3/30/17 3/30/17

Jason Silva on Technology, "Origins" and What Makes Us Human

This past week I was fortunate to be able to see TV host and awe-inspiring wanderer Jason Silva sit down for an interview at AOL's Build Series in NYC. In this interview Silva talks about how innovation and technology affects us in modern times. His newest show, "Origins: The Journey of Humankind" explores how innovation and different forms of information technology have affected our development as a species.

What I find most fascinating about this interview is how Silva talks about his new show and how we can use "Origins" to understand and cope with the ongoing innovation of technology and our relationship to it. As a therapist, I'm not only interested in what happened to us, but also the how behind those histories. That is, I think that how we make meaning of our experiences and the impact on our lives is just as important, if not more important, than the events themselves. Watch a portion of Silva's interview below.

9/2/14 9/2/14

App Spotlight: Breathe2Relax

Today's post features a free app available in the iTunes Store and its called Breathe2Relax.

Diaphragmatic breathing or "belly breathing" has been shown to help reduce stress, lower blood pressure and increase overall feelings of peace and relaxation. Breathe2Relax is an app that helps you learn the skill of belly breathing so that you can enjoy its benefits practically anywhere.

Most of us haven't learned how to breathe deeply to get the benefits of belly breathing. If you suffer from severe anxiety or have a history of trauma, engaging your mind-body connection by using belly breathing can also be extremely helpful. That being said, while this type of breathing can be very therapeutic, it can also be very triggering for some folks so it may be very helpful to have the support of a therapist to guide you through this practice especially if you fit the above criteria.

I think Breathe2Relax is an especially good app because it not only helps create a relaxing ambient environment, but it also features a video demonstration of the proper way to belly breathe. You can also personalize your inhale and exhale timers so that your in-app coaching is tailored to meet your unique needs and abilities. With a quick and easy setup, I think most people could benefit greatly from this cool piece of technology.The Breathe2Relax app is free and available both in the iTunes and Google Play stores.