Deepak Chopra leads group meditation on steps of Beverly Hills City Hall, gives advice on resilience
"Resilience happens when you find opportunity in the midst of a crisis," the wellness icon said.
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (KABC) -- The pandemic has impacted the collective mental health of so many; some experts even say we are now a nation in crisis.
And one man who's been at the center of the mindfulness movement is Dr. Deepak Chopra.
On Friday, on the steps of Beverly Hills City Hall, Chopra led participants on a group meditation.
It was all part of a free Mental Health Wellness series, spearheaded by Beverly Hills Mayor Lili Bosse.
Being present and quiet reflectiveness are essential tools to achieve mental well being. And Chopra was asked to teach the steps to get there.
"I really wanted to have Deepak Chopra and other wellness experts and leaders come and speak with us about resilience," said Lili Bosse.
Chopra explained, "Resilience happens when you find opportunity in the midst of a crisis".
As a longtime scientific advisor of the Gallup organization, Chopra says the data they've collected on health and well-being shows we are a nation in crisis.
"Right now, every forty seconds, someone is dying of suicide. It's the second most common cause of death amongst teens. And we have to do something about it, " said Chopra.
During the pandemic, Chopra took a page out of his resilience teachings. To reach troubled teens during the pandemic, the Deepak Chopra Foundation harnessed the power of artificial intelligence.
"We have an artificial emotional intelligence chat bot, she's having 20 million conversations with teens, worldwide -- all at the same time," he explained.
Chopra says the chat bot on the site, which is called never alone , doesn't judge, and that's why teens like it. And that technology has a place in healing. A short text or a "Digiceuticals," as he calls it, can express appreciation and care.
He said, "If you send someone an emoticon with a hug or a kiss, you'll give them a dopamine hit."
Bosse underscored the importance of Chopra's teachings.
"It's been a challenging time," she said. "But we're strong, we're resilient.
So how do we take the first step? Chopra says there's a good place to start.
"Be the change you want to see in the world," he said.
