https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1INEhy9ZMcc
June 9, 2020 – Flowly has today officially launched its interactive mobile app to address chronic pain and anxiety. The platform offers immersive experiences in picturesque and peaceful virtual reality (VR) and 360° worlds that engage users in biofeedback for relaxation training. Flowly allows users to access the virtual worlds through a mobile phone or with a VR headset to monitor and adjust how they breathe, focus, and learn how to better regulate their own nervous systems.
Flowly has also created a special session that specifically targets Coronavirus-related anxiety, and makes a monetary donation towards COVID-19 relief efforts upon completion. Additionally, the company has stated that it is standing with Black Lives Matter movement and offering a free month’s subscription to those who are part of the community and who may be suffering from anxiety, sleep deprivation and/or other symptoms as a result of race-based triggers.
“100 million Americans of all ages suffer from chronic pain and anxiety,” said Celine Tien, Flowly’s co-founder & CEO. “Flowly is the first interactive platform to make pain management accessible, and address all parts of pain: physical, psychological, and even social. Flowly is engaging, gamified and community-based.”
Key features of the Flowly app include:
- Soothing virtual worlds – Flowly immerses users in a variety of virtual worlds that can be experienced both in VR and on a smartphone. Experiences in each world incorporate real-time biofeedback for relaxation training, mindfulness voice-over, and games to bring an element of fun to health management;
- Biofeedback for relaxation training & progress tracking – Flowly collects and analyzes user progress through each session, and shows users their heart rate and respiration metrics in real-time. Flowy states that users will also soon be able to measure pain and anxiety levels, as well as receive progress reports;
- Flowly Community – Flowly offers a community component where users can connect to others, and share experiences and resources, with an aim of helping to reduce feelings of isolation, and support people on their mental wellness journeys. Users can also earn tokens (called as “flokens”) through Flowly sessions and community engagement, which can be redeemed for subscription discounts, physical gifts, and real-world experiences;
- Safe and accessible – Flowly offers a non-invasive digital platform that can be used anywhere, anytime. The external VR headset and sensor (included with the Flowly Pro subscription) are slip-on’s and clip-on’s, and easily removable. The company states that it has conducted hundreds of user tests, with no reports of any negative side effects;
- Social giving – The Flowly app #BreatheTogether experience features targeted breathing exercises in an interactive environment designed specifically to reduce anxiety. Flowly has teamed up with GlobalGiving and states that it will allocate USD $0.50 for every and any session completed towards the Coronavirus Relief Fund.
Flowy states that its team is supported by an advisory board made up of a group of doctors and therapists. Furthermore, Flowly has partnered with University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and University of Southern California for clinical trials, with a grant awarded by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA).
“Flowly has developed a pain and anxiety management platform that is not only intelligent, but thoughtful as well,” said Aman Mahajan, MD, PhD, and Chair of Perioperative Medicine at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. “Flowly’s comprehensive approach helps manage not only the physical aspects of living with pain and anxiety, but also offers invaluable support to overcome the mental challenges that come along with it.”
Flowly offers the first eight Intro sessions and the #BreatheTogether experience to all users who download the app. Users can then access the full Flowly platform with either a Basic or Pro subscription (more information available in the app).
The Flowly app is available for download in the Apple App Store now, as well as at www.flowly.world.
Video credit: Flowy / YouTube
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About the author
Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.