out our guide on how to fit the Quest 2 headset here.
We’ve put together a comprehensive starter guide below. If you have any other questions about setting up the headset, starting our VR Mindfulness Practice or anything else, check out the FAQ guide here.

Getting started
Before you put the headset on, make sure that your environment is safe:

• Use the VR only in the designated indoor space.
• Ensure you have enough space to stretch your arms in any direction without hitting furniture, windows or ceiling.
• Clear out the space of any trip hazards – wires, cables, objects.

Fitting the headset

Fitting the headset is easy, follow the 6 steps below:

1. To start, you’ll want to gently adjust the lenses inside the headset. The lenses have three different positions. You can change the position of the lens by placing your thumb and first finger around the black casing of the lens and gently pushing it left, or right, until they click into the position. Try looking through the lenses in each position to see what feels best for you.
2. Next, you may need to adjust the side straps. To do this, move the two sliders on either side of the top strap by pulling them apart or feeding the strap through the clips. Bear in mind that you’ll need to remove the headset from your head to re-adjust the side straps with the sliders.
3. After you’ve moved the sliders, re-centre the top strap between the sliders so that the two sides are equal, and the top strap is centred on your head when you put the headset on.
4. If you’re wearing glasses, try the headset on and see if it feels comfortable – you may need to insert the spacer. To insert the spacer, gently remove the black case from around the headset (it just needs a gentle pull) and place the black spacer bar around the rim of the headset. Once the spacer is in place, you can replace the black casing. More details on “how to fit and remove the spacer” can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lqmm0Rv0K0
5. When you’re ready to put the headset on, put it on from the front to the back. Place the headset on your head and check how it feels. If you need to make any adjustments, carefully remove it, make the adjustments required and place it back onto your head. You want the headset to rest lightly on your face and the picture to be clear.
6. You can fine-tune your headset fit and clarity by gently moving the firm arms on either side of your headset up and down to adjust the angle of the headset against your face.

The headsets can feel heavy when you first wear one, but you will soon get used to it!

For more details, please follow this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUFgGHh5B_c

How do I turn the headset on or off?

To turn the headset on/off, use the button on the right side (next to the charging indicator). Hold this button down for around 3 seconds until the green light switches off.

How do I turn the volume up and down on the headset?

To adjust the sound, press the + or – button on the underneath of the headset on the right handside. You can also adjust the sound in the settings menu inside the VR, however this is a little more complicated to do!

I have glasses for computer work, can I wear them with the headset?

First, try the headset with and without glasses and see what feels better. Generally, looking in VR is like looking into the distance. So if you wear glasses only for reading or using the computer, perhaps using a headset without glasses would suit you better.

If you decide to go with using glasses, try to use the special spacer which will create some extra space between the headset and the face to fit the glasses in.

More details on “how to fit and remove the spacer” can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lqmm0Rv0K0

I can see a greyscale of the room I am in, why can’t I see the VR environment?

Greyscale means that you have either moved out of your Guardian Boundary (safe area) and you need to reset your Guardian. We recommend setting a stationary Guardian which means you will not be expected to physically walk around while using the VR headset.

Should I leave the VR headset charging after use ready for the next person?

The accompanying docking station will charge both the controllers and the headset. Please ensure you place the VR headset on the charging dock so that it is charged and ready for use for the next person.

The battery in the controllers is low, what should I do?

If you have the rechargeable batteries and Anker controller cover, you simply need to attach the controllers to the Anker docking station. Otherwise, you need to change the AA battery in the controller by sliding/pushing the side panel off to reveal the battery location.

How do I charge the VR headset?

Ensure that the charging dock is plugged in then simply place the headset in its slot ensuring the magnetic charging cord is connected to the headset.

If you do not have a docking station, please use the cable provided to plug the headset into the wall socket. The cable is a USB C cable.

Can I see what level of battery charge the headset has?

Yes! You can view the battery power status bar in the headset on the settings menu.

I have found an issue with the VR worlds, mindfulness exercises or headset, how do I provide feedback?

We are continuously striving to improve the App and would love to hear your feedback and comments! Please drop us an email at [email protected]

I have ideas for future features and functionality, how do I provide feedback?

We are consistently improving our VR product and would very much appreciate hearing your ideas. Please contact us at [email protected].

The InsideOut team is here to support you every step of the way. Please feel free to contact us if you need more help at [email protected].