Introducing Cathay’s new bilingual inflight Headspace meditation experience
For decades, psychologists, sleep scientists and Buddhist monks alike have touted the benefits of meditation, which range from reducing stress to cultivating a calmer state of mind. That’s why in 2024, we began working with the award-winning mental wellness brand Headspace to bring their guided meditation programmes to our inflight entertainment.
From November 2026, we are deepening our partnership with Headspace by introducing Cantonese versions of our existing content alongside an all-new travel-focused series tailored to different stages of the journey, all voiced by nine of our own pilots and cabin crew.
Why Cathay created bilingual inflight meditation guides
“We’re thrilled to collaborate with Headspace, one of the world’s most-recognisable mindfulness brands, for our inflight entertainment,” says Alvin Lai, Customer Experience Manager – Entertainment at Cathay. “We started by licensing content from the Headspace library, which was available in many languages, but there was a content gap for Cantonese in the wellbeing space, where dedicated Cantonese content is still limited .”
Exclusive Headspace travel-themed meditation guides
So, we began collaborating with Headspace, now a part of Sword, to create 10 travel-themed guides in English and Cantonese, with the Cantonese versions voiced by Cathay Pacific pilots and cabin crew. The audio tracks are accompanied by bespoke graphics: watch along for added sensory stimulation, or listen with your eyes closed to focus on the guided meditation.
How the Headspace meditation guides work onboard
“There’s something uniquely comforting about hearing the voices of the people looking after you in the air,” says Scott Sorenson, Headspace’s Director of Audio. “Cathay Pacific’s talented crew brought authenticity and warmth to our Cantonese Headspace experience, reflecting a genuine commitment to passenger wellbeing.”
Lai adds, “A journey with Cathay Pacific is all about the human element – we want to craft experiences that enhance our passengers’ wellbeing and comfort. If these guided meditation sessions help you feel calmer on your next flight, we’re happy.”
Other ways to improve inflight wellbeing
Beyond our Headspace meditation guides, there are many other things you can do to ensure your flight is as smooth and stress-free as possible. Nervous flyers will want to check out our interview with clinical psychologist Dr. Michelle Chan, who shares her technique for managing inflight anxiety. Keep your blood flowing, and puffiness to a minimum with these inflight stretches, recommended by Pure Yoga founding teacher Patrick Creelman.
If you struggle to sleep when you’re flying, try these restful recommendations from Cavan Chan, sleep and performance coach and founder of wellness optimisation service GoalCraft. And, for those travelling long haul, be sure to follow these tips for beating jet lag – provided by Nina McGrath, Group Safety Manager – Fatigue at Cathay.