This Cool New App Might Just Change Your Life!

We’d all like to find a little peace and quiet – a sense of respite from the frenzy of modern life. But how many of us really know how to find it?

Dr. Sue Smalley, the director of UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center, is a friend and a major source of inspiration, and she’s devoted her career to helping answer that question. Her book Fully Present: The Science, Art, and Practice of Mindfulness presents the scientific side of mindfulness and meditation, and the countless benefits they provide. Her well-rounded approach has had a profound influence on countless people (including me). 

Some of you may know that I’ve been a devoted student of meditation for many years. In all my years exploring the mind-body connection, I’ve never experienced anything quite as profound as the power of stillness for relieving stress and restoring a sense of peace by quieting the incessant noise most of us have going on in our minds. The problem, of course, is that many of us don’t have the time to sit down and meditate. (Or at least we feel like we’re unable to find the time.)

GPS for the soulThat’s why I love Arianna Huffington’s GPS For The Soul app. It’s unbelievably smart: Once you’ve downloaded this app onto your smartphone, you just put your finger on the camera lens, and the app measures your heart rate. It also provides a “breathing bar” that you can follow along to ensure that you’re taking nice long, deep breaths on a regular basis. There’s a library of relaxing music, daily email newsletters and a series of guided meditations from the likes of Deepak Chopra, Dr. Andrew Weill and, of course, Arianna.

In discussing her vision for this revolutionary app, Arianna quotes the Greek mathematician Archimedes: “Give me a place to stand and I will move the world.” That’s really what meditation is about. Regardless of our religious or spiritual beliefs, we can all benefit greatly from gaining (and regaining) a sense of deep connection within ourselves. It’s not just about experiencing an ethereal sense of bliss; it’s about creating a foundation of calm, inner strength on which we can stand. It’s about transforming our way of thinking, so that we can  make more logical decisions and perform at our peak, as the very best versions of ourselves – at home, at work, and in our communities.