Today, Mirabai talks to us about what it means to bring mindfulness into the workplace, how it can bring deeper meaning, the benefits of mindful listening, the why and how of informal walking practice, and a simple practice to enhance relationships at work. Elisha: When it comes to the workplace, you have found a fundamental flaw in our minds when we think of work like “Love is for home and discipline is for work....
We live in a world that’s rarely quiet. On a mindfulness retreat, you’ll quite often hear people say that this is the longest they’ve been awake without talking for decades. Our habit and impulse is to speak and to do, and this is reinforced by the technologies and timetables we’ve created, all of which facilitate more talking and action. This “doing” mode, as it’s sometimes called, is a wonderful part of being human—as a species we have developed the capacity to express ourselves with others, to share thoughts and ideas, and carry out plans....
Feel and spread the warmth of gratitude with these three tips: 1. Find presence in letting go Sometimes our busy and stressed-out minds—or even physical clutter at work or home—can get in the way of appreciating the moment we’re in. Clearing and refocusing with a favorite song, a happy memory, or some mindful movement can help us let go of what we no longer need. Try these five (quick) practices to declutter your body and mind....
Michael Gervais, a sports consultant who works with the Seahawks, explains how the team uses meditation on and off the field: Players new to meditation start off with six minutes of deep breathing, Gervais explained. As they gain more experience, they devote longer periods of time to the practice. Gervais said this demonstrated the tremendous tolerance they have for taking on extended tasks that can often be boring or difficult....
Michael Gervais on the Seattle Seahawks from Mindful Direct. “The Seahawks’ secret weapon might be the team’s willingness to give a sports psychologist the freedom to roam the training facility, locker room and even the sidelines every game, to make sure their heads are as sound as their bodies,” Matthew Futterman writes in the Wall Street Journal this week. Michael Gervais, a sport psychologist with a strong background in mindfulness, is a key figure in head coach Pete Carroll’s mission to improve focus and inspire peak performance....
It’s been a tough few years, alright. The good news is that every time I find myself dancing on the rim of what I call the “Black Hole of Hopelessness,” I’m reminded that on the other side of difficulty, there’s still so much hope in the world. It may be days or weeks before I can refocus and recognize it clearly once again. It may take a friend or family member to show me the way....
A previous study, conducted almost a decade ago by South Bank University and the Institute of Education in London, found that children’s exam results were cut by as much as a third if the kids were taught in noisy classrooms. 10/26/11
4 Attributes of a Good Listener A good listener asks: “What’s on your mind?” When we’re trying to make tough decisions, good listeners use gentle encouragement to help tease out what’s really at the heart of our anxieties. It’s not always easy for us to know what’s bothering us—a gentle and constructive push with a good question can encourage us to explore what’s on our minds, and help clarify what might be causing us trouble....
“Release your diabetics to trauma!” This is prison’s wake-up song—the deafening, metallic squawk of the PA—and, for many women here, it signals a trip to medical for a morning insulin shot. I’m at MCI Framingham, a medium-security prison twenty miles from Boston that’s a catchall for female offenders: homicidal lifers, sex workers ravaged by crack and meth, check-kiting welfare moms, scared high-school kids caught with a joint during a crackdown....
For many of us, it depends on the day. There are times when we run into an obstacle and see it as an opportunity for creativity, a challenge that excites us. Then there are times when an obstacle throws us off balance, creates confusion and stress, and ‘leaks’ out in actions, whether verbal or physical. These reactions are, at best, counterproductive, and at worst, disrespectful and injurious. It all depends on our mind’s ability, on that day, in that moment, to regain equilibrium quickly so we can respond with spaciousness and creativity....
Until suddenly, one day, we break. Experiencing a breakdown can be inconvenient, uncomfortable, and even frightening, but it comes with an important message. In this video from School of Life, philosopher Alain de Botton explains how breakdowns provide you with an opportunity to learn what you really need from life. What is a breakdown? Breakdowns can take many forms, ranging from the inability to get out of bed, to becoming depressed, developing social anxiety, or feeling compelled to do something completely scandalous, or even dangerous....
We are starving for stillness and silence in our culture. Doesn’t it seem like there is noise and chaos everywhere? The truth is that the world is not going to slow down and get less noisy simply because you want it to. You have to commit to taking time to pause. I’ve grown to appreciate that pausing truly is golden. Taking breaks settle me in a matter of minutes. I didn’t always feel this way....
Honoring the Path of the Warrior from Roosevelt Ulloa on Vimeo. Honoring the Path of the Warrior (HPW) builds a community of support and provides a new path of service and meaning for veterans through free one-day events, retreats and veteran leadership program. Their programs combine community, nature and physical activities with mindfulness practices, providing life-savings tools and refuge for veterans. This is the second year HPW has participated in the Veterans Charity Challenge, hosted by CraigsList....
Hintsa suggests younger children will respond to more physical practices. She recommends some practices for preschool children: Have your child lie down on a mat on the floor, or on their bed, and place their favourite stuffed animal on their belly. Have them rock the stuffed animal to sleep with the movement of their belly as they breathe in and out. This is how they can begin to pay attention to their breathing....
“Forgiveness is an important expression of generosity of giving,” says Stephen G. Post in a recent video from Big Think. Post is a bioethicist and bestselling author of The Hidden Gifts of Helping: How the Power of Giving, Compassion, and Hope Can Get Us Through Hard Times. Post argues that forgiveness doesn’t ask you to be naive, especially when you’ve really been harmed by someone and when the hurt is deep and profound....
By creating “the infrastructure to support researchers and clinicians to further the scientific knowledge of mindfulness and of how the mind works,” this new designation greatly increases the opportunities for research (as well as sources of funding for such research) and in supporting the application of mindfulness in the health fields and beyond, explains new division chief Judson Brewer, MD, PhD, an associate professor of medicine at the school and director of research at the center....
Today, record levels of medical professionals report symptoms of burnout and emotional exhaustion—up to 78 percent of physicians, according to a 2018 survey. At the beginning of this year, the Harvard School of Public Health along with other eminent health organizations declared physician burnout a “public health crisis.” It’s time to heal the healers. Starting on Thursday, Mindful has partnered with The Awake Network to create the Mindful Healthcare Summit, a free online event to look at how mindfulness and compassion practices can be applied to relieve caregiver burnout and improve patient care....
