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Pauline Chen, M.D., puts us behind the wheel of what goes on in her mind when she sees a patient: it’s difficult to think about what’s going on right in front of her. She writes: I had walked into the exam room to listen to this patient; but my mind was a few steps behind, as I struggled with thoughts about the colleague who’d just snapped at me over the phone because she was in no mood to get another new consult, my mounting piles of unfinished paperwork, and the young patient with widespread cancer whom I’d seen earlier in the day....

Other universities are beginning to study the effects of mindfulness on stress levels and productivity. The Information School at the University of Washington just completed a study with human resource managers to see how mindfulness practices affected their ability to maintain focus and multitask. To read more about the student nurse study, click here. 07/12/12 [photo © flickr.com/jdlasica]

The real fruit of mindfulness practice is not getting yanked around by your emotions. You have a kind of inner meteorologist who sees the outer bands of the hurricane before the eye of the hurricane makes landfall. I can notice when I’m starting to feel angry—because my ears are turning red or my chest is buzzing—and maybe 10% of the time I don’t take the bait and do something I regret....

In this new film by acclaimed film producer Susannah Ludwig, Congressman Ryan is joined by actor Giancarlo Esposito, yoga teacher Elena Brower, author Peter Matthiessen and others to bring mindfulness to a broad audience. You can watch more outtakes and the film’s trailer, and if you’re so inspired, help kickstart the film into existence by contributing online at the On Meditation Kickstarter page.

Rose’s son-in-law is a minister. He does a funeral a week, and he usually takes Rose with him. Apparently Rose takes her camera. “This one is too small. If they forget to cut the grass, you’d trip right over it,” says Rose. “I don’t want anyone tripping over me.” I’m the one who suggested that everyone bring in snapshots to get the conversation going. I never could have imagined this....

On Saturday, the program will include a 3-hour workshop on Mindful Parenting by Jon and his wife Myla, who are co-authors of the book on the same topic entitled Everyday Blessings. This year’s program will also include presentations on recent research on mindfulness with youth, talks by people implementing a fascinating variety of innovative mindfulness-based programs with kids across the age spectrum, and optional workshops focused on learning specific programs and skills related to bringing mindfulness to youth in a variety of ways and settings....

Robert V. Levine • Robinson Dr. Robert V. Levine has taught psychology courses for over 50 years at California State University, Fresno, and has written and edited several books on social psychology. Given all of this study and experience, he seems like an apt person to put forward a scientific theory on what a “self” really consists of—an endeavor that produced this latest work. What, Levine asks, does science say about our search for the self, and how should it inform the ways we think about life purpose, self-improvement, mental health?...

In my mind, it all comes down to stress. Kids nowadays are under a tremendous amount of stress with a push from our educational institutions and from parents to get the best grades, do the most extracurricular activities and conform to fit into the highest social circles. Families don’t seem to have the time they used to have. The kids are so booked with activities that a 20-minute dinner together as a family is a major accomplishment....

And yet, we were thankful. Thankful for the company, and just to be breathing air together. We took a long ride in the countryside and my mother opened up and talked about her own mortality in a way she had not before. That too was a thankful moment. We can give thanks for those times when we can be open with someone else about fears and thoughts that by custom we’re not supposed to reveal....

The Mindful Kitchen Recipe: Try shaved asparagus salad Savor asparagus season with a simple salad of raw, thinly shaved spears. Grab a bunch of the thicker spears (go with green or purple, not white) and run a vegetable peeler down the length of each to create ribbons. Toss with the juice of half a lemon and a glug of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. If you’re feeling fancy, toss in some shaved or grated Parmesan cheese....

“Mindful” may be the new “green,” the marketing buzzword that companies—big, small, artisanal, corporate—wants to associate itself with. Is this a good thing or a not so good thing? And please let us know if you have spotted a unique use of the word mindful to sell a product.

The Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison teamed up with the United Nations to offer three guided audio meditations from Center expert and research scientist Cortland Dahl. To begin, click on a mindfulness practice below: An Awareness Practice A Kindness Practice A Compassion Practice To learn more about the International Day of Peace, and the Center for Healthy Minds, visit their partner page. Read More Mindful Staff August 23, 2010...

Each of these videos are easily shared by clicking the “Share” buttons found in their viewing screens. Jon Kabat-Zinn/Saki Santorelli “Creating a Mindful Society Conference” from Omega Institute on Vimeo. Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD “Orthogonal Renaissance” from Omega Institute on Vimeo. The videos’ two stars will each play a role in the conference. Kabat-Zinn will deliver a keynote address entitled “The Transformative Power of Mindfulness in America and the World,” and Santorelli will lead a breakout session called “The Healing Power of Mindfulness: Finding the Treasure Within You....

Kroese also discusses his life, from being a toddler in a Japanese concentration camp during the Second World War, to becoming a surgeon, traveling to find inner peace, and ultimately, training to be a meditation teacher. The video, “This Will Also Pass,” runs 21:19: Johan Bergstad is a licensed psychologist, mindfulness teacher, writer and photographer from Sweden.

The one-hour webcast on Wednesday, January 16 at 4pm EST will include a discussion about natural stress-reduction techniques for the workplace. The discussion will be followed by a Q&A, and questions will be fielded from Twitter and the #workingwithmindfulness feed. For more information, and to register, visit the Working With Mindfulness web seminar page. Watch last month’s recorded web seminar with Dr. Richard Davidson and Mirabai Bush on More Than Sound’s YouTube channel....

If you take a moment to reflect on how you would answer that question, you might think about the most important people in your life, the work you do, your hobbies and faith, or the place you come from. If you’ve lived through a traumatic experience, you may recall the things that inspired hope and resiliency and helped you to heal. In all aspects of meaning in life (MIL), there are threads of connection—the meaning we derive from both our human relationships and our connection to the natural world....