Upmind - 自律神経・瞑想・マインドフルネス・睡眠 1.4.0

GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2023 Winner

How can one live happily? To put it simply, how can one effectively practice having space in their hearts? The three most important habits for this purpose are as follows:

1. Regular exercise
2. Adequate sleep
3. Mindfulness

At Upmind, we have developed an app with the hope of supporting the cultivation of these three habits, especially mindfulness, to allow individuals to have space in their hearts, thereby enabling them to continue living a fulfilling life.

We recommend engaging in around 30 minutes of exercise three times a week, getting at least 7 hours of sleep (optimal time varies by age), and practicing mindfulness for 15 minutes daily. We understand that it might be challenging at first, so we have included various features such as 2-minute meditation guides to make it easier to maintain these habits even during busy times. We encourage you to start casually forming these habits and gradually deepen them over time.

Why not start cultivating habits to have space in your heart with the Upmind app?

**Upmind Features**

**Overview**
The app includes the following features: "Measure" function that helps understand the state of the autonomic nervous system and provides recommended improvement actions, "Align" function where you can practice mindfulness activities like meditation and yoga, "Deep Sleep" function to support falling asleep, "Learn" function where you can access medical information to improve autonomic nervous system balance, and "Data" function to review measurement results and statistical information.

**Balancing the Autonomic Nervous System**
You can start measurements by tapping the + button on the home screen and placing your finger over your smartphone's camera to measure heart rate variability. Using heart rate variability analysis technology, the app evaluates whether there is a balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems based on the measured heart rate variability. The app then displays your state on a scale of 0 to 100 (use this as a reference indicator for the presence of space in your heart). Depending on your score, the app provides advice to improve the balance of the autonomic nervous system.

**Mindfulness Practices**
- **Meditation:** Under the supervision of Masao Yoshida, Representative Director of the Mindfulness Meditation Association, various meditation programs are available. Integrate meditation into your daily life and develop a habit of balancing your autonomic nervous system with the app. The app also offers numerous 2-minute meditation contents for quick relaxation, even during busy times or at work.

• First 7 days
• 5 minutes daily
• Morning meditation
• Evening meditation
• Meditation during work
• Mindful meditation
• Meditation for relieving tension, etc.

- **Yoga:** Guided stretch and yoga videos are prepared under the supervision of Yurika Umezawa, a yoga instructor. By incorporating a habit of moving your body into your lifestyle, achieving a better balance of your mind becomes more accessible. Programs like a 2-minute routine for relieving shoulder and lower back pain can be practiced even during work breaks.

• Wake up
• During work hours
• Before bedtime
• Starting the day
• Caring for oneself throughout the day, etc.

- **Music:** The app offers a wide range of music genres categorized into four themes: awakening, bedtime, concentration, and relaxation. Enjoying music that suits your mood can help you have a pleasant day.

**Sleep Support**
To have space in your heart, it is crucial to not only maintain yourself during the day but also get quality sleep to let your mind (brain) rest. The app includes various contents designed to support good sleep quality. Narrated bedtime stories by Riko Shimanaga, a former NHK caster, and calming music for nighttime relaxation are available to help you fall asleep comfortably while lying in bed.

**Information for Improving Autonomic Nervous System Balance**
In addition to the mentioned contents, the app contains numerous medically based information aimed at incorporating habits to improve autonomic nervous system balance. Just learning about stress mechanisms can enhance how you cope with stress. Why not explore and make use of these learnings in your daily life?

**Data Accumulation**
The measured data (autonomic nervous system score, heart rate variability, heart rate) are stored within the app. With accumulated data, measurement scores and recommended actions will be optimized specifically for you.

**Integration with Health Apps**
You can optionally link Upmind with Google's Health Connect App. By integrating these apps, you can store heart rate data from measurements and activities like meditation in Health Connect App. Also, allowing access to information like steps taken or sleep duration enables you to check if you are lacking exercise or sleep or prone to accumulating stress within the app.

**Collaboration with The University of Tokyo**
To aim for more reliable services scientifically validated services, Upmind will be collaborating with Ryu Takizawa Laboratory (Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Education at Tokyo University) from April 1st, 2022, until March 31st, 2025. This collaboration focuses on enhancing preventive and recovery effects concerning mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and insomnia through specialized expertise reflected in development processes.

In a study conducted in October 2022, habitually engaging in mindfulness meditation using the app for one month (an average of 4-5 times per week) resulted in a significant approximately 17% improvement in work productivity (*Absolute Presentism). Further research results will be documented in academic papers including other improvement indicators.

**Donations to Save The Children**
With every meditation session using Upmind, ¥0.5 is donated to Save The Children; an international NGO active in around 120 countries worldwide. They have been supporting children facing difficult circumstances globally since their establishment in 1919 with a vision toward realizing "Children's Rights." Through initiatives covering health & nutrition (e.g., combating malnutrition), humanitarian assistance, education among other areas; Save The Children strives to offer children comprehensive support ensuring they live healthy lives alongside supporting education efforts aiding their development both locally and globally.

I often think that when I meditate not only do I find peace within myself but also contribute towards creating a world where everyone feels secure enough to live freely. Through these activities, I hope that many more children will be saved to build a better future ahead.

-------------

**Official Social Media Channels**
Instagram Link

**Subscription Information**
Purchase various subscription plans to access all features offered by Upmind.
Once authentication is complete and purchase is confirmed, charges will be sent to your iTunes account.

• The subscription plans include:
• 
  
• 1-Month Plan: ¥1,650
  
• 1-Year Plan: ¥6,600

Subscribing eliminates feature restrictions within the app and enables access to all functions provided.

To check or terminate your subscription contact:

• You can make changes or cancel your subscription via Google Play account settings at any time.
• Please note that subscription cancellation cannot be processed within the Upmind app.
• Uninstalling the app does not automatically cancel any ongoing subscriptions linked through various plans.

• If subscription plans are not canceled by 24 hours prior to renewal they will automatically renew at current pricing.
• Please refer Google's guidance regarding automatic renewal settings: Google Information Link

**Compatibility Requirements**
The Upmind app functions solely on devices running Android 12 or higher equipped with flash capabilities.
Please note that operation on tablet devices or Android devices that don't meet these specifications is outside our support scope.

**Notice:**
The "Upmind" app is developed as a healthcare application based on simplified autonomic nervous system measurements. It is not intended for medical diagnostic purposes or treatment; therefore we recommend consulting a medical professional if needed.