BBC Studios Natural History Unit Preps New Mindfulness Series

BBC Studios Natural History Unit has partnered with Headspace Studios, a multiplatform content studio from the meditation and mindfulness company Headspace, for the four-part series Mindful Escapes: Breathe, Release, Restore.

Mindful Escapes: Breathe, Release, Restore will offer viewers immersive mindful experiences within the natural world narrated by Andy Puddicombe, a former Buddhist monk and co-founder of Headspace. The four standalone 30-minute films (Breathe, Change, Joy and Rest) will feature archive footage from the Natural History Unit’s films. Puddicombe will guide viewers on a series of journeys, inviting them to engage in captivating animal behavior and ecosystems from around the world.

Mindful Escapes: Breathe, Release, Restore is slated to premiere on BBC Four on September 7. It will also be re-versioned into 10×10-minute episodes, Mindful Earth, for the Headspace app later this year. BBC Studios will handle international distribution.

Alice Keens-Soper, BBC Studios executive producer, said: “This sort of collaboration is a world-first for BBC Studios. In what is effectively a new genre of television the audience is invited to fully immerse in stunning imagery of the natural world and experience it through a mindful lens. It’s perfect programming for these strange times”

Jill Kellie, BBC Studios commercial director, said: “We know that our nature content brings joy to viewers and reduces stress levels. The partnership with Headspace Studios enables us to take that to the next level, and bring a much-needed oasis of mental calm during these challenging times.”

Puddicombe added: “The BBC’s Natural History Unit has an exceptional ability to transport viewers from their homes to some of the most extraordinary places in nature. Collaborating on this series is very exciting because we can now take people on a whole new journey, an immersive experience that merges the external world with our internal landscape.”