As the video explains, during a stressful situation, your adrenal glands release hormones called cortisol, adrenaline, and norepinephrine. Adrenaline causes the heart to beat faster and raises blood pressure. Meanwhile, cortisol causes the inner lining of blood vessels to function irregularly. Together, these changes increase the chances of heart attack or stroke. (High levels of cortisol are also connected to appetite fluctuation and weight gain.) The brain communicates stress to the enteric nervous system (ENS), a complex system of nerves found in the lining of the gut—the ENS is sometimes called the “second brain....

A snow globe or glitter jar is one of the most powerful visual metaphors for that connection; it illustrates how mindfulness—the cultivation of stillness in the face of swirling chaos of life—affects us. At first I used to do this practice only with young kids, but I’ve since found that even teens enjoy it. How to Make a Glitter Jar You can use a mason jar, a spice jar, or even a plastic water bottle for this practice....

In his bestselling book Social Intelligence, Daniel Goleman describes how we’re biologically hardwired to “tune in” to one another. In fact, one of the central skills of social intelligence, he found, is attunement, which is our ability to build rapport with others by offering total attention and listening fully. Building relationships at work is not just a matter of “knowing the right people” in order to get ahead. Working well with colleagues elevates everyone’s experience, builds trust and mutual respect, fosters creative collaboration, and instills confidence that may even translate to greater professional opportunity....

I developed my Morning Minutes ritual by co-opting an idea from my younger sister, Andrea, a yoga teacher. Many years ago, having recently gotten her five-hundred-hour yoga-instructor certification from Kripalu, she had committed herself to doing thirty minutes of yoga each morning. It was an ambitious goal, so within a week or two, she found she was struggling (and often failing) to make that commitment work in the context of her daily life....

Floundering can make you feel excruciatingly vulnerable. It feels threatening and as if you’re out of control. It drips with embarrassment, weakness, a sense of being off-kilter. Everyone’s agreed then. Avoid floundering! But since we’ve all had to grapple with many destabilizing factors, off-kilter is what’s on the menu lately. Perhaps floundering with grace and openness is the next big skill we must learn, to be resilient in the face of uncertainty and distress....

First, a lot of what we want to get comes with a big price tag—such as that second cupcake, constant stimulation via TV and websites, lashing out in anger, intoxication, overworking, or manipulating others to get approval or love. On a larger scale, the consumer-based lifestyle widespread in Western nations leads them to eat up—often literally—a huge portion of the world’s resources. Similarly, much of what we want to avoid—like the discomfort of speaking out, some kinds of psychological or spiritual growth, standing up for others, exercising, being emotionally vulnerable, or really going after our dreams—would actually be really good for ourselves and others....

Today Toni talks to us about why the path to peace begins with facing difficult realities, how mindfulness can help with chronic pain and illness, and some of the key lessons she’s learned. Elisha: How is this book different from your other book on chronic pain and illness, How to Be Sick? Toni: The new book is broader in scope than How to Be Sick, and it’s organized differently. How to Be Sick is organized around concepts and practices to help people learn to live with grace and purpose despite the limitations imposed by their health....

I’ve been telecommuting for almost 15 years. Sometimes it’s been across oceans and time zones (we are a military family), and sometimes it’s been across town (the office was short on space; I was a slave to my children’s schedules; the whole operation was virtual). At this point in my career as a freelance writer-editor and consultant, I’ve worked for multinational corporations, international development banks, associations, and non-profits. I’ve identified one constant across this long-distance livelihood: No matter how satisfying the to-do list—or how much of an introvert you think you are—telecommuting leaves you craving company....

The conference is intended for doctors, therapists, educators, parents, and anyone interested in learning more about bringing mindfulness to youth. To learn more and register, click here.

We will show signs of insulin resistance, which is an example of a system out of balance. Are we paying attention when our bodies try to communicate? There are many signs and symptoms of a system that is overworked and out of balance. Yet we might not pay attention to those signs. Think of an overheated engine. We would see the temperature gauge go up, perhaps even see some smoke....

First, an exercise instructor I knew started talking about his friend’s newly opened East Village yoga studio, called Jivamukti. My wife went to check it out, but I was not ready to alter my routines. Then my meditation instructors, Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein, began to make reference to their nascent yoga practices. I took notice because of how much I trust them. Then a yoga teacher named John Friend came to New York and, at Sharon’s suggestion, I signed up for his workshop....

The Surprising Link BetweenBrain Science and Strong, Healthy RelationshipsAmy Banks, with Leigh Ann Hirschman • Tarcher PerigeeRelationships happen between individu- als, but also between neural pathways in your brain. Left unchecked, old habits and thinking patterns affect the way you inter- act with your closest friends and partners. Using a system called “C.A.R.E.” that identifies various brain regions, Banks offers a way to investigate those patterns and lay down new tracks that support healthier, happier relationships....

Other times, what happens instead is that we can’t stop thinking about something we don’t like. You may feel stressed by a test, or a friend, or your parents. It can be hard to let go of that kind of thought. Sometimes, it takes practice to focus on the good stuff, too. An Eight-Minute Practice to Notice Positive Moments

Found In Translation Winnipeg kindergarten teacher Karla Dueck Thiessen’s picture book It Starts With A Breath…a Book About Mindful Breathing has been translated into Spanish by a teacher in Mexico, and now two other Winnipeg school teachers—Lorraine George and Gloria Barker—are translating it into their own Indigenous languages, Cree and Anishinaabemowin respectively. And George plans to have her students help by incorporating the project into the Cree/English program at her school....

We absolutely want to minimize children’s distress, maximize their well-being, and treat them with care and respect. The overriding goal is a warm, supportive environment that balances clear rules with open discussion when appropriate. The bottom line is that kids require clear limits for emotional growth, to develop resilience and frustration tolerance, and to learn how to interact with the world. As the grown-up in the room, we must always aim for what’s best in the long haul....

The past 20 years has given birth to a booming “anti-aging” industry, replete with creams, pills, diets, and even anti-aging clinics. So, a few bucks and a little extra work can keep me young forever? Sounds like a beautiful fantasy! Oh right, that’s because it is one. As Muriel R. Gillick, professor of ambulatory care and prevention at Harvard Medical School, writes in her book, The Denial of Aging, “When we believe we will stay young forever, and when we purchase special vitamins, herbs, and other youth-enhancing chemicals to promote longevity, we are engaging in massive denial....

Watch the video: Abbreviated transcript: Think Well to Be Well When I was young, we would visit my great-grandparents once a week. I’d usually sit on the living room floor with toys, but sometimes I would just sit and talk with my great-grandpa Jack. My great-grandpa was a very mindful person, a yogi at heart, even though he didn’t do any yoga. He taught me all of his positive mantras, like “Think well to be well....

The retreat takes place October 30 to November 3. To learn more, and to register, click here. You may also want to peruse the mindful.org archives for articles on mindfulness and the legal field. “Legally Mindful” is our editor-in-chief’s conversation with Charles Halpern on the formation of the Berkeley Initiative for Mindfulness in Law—Berkeley being the first U.S. law school to have a full mindfulness curriculum.

Money. We may not be loaded, but it is—with all kinds of baggage. We have to deal with money every day, in ways small and large, pleasurable and stressful. How do we cultivate perspective? It’s no small challenge. Because money is bound up with concepts of success, self-worth, and entitlement, we often approach it with confusion. We may know intellectually that we are not what we own, and that our lives are not equal to what we earn, but the conditioning we experience goes deep and is reinforced regularly....