I am hardly alone in leading a pretty cerebral daily life. Much of it is spent in front of this computer. I’m not complaining mind you; I am passionate about my work and constantly amazed at how almost all facets of my vision are implemented through this small machine and the perpetual revolution matrix we call the internet. As I am pulled into the pace of an ever-expanding information flow, I notice that my days fly by fast. I sit down at the computer, zero in on the day’s tasks, look up in what seems but a few moments later, and it’s lunch time. Same in the afternoon. Look up, the day is done. When I add this to what I’ll call the age accelerator, you know, that sense that the days, weeks and years are passing by, each faster than the one before, it’s a bit like falling from a great height; one’s perception of speed accelerates exponentially in relation to the ground. Ok, that’s a bit macabre, but I think it really gets the point across. There is some desire to slow down and not reach the end so quickly.

But the fact is, our culture is speeding along, seemingly, at an ever-increasing rate and as an entrepreneur, can I really afford to slow down? Also, I’m excited about where I am going, so in that sense it only seems natural that I’d be in a hurry. But it’s kind of exhausting, no? So what I really want is to be like Neo in the Matrix when he is fighting the machines at warp speed yet his subjective experience is one of being in slow motion. This is actually an experience I have had as the result of regular mindfulness meditation and Tai Chi practice. I’ve also experienced this with regular yoga. These glimpses have lead me to believe that our perceptions of time passing can be altered through attending to the body and its relationship to both the internal and external environment. In particular, by cultivating a comprehensive coherence to our central nervous systems through our various sense perceptions and the breath, we can not only stretch or slow our perception of time but utilize our energy stores in more efficient, focused and productive ways. This is one of the many benefits of regular mindfulness practice.

And this is what I want to do with Chime, the daily mindfulness practice tool. I want to slow down my subjective experience of my day by returning again and again to the present moment and becoming attuned to the totality of my experience in this body in whatever environment I am immersed. This is one of the ways I envision using these simple text reminders. Consider them an invitation to relax the nervous system, calm the mind and focus your awareness on what it is you really want to do. Please share your thoughts and experience if you feel at all compelled. I’d love to read them. And let me know if you want to give Chime a try. devin@mindfulapps.com