You don’t have to run solo anymore. The much loved meditation app Headspace has partnered with Nike Run Club – pairing the sportswear giant’s workouts with Headspace’s mindfulness guidance.

So, what exactly is mindful running? Don’t worry, you don’t have to go on some spiritual retreat, or sit in silence for hours waiting for enlightenment. It simply means focusing on being present, working on form and having more awareness – and mindfulness – of the world around you.

In practical terms, it’s a conversation between Headspace co-founder Andy Puddicombe and Nike Running global head coach Chris Bennett: like a podcast, with a liberal dose of advice.

To begin, login to the Nike Run Club app, select Guided Runs then scroll down to Run With Headspace. There are six guided runs, ranging from 25 minutes to just shy of an hour. This is a regular run with the soothing tones of Puddicombe and Bennett occasionally chiming into your ear. And you can add your own playlists if you’d like.

We asked Puddicombe what the purpose of mindful running is. “It’s the ability to run with clear intention, fully connecting in body and mind,” he says. “Free from distraction and with an equal balance of focus and relaxation.”

So, when you go on your first guided run there isn’t any or incense to light. You don’t have to dim the lights. Bennett and Puddicombe introduce the workout – a relaxed 25-minute run, a mindful 50 minutes, pick your poison – and then shepherd you along the way.

Puddicombe will chat with Bennett about how runners can be more mindful of their surroundings or form. And then he’ll leave you with words of encouragement before the app goes silent for long stretches and you simply focus on the task at hand.

It’s weird at first to be told to focus. But after a few attempts, things start to click. You might be more aware of the nature or sights and sounds in your neighbourhood. Or you notice that your form falls apart climbing hills. Puddicombe and Bennett aren’t here to judge, they’re here to help.

“We like you to be more focused, less distracted,” Puddicombe explains. “I would say because we are applying awareness to the run, our form and our posture tend to improve. We become more aware of our surroundings, which allows us to take it all in. I see very often when we’re out running, we’re caught up in our inner dialogue so we don’t even get to enjoy it.”

The best thing about this partnership is that you don’t have to use it forever. It’s an educational tool as much as it is a training partner. For those who love the duo’s quiet cheering in their ears, they can keep trucking along. But others can take what they learned from the guided runs and it apply it to their own technique.

“I think some people really like the company. They’re running with a coach in their ear and they have no desire to drop that,” Puddicombe says. “Other people will probably want to learn the fundamentals and then, over time, they will probably want to try it on their own.”