How Opera's new Air browser helped me to keep calm and surf on

I like to meditate and I like to surf the web. But I never thought about combining the two — until now. That’s because Opera has released a new browser called Opera Air, which tries to help you become more mindful as you use the web.

Available in early access for anyone to download and install, Opera Air offers exercises, mindful breaks, and guided meditations to not only ease your mind but also stretch your body. The goal is to help you avoid the physical and mental stresses you may experience when you spend hours glued to the internet.

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Upon launching Opera Air the first time, you’re prompted to choose a calming wallpaper image with photos from nature. I selected an image of a flat rock balanced on a larger stone, reminding me of the type of outdoor scene that helps me focus at yoga and meditation retreats.

The home page for Opera Air is cleanly designed with minimal distractions. A series of icons for suggested websites take you to mindfulness-oriented sites such as Mindful.org, Headspace.com, and Calm.com. You can add other sites to the home page for quick and easy access. Otherwise, you’re free to surf and search the web as you normally would.

When it’s time to take a break, a small toolbar on the left displays icons that access the different features.

A series of smart exercises help you focus on your mind and body. A guided breathing session invites you to practice deep breathing for a certain number of minutes. A neck exercise is designed to help you relieve a stiff neck, a common ailment when you’re in front of your computer for too long.

Next, you can go on a guided meditation to relax and breathe for several minutes. A full body scan lets you unwind by focusing on each part of your body, similar to a yoga nidra session. You’re able to choose the amount of time to spend on each exercise, so you can squeeze one in even if you have only a few minutes.

Another series of sessions known as boosts use music and sounds to stimulate different brain waves. One called Mental Clarity aims to sharpen your focus. Another called Creativity Boost looks to enhance your imagination. A third called Energized Focus tries to help you stay attentive as you work or study. You can choose specific sounds and songs and set the duration for anywhere from 15 to 90 minutes.

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Beyond the mindfulness tools, Opera Air offers other helpful features. The built-in Aria uses AI to answer your questions and requests. An ad blocker tries to filter out distracting and intrusive ads. A free VPN aims to secure and protect your internet connections.

I like the idea behind Opera Air and the way the browser leads you to mindfulness without getting in your face about it. We’re always told to take mental and physical breaks when we spend the day in front of our computers. But how many of us actually remember to do that?

Opera Air puts the right tools and techniques in front of us, so hopefully we’ll be able to unwind and destress during a typical day on the web. Though it doesn’t offer all the bells and whistles of Chrome or Firefox, Opera Air is a program I plan to use for general web browsing, especially when I want to be more focused and mindful.