This friend, who was also a professional colleague, wrote me an unsolicited “feedback” letter with his opinion about something I’d done. I felt deeply insulted and, uncharacteristically, enraged. I was mad about being maligned, even though it was in the privacy of a letter, and upset about feeling so disturbed. Although I tried not to think about the letter, it kept coming to mind, and every time I thought, “How could he have said that about me?...

The foundation’s most recent intiative is the MindUP™ program. MindUP™is an educational program for children that is informed by current scientific and pscyhological research on social and emotional learning. The program integrates the priniciples of mindfulness to “provides children with emotional and cognitive tools to help them manage emotions and behaviors, reduce stress, sharpen concentration, and increase empathy and optimism.” The program is designed so that it may be integrated into any classroom’s regularly scheduled lesson plans....

Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood People in five neighborhoods in Ottawa are able to get help finding jobs and housing, accessing financial assistance, mental health counseling, and other resources, all provided by a diverse staff of healthcare professionals who speak a variety of languages and bring their own lived experiences to the table. These neighborhood wellness hubs are housed in local community centers. Hoden Aden is one of the project leads....

With just a few pointed questions, psychologist Colleen Becket-Davenport got to the bottom of what was going on: Gabrielle was choosing men who were “all unavailable in some way,” said Becket-Davenport, who practices in San Francisco. “They were already in a committed relationship, they had mental health issues of their own, or lived far away, for instance.” When these men didn’t respond to her texts, Gabbie made excuses for them (“He has a lot going on right now”)....

He might endure the pokes without complaint by using willpower, or he might stay silent, succumbing to feelings of fear or powerlessness. He could lose his self-control and act out, attacking his classmate verbally or poking him back. Or does your son “self-regulate” by considering his options and resources, taking stock of his feelings and strengths, reflecting on past experience, and responding deliberately? Self-regulation may sound like a tall order—but it’s also the best choice, according to Erin Clabough, a neuroscientist, mother of four, and author of the book Second Nature: How Parents Can Use Neuroscience to Help Kids Develop Empathy, Creativity, and Self-Control....

A few weeks later, my mother and I found him curled up on the carpet, his face smooth and blue with cold blood. When we pulled him up, he exhaled. Or so we thought. It was his last breath, trapped until our stirring released it, a sigh that was the last of him escaping. That night I dreamed my stepfather had a ceramic face that smiled until it fell away in shards, until all that was left was a radiant joy—something between a light and a song....

The answer to both of these questions is yes. But it takes knowing what kinds of practices bring true happiness—and not just momentary pleasure—to your life. Once you’ve mastered that, it’s not too hard to introduce those practices to kids in a way that they can understand and appreciate. Research shows that mindfulness practice can help rewire our brains for happiness. Mindfulness meditation has been shown to decrease stress and increase happiness, and the practice of compassion and caring for others is key to better relationships, health, and emotional well-being....

We can change this mechanical way of eating by establishing a daily mindful eating practice. Make the commitment. Set aside a few minutes each day to practice mindful eating. Start with committing to eating one meal or snack mindfully each day—or even one part of a snack or meal—and then increase the amount of time every week or two, until you find you can do this with every meal or snack....

I first came to mindfulness through my yoga practice. It had never occurred to me that I could intentionally direct my thoughts. I remember the moment I sat on a bench outside of class and felt the sun on my skin, and consciously didn’t let my mind wander. As I began my wellness journey, I found a lot of empowerment in the idea that I could observe my own thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations, and intentionally direct my attention toward more pleasant or helpful ideas....

As the temperature rapidly dropped, Bob began shivering uncontrollably. He had poured out so much energy without refueling himself that he was sliding into hypothermia, the first stage of freezing to death. We hurried to set up the tent, get into our sleeping bags, light the stove, drink hot water, and eat hot food—and soon Bob’s teeth stopped chattering. Luckily, we had just enough resilience to turn this misadventure around....

So even when besting someone else has no real-life consequences, it seems, we just can’t help competing. In the Stanford study, the fictional partner wasn’t even an actual competitor. The participants didn’t even know who their partner was, and couldn’t see them, but they did all they could to thwart them anyway. They even eased up on their own → efforts: Participants who gave more difficult letters to the other student worked less hard on their own word task, apparently feeling that if their partner did poorly, they needn’t aim as high as they otherwise might....

In this video from The School of Life, philosopher Alain de Botton explores why our brains jump to that thought so quickly. “The question feels so significant because, depending on how we answer it in our minds, we will either take steps to deepen the friendship or […] immediately make moves to withdraw from it, so as to spare ourselves humiliation and embarrassment,” he says. Instead of assuming a defensive position—thinking people are judging us to be uninteresting or unworthy of their attention—de Botton suggests we take the offensive and make the first attempt to connect....

You might think of the practices in this chapter as the drills and workouts athletes do to prepare for games, where a range of skills needs to be applied more flexibly. And in the same way that these basketball or football practices confer benefits beyond more skillful play on the court or field, you’ll see the multiple benefits of mindfulness well before you begin using it in highly stressful situations....

“We have to get rid of a few stigmas attached to the word volunteering and making a difference,” says Bon Jovi. The restaurant has been serving meals since 2009, but is now opening a new, permanent location in Red Bank, New Jersey. For more, read Jon Bon Jovi opens charity restaurant in New Jersey (Celebrity Circuit) and Bon Jovi Opens Charitable Pay-What-You-Can Restaurant in NJ (Huffington Post).

Despite my body being still, my heartbeat was pounding, my breath was shallow, and my mind was racing to figure out what caused this feeling. The sun was still shining, everything around me looked to be normal and safe, but stress swirled in my body. Having no explanation, I kept moving and eventually forgot about the feeling until the next morning when the same thing happened. It happened all week before I understood that I was feeling a memory....

To make lasting change, we need more than desire and willpower. It requires an understanding that our brains are wired to create obstacles that hinder us from making healthy changes, and that, thanks to technology, it’s harder than ever to maintain focus. Maybe most importantly, we need to understand that we are not islands, and that our social and physical environments can make the difference between ongoing motivation and incessant procrastination....

There will be times when you perceive mindfulness not to be working. At these times, your mind will have a mind of its own, so to speak. You may get frustrated by the mind’s stubbornness and astonishing talent for amnesia, as it not only forgets to pay attention but forgets to care about paying attention. It will seem your mind is laughing and sneering at your feckless attempts to train it....

Over the last decade, the scientific community has produced numerous studies looking at how mindfulness practice influences our minds, our bodies and our behavior. Today, we are beginning to understand some of the physical and mental underpinnings of how mindfulness can change our lives. Mindfulness is considered to be multifaceted within the field of scientific research. For example, while some studies define mindfulness as present focused-attention, others will refer to it as open monitoring of the present moment experience without judgment....

Eggplant season runs from July to October, so I wanted to make sure I feature them in my column before the harvest season ends. Eggplants should be available at your local farmers’ market now. I use the variety widely available in my area—the large, purple, oval Italian eggplants—I think they are they are the most common in North America. In my family, stuffed eggplants is a true favorite. This dish targets most of the senses—the colors of the finished dish are gorgeous, the smell is divine, and the flavors are incredible....