When Content Becomes Experience: Introducing Headway's First Influencer-Voiced Gems

Headway now offers audio Gems voiced by wellness practitioners and creators. Start with our first series, featuring breathwork expert Kira Mae Kazuko, guiding you through mindfulness and anxiety-relief exercises — available now in the app.

In a world full of noise, advice, and constant stimulation, many people don't need more content. They need guidance that feels real, grounded, and embodied — something they can feel in their bodies, return to in quiet moments, and trust emotionally, not just intellectually.

At Headway, we've been listening closely to our community. Over the past year, we noticed something shifting: users weren't just asking for insights anymore. They were asking for experiences. They wanted to know how to actually implement what they were learning, to feel it working in real time, and to be guided by voices they could trust.

That's why last month, Headway launched something deeply special to us: our first-ever influencer-voiced Gems, created in collaboration with breathwork artist and Alo Wellness Club coach Kira Mae Kazuko.

What started as a product idea became a living experience — inside the app, across our social channels, and ultimately in real life.

Headway Audio Gems: Key features

• Voiced by certified wellness practitioners

• 7-minute guided sessions

• Available in audio and text formats

• Designed for real-time anxiety relief

• No equipment needed

• Access anytime for quick resets

A new chapter for Headway content

This release marks a new chapter for Headway: audio Gems voiced by a creator and practitioner, not a narrator.

We'll be honest — this felt like a risk. We weren't sure how our community would respond to moving beyond our traditional format. But we kept coming back to one insight: people don't just want to read about breathwork or mindfulness. They want to be guided through it by someone who lives and teaches it daily.

The first of these is a dedicated mindfulness and breathwork series voiced by Kira Mae Kazuko — bringing her presence, pacing, and philosophy directly into the Headway experience.

As Kira puts it:

"I'm honored to be the voice behind Headway's newest podcast series: Gems — where I blend breathwork, storytelling, and spiritual insight to bring books to life through the lens of the breath."

This perspective lies at the heart of the collaboration: transforming book insights into embodied practices that meet users in real moments of need.

Why Kira Mae Kazuko?

Kira Mae Kazuko is a breathwork artist, mindfulness guide, and coach at Alo Wellness Club, known for blending science, spirituality, and intentional living. Her work focuses on nervous system regulation, embodiment, and self-connection — with a strong emphasis on gentleness and self-kindness.

But here's what really drew us to Kira: her credibility comes not only from certifications and teaching experience, but from a deeply loyal community that resonates with her grounded, intuitive approach to wellness.

That philosophy of accessibility and return became the foundation of everything we built together.

New Audio Gems available now

We've added two new audio Gems, created especially for moments when your mind feels loud and your body needs grounding.

Available now inside the Headway app:

🎧 Breathe to calm down your anxious mind (7 minutes)

What it does: Reduces anxiety through guided breathing techniques.

Best for: Moments of stress, overwhelm, or racing thoughts.

Technique featured: The psychological sigh for nervous system regulation.

🎧 Connect your mind, body, and soul (7 minutes)

What it does: Guides you from intellectual understanding to embodied practice.

Best for: Building a daily mindfulness routine.

Focus: Breath as a spiritual tool for integration.

Both Gems are available in audio and text format, so users can:

• Listen when they need guidance

• Read when they prefer quiet reflection

• Return anytime for a quick reset

When to use these Gems:

• Before a stressful meeting or presentation

• When you wake up feeling anxious

• During a work break to reset

• Before bed to wind down

• Anytime you need to ground yourself quickly

This Gem is not a complete breathwork session. It’s a story and insight from Kira’s perspective, brought to life through her voice. To explore the insight further, Headway recommends pairing it with the book summary it draws from, as suggested at the end of each chapter.

How to find the gems in the app

To try the new influencer-voiced Gems:

1. Open the Headway app

2. Tap to Search

3. Type "Kira"

4. Press play — or read — whenever you need a moment of calm

Sometimes, seven minutes and a single breath are enough to come back to yourself.

What this means for Headway's future

This is the first in a new series of practitioner-voiced Gems. We're exploring how expert voices can transform book insights into embodied practices — opening up new ways to experience personal growth content beyond traditional reading and listening formats.

More collaborations with wellness practitioners, coaches, and thought leaders are coming soon.

Try your first audio gem

Ready to experience guided breathwork? Open Headway, search "Kira," and start your first 7-minute session.

From digital to real life

This collaboration didn't stop at audio.

Together with Kira and our partners Alo Yoga, Cymbiotika, and 1 Hotels South Beach (Miami), Headway hosted its first-ever in-person mindfulness workshop.

For two hours, participants disconnected from external noise and reconnected with their breath, bodies, and inner world — guided by the same voice now living inside the app. It was a powerful moment where digital product met physical presence, and we saw firsthand what happens when people give themselves permission to simply be rather than constantly do.

For Brands & Creators: Interested in collaborating on meaningful wellness content? 📩 Reach out at collab@headway.inc