↓ A new study suggests that practicing acceptance helps reduce our stress more than simple mindful awareness. Life can be stressful. Whether it’s the stress that comes with having too much work to do in too little time, fulfilling caregiving obligations, or dealing with a major illness...
Read MoreWe in the modern West assume that the normal mind is a healthy one. But a "healthy mind" is still subject to many types of distress, including depression, anxiety, frustration, restlessness, boredom, and resentment. Only when such imbalances are excessive are we advised to seek...
Read MorePhilosophy isn't just for professors. Embracing a philosophical attitude can make you healthier, happier, and (of course) wiser. List the top three things you’re interested in—that’s a request I made of 14 different people. Their responses included world travel, family, health, nature photography, playing guitar, and...
Read MoreNew research finds that those who meditate can focus their minds and control their impulsivity better than those who do not meditate. Your brain is actually shaped by your thoughts and your behaviors, which is why stress can take a toll on brain function over time. While some...
Read MoreNew research finds that practicing mindfulness is linked to better-coping flexibility and decreased stress levels. Stress is often villainized but it is also inevitable, which means effectively coping with stress is our best defense. According to new research, mindfulness meditation-based interventions may help build long-lasting flexible coping skills...
Read MoreThe skills we cultivate by playing tennis can also help us be more mindful—even if you've never before picked up a racket. Success in tennis is based on a simple principle: The present is all that matters. It sounds easy, except it’s not. A Harvard study showed that...
Read MoreStruggle to stay focused when you meditate? Learning to listen like a musician can deepen both your meditation practice and your mindfulness. Musically minded people are naturally deep listeners. The variety of nuances and qualities that they can discern within a few bars of music is absolutely...
Read MoreBeing aware of the present moment may reduce certain symptoms. Some women breeze through menopause, barely registering a physical or emotional complaint. For others, menopause can be a truly challenging time, when symptoms such as night sweats, hot flashes and increased irritability become pronounced and interfere...
Read MoreReleasing anger and frustration can actually help you regain control over a hectic day or win back productivity after feeling frazzled. But you have to do it in a mindful way. On the surface, these three people live worlds apart: Stefan works as a family practice nurse...
Read MoreMeditation is like sitting by the bank of a river, watching it flow by. From time to time, we get pulled into the (thought) stream, but that’s OK. In fact, pulling ourselves out to again sit and watch is the heart of the ↓ I got tired of...
Read MoreWays to allow for reflection while walking. ↓ In the children’s book Wacky Wednesday, Dr. Seuss imagines a world where people are doing very odd things indeed, like driving a car facing backward. That’s how I felt the other day in my neighborhood. I saw one lady pushing...
Read More(Ps. You can develop the same habits to improve your own mental toughness.) ↓ Mental toughness is a choice and a discipline, not an innate quality bestowed upon the lucky. In this article, originally published on LinkedIn Pulse, Dr. Travis Bradberry shows you how to get tough. ↓ We all...
Read More↓ You can create daily routines that help rewire your brain for present moment awareness and free you from ruminating about the past or worrying about the future. What does standing in line at Starbucks, stop signs and stairs have in common? The answer – each is opportunities...
Read More↓ How we “Go Big” and “Go Small” in order to fulfill the mission of the Foundation for a Mindful Society. ↓ When you have a mission that sounds as broad as ours—supporting people everywhere who want to bring more mindfulness into their life—it’s sometimes hard to see...
Read More↓ Use this method to process traumatic experiences and challenging emotional states. ↓ My favorite way to really catch up with a friend is to go for a walk. Some prefer meeting for a drink or lunch, but I love to walk and talk. A newly developed type...
Read More↓ How to Cultivate Mindfulness by Listening to Your Thoughts ↓ Try this exercise to develop mindfulness by meditating on one’s thoughts. Perhaps at some time you have sat quietly by the side of an ocean or river. At first there is one big rush of sound. Listening quietly,...
Read More↓ Listening: The Supreme Skill Listening is an act of surrender. - Brian Eno ↓ Listening is the powerful, soothing agent of all communication. Listening is the best tool there is to lower anxiety, diminish division, and open into sameness, into togetherness. Listening will help almost anyone who is triggered...
Read More5 Things You Need to Know Before You Go on a Meditation Retreat ↓ Thinking about going on a meditation retreat this summer? Here's what you need to know. ↓ 1) What’s the Setting? Urban-ish or rustic, vegetarian or vegan, silent or guided, beach or mountain, solitary or group—retreats come in...
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By focusing on the breath while doing some simple mindful movements you can synchronize your mind and body with breath and rhythm. ♠ Mindful movement can help you tap into that space beyond your busy mind where you are already calm and clear. By focusing on the breath while...
Read MoreIt was the late 1980s and I was sitting in a university lecture hall listening to Abbie Hoffman, an author and an activist, ranting about my generation’s indifference. Next to me was Gloria Emerson, a brilliant and eccentric journalist and author. We were discussing Hoffman’s...
Read MoreWhat’s An Emotional Hangover? ⇓ Feelings can linger long after an experience and can affect how we remember it. Just as a late night out with too many glasses of merlot can lead to next-day effects, scientists have found that emotions can cause “hangovers” as well. Unlike a...
Read MoreSay This, Not That: 7 Responses for Common Negative Thoughts ◊ We often define ourselves by the mental chatter that goes on constantly inside our heads. By our thoughts, we have ideas of who we are and what everything around us means. ◊ And the only way that you...
Read MoreThe Art of Worrying * Worry creates a sense of powerlessness that fuels sensations of fear and anxiety. The more empowered we feel – the more we sense that whatever happens, we can successfully handle – the less necessary worrying becomes. * We all have those moments when our...
Read More4 Common Types of Self-Talk How paying attention to your internal dialog can free you from you self-doubt, and help familiarize you with your own personal brand of autopilot. The Laboratory of Neuroimaging at the University of Southern California says that a person has about seventy thousand thoughts per...
Read More* The 7 Qualities of Mindfulness Trained in the Body Scan The body scan is a foundational mindfulness practice that introduces us to working more skillfully with experience. Try it for yourself. Although in some ways it can seem quite simple, mindfulness is a multifaceted skill. The...
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