Apps, tech try to ease stress

Smartphones and tablets that enable us to stay constantly connected aren’t exactly synonymous with rest and relaxation. But a slew of new apps and online programs are trying to turn tech devices into tools for taking it easy. The September issue of Shape magazine looks at options suitable for different budgets.

Stress Free Now is a six-week e-course on mindfulness offered by the Cleveland Clinic. For $40, students receive daily e-mails and weekly hour-long instructional sessions through the program’s Web site.

GPS for the Soul uses an iPhone to measure heart rate. Just put your finger over the camera lens, and the app counts your beats per minute. The free app includes short meditative guides that can help slow your breath and heartbeat.

Wild Divine, developed with the help of lifestyle gurus Deepak Chopra and Andrew Weil, offers digital meditation games designed to be used with a biofeedback device that attaches to the fingers and monitors your level of relaxation. The device and video game software don’t come cheap, though: Various packages begin well above $300.