The Huffington Post Launches "GPS for the Soul," a Comprehensive Approach to De-Stressing and Course-Correcting Through Inspirational Content, Specific Practices, Interactive Tools and Services

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

GPS FOR THE SOUL is The Huffington Post's new initiative encompassing technology, storytelling, and services, part of the site's comprehensive lifestyle coverage around the theme “Less Stress, More Living.”

The first in a planned series of stress-reducing technology tools launches today with GPS for the Soul, the free, interactive iPhone app that provides a real-time measurement of stress levels and connects users with personalized tools that help them course-correct. The app was created through a partnership between The Huffington Post; HeartMath, the leader in research-based stress management programs, techniques and technologies; and bLife, a wellness innovation company that has developed the platform on which GPS for the Soul app is being built.

The GPS for the Soul iPhone app is based on two truths: that we all have within us a centered place of harmony and balance, and that we all veer away from that place again and again. It is intended as a course-correcting mechanism, at a time when we're learning more and more about how destructive stress can be in people's lives, with serious consequences in terms of health, careers, creativity and relationships.

“After many years of celebrating the miracles of digital technology and connectivity, we are now finally beginning to acknowledge the snake in the Garden of Eden,” said Arianna Huffington, chair, president, and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post Media Group. “This new trend that acknowledges all the stresses that the brave new world of hyper-connectivity has added to our lives is also paradoxically looking at technology to help us disconnect. At HuffPost, we've woven stress-reduction into every aspect of what we do, from our GPS for the Soul app and 18 lifestyle sections to our new partnerships and focus on mindfulness in the workplace. It's not just about telling stories. It's about changing lives.”

The GPS for the Soul iPhone app is designed to work in conjunction with the GPS for the Soul section on The Huffington Post, along with HuffPost's new stress-reduction daily email newsletter and future GPS for the Soul online services. The app measures your heart rate and heart rate variability, which taken together are a proxy for stress. The app then connects you to a personalized guide that offers music, poetry, breathing exercises and pictures of your loved ones that help lift and realign you.

In addition to creating personalized guides with music and images from their own iTunes and iPhoto libraries, users can access friends' guides, choose from pre-installed guides created by experts and others, and share their own guides using social media.

The app is available for download on the iPhone 4, 4S and 5. More information can be found at www.huffingtonpost.com/apps.

As part of it's new GPS brand, HuffPost also announced two key partnerships with services that are aligned with GPS for the Soul's mission: Talktala, the online group conversation platform that brings people together to discuss the most important issues in their lives; and meQuilibrium, the digital coaching site that uses a science-based, personalized approach to help users better understand and reduce their stress.

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About The Huffington Post

The Huffington Post is a Pulitzer Prize-winning source of breaking news, features, and entertainment, as well as a highly engaged community for opinion and conversation. The Huffington Post has 50 million monthly unique visitors (comScore November, 2012) posting more than 8 million comments each month. The site has more than 40,000 bloggers -- from politicians, students and celebrities to academics, parents and policy experts -- who contribute in real-time on the subjects they are most passionate about. In 2012, The Huffington Post launched the innovative, live streaming network, HuffPost Live. The Huffington Post currently has editions in the UK, Canada, France, Spain, and Italy with more scheduled to launch in the coming months.

About bLife

bLife is a well-being innovation company founded on the mission that mobile and social technologies provide a transformative opportunity to help people be happier and healthier. The recent breakthroughs in brain and behavioral science are unlocking powerful approaches, many of which reinforce ancient wisdoms, to preventive mind-body health. With a focus on stress, the gateway to many chronic health conditions, bLife translates the science and wisdom of managing stress into beautiful digital tools and services designed for engagement and efficacy. The company has assembled an active advisory board comprised of renowned academics and collaborates with Stanford University on advanced well-being research and development. For more information, visit www.myblife.com.

About HeartMath^®

The HeartMath System was created by Doc Childre. HeartMath is a cutting-edge stress reduction and performance enhancement company providing a range of unique services, products and technologies to improve health and well-being, while dramatically reducing stress. HeartMath clinical studies have demonstrated the critical link between emotions, heart function and cognitive performance. HeartMath has published in numerous peer-reviewed journals such as American Journal of Cardiology, Stress Medicine, Preventive Cardiology and Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Their award-winning emWave^® technologies have won the Last Gadget Standing People's Choice Award at the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show, the Award for Distinction and Innovation from the American Institute of Stress, Mac World's Editor Choice award, and Today's Caregiver magazine's Caregiver Friendly Award.