Building Resilience Through Meditation with Mathew Polowitz

Mathew Holowitz is the CEO and founder at Equa Health, making meditation fun and easy to measure. His work has received funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and more than 8,000 people have taken part in his training.

Mathew received the Innovation Commercialization Fellowship from Carnegie Mellon University, where he earned an MBA and a master’s degree in Public Policy. For nearly a decade, he has led his Experiential Meditation workshops, helping people explore mindfulness in a practical and engaging way.

Mathew also has experience building partnerships in the fast-growing technology industry. He previously worked with Lucid Design Group, helping the company grow before it was acquired by Acuity Brands.

Outside of his work with Equa, Mathew continues to lead mindfulness workshops. He is also a musician and plays guitar in the band Labor Dog.

• Why meditation isn’t always supposed to feel relaxing
• How discomfort can become a valuable mindfulness practice opportunity
• Why people often stop using meditation apps
• How physiological data can help people understand their meditation practice
• How Equa Health tracks breathing using sensors already inside your phone
• Why the breath can be a powerful tool for changing your state
• How meditation creates space between action and reaction
• How mindfulness can help us respond differently to difficult emotions
• The role of AI and personalization in the future of mindfulness
• Why technology may enhance the human connection in meditation

One of the central ideas behind Equa Health is that resilience is a skill that can be developed. Rather than viewing meditation as a way to escape stress or uncomfortable feelings, Mathew encourages people to lean into those moments.

As he explains, the challenging moments during meditation can be practice opportunities. Learning to pause, notice what is happening, and create space between an experience and our reaction can eventually change how we respond to challenges throughout the day.

Mathew also shares Equa Health’s vision for combining mindfulness training with physiological feedback and personalization. By understanding things like breathing patterns, the goal is to eventually tailor training to what someone needs in the moment—much like having a coach available when stress, fatigue, or distraction arises.

At the same time, Mathew believes technology has limits. Apps can help make mindfulness more accessible, but human connection and personal guidance remain an important part of the practice.

Equa Health is a mindfulness platform focused on building resilience through evidence-based meditation training. The company launched in 2021 out of Carnegie Mellon University and combines a structured mindfulness curriculum with technology designed to help users understand and improve their practice.

To learn more about Equa Health, search for EQUA Health online or find EQUA in the App Store or Google Play.