Mindfulness practice allows a different perspective and supports you in seeing what’s actually happening. When you pause and recognize thoughts as just thoughts, emotions as just emotions, and sensations as bodily experiences, you develop a great sense of connection. While your present-moment experience may not be comfortable, you are in touch with the emerging moment, in touch with yourself, and quite possibly more in touch with other people. As your practice of mindfulness deepens, your sense of connection will gradually increase, easing your access to your deepest strengths and resources and to the whole of your life and the world....

A friend of mine is an arborist who has long exposed me, on excursion after excursion in parks and wilderness, to the wonders of trees and forests, first in Pennsylvania and now in California. Whenever we enter the land of trees, almost instantly the mood changes. There is a palpable slowing down of thought and speech. You can hear more, and better. You begin to sense with more of your body, and there is even a preternatural settledness that can easily overtake you....

In the field of psychology, studies have attempted to explore the ways in which we pay attention to the world around us. It’s been found that people with mental health disorders can have negative attentional biases, which means they focus more on negative events than positive ones. These individuals can also take longer to disengage from negative stimuli compared to healthy individuals. Despite years of study, findings have been inconsistent and key issues remain unresolved....

Dan Harris Journalist Dan Harris, co-anchor of Nightline and the weekend edition of Good Morning America, is author of the current New York Times bestseller 10% Happier. He is a popular advocate for how mindfulness practice can help achieve better health and excellence at work. He regularly reports for 20/20 and World News with Diane Sawyer. Dr. Richard Davidson World-renowned neuroscientist Dr. Richard J. Davidson is one of the leading experts on the impact of contemplative practices, such as mindfulness, on the brain....

I had travelled with my aunt to spend Thanksgiving weekend at the home of relatives.This arm of the gene pool had done very well for itself and lived in a mansion next to a famous person. From the moment I stepped onto the property I sensed the house knew I didn’t belong. Yes, I am that person who paints their nails red over expensive white broadloom. But I mean well....

This six-day, five-night retreat gives education professionals from all over the world the opportunity to hear some of the world’s leading experts on how to cultivate social and emotional well-being—for both teachers and their students. In addition to lectures, participants will engage in deep self-reflection, thought-provoking discussions, and strategy sessions (see the agenda for more information). Participants will leave empowered with cutting-edge, science-based social-emotional strategies, tools, and techniques to implement this important aspect of student and teacher development in their school environments....

You may use the phrases: May I be safe. May I be happy. May I be healthy. May I live my life with ease. Many people ask me, “Well, who am I asking?” We’re not asking anybody, we’re offering. We’re gift giving. And then we wish others well. It may be people who’ve helped us, who we take for granted, tend to overlook, or people we don’t really know. There are many phases and stages of the practice, but we’ll begin with the offering of loving-kindness to ourselves....

Weaving a Tapestry of Connection These little sparks tell me that my life is more than just the difficult moments. My life reaches back in time, through my parents and their parents, and into the future through my kids. It ripples through the people I talk to every day—and even to you, dear reader. And, in this way, we all weave a tapestry of connection that can hold us in our time of need....

I was touched by his words and how strongly they resonated with my experiences over the past 25 years. On its face, the invitation to be self-aware and to embody our authenticity in the workplace seems simple. But the realities of evolving into a leadership role can present many enticing moments to be like someone else, to ignore that gut feeling and step away from what is deeply held as our values, our ethics....

They seem to be aiming to normalize failure itself—to say to the rest of us (who are hiding our faults in a deep, dark closet) that it’s okay, everyone trips up sometimes. That’s a message we might try to communicate to a close friend when they’re distressed by their own failure. But does this strategy actually help? Do Other People’s Failures Make Us More Self-Compassionate? According to a new study, it might—but only for certain people....

Suddenly you hear a voice you know so well, asking for the hundredth time “Honey, have you seen my keys?” You now spend your time wondering was this man, who counts picking up the car from the mechanic as a date, this woman, who forgets to feed the cat but knows the plot of every reality TV show, really once the most fascinating person in the world? If you’re bored with your spouse, I am here to tell you that attention and curiosity don’t just belong on your cushion....

One of the most powerful (and challenging) practices to do is look into another person’s eyes for a prolonged period of time. It immediately makes us feel vulnerable! It may not matter whether it’s a stranger or someone you’ve been in a partnership with for over 50 years (sometimes this makes it more difficult). But when we do it, it’s fascinating what arises. Check out this short video from Soul Pancake to see some of the surprising results of people making connection:...

As a trait, purpose appears to have evolved in humans so that we can accomplish big things together—which may be why having a powerful sense of purpose is linked to better physical and mental health. Purpose is adaptive, in an evolutionary sense. It helps both individuals and the species to survive. Yet when it comes to our own sense of purpose, many of us are at a loss. We struggle to know what role we play in the bigger scheme of things....

As for me, my house has never been cleaner, because there’s nothing like a pandemic to pep up an otherwise sleepy cleaning regimen. Awareness has helped me notice myself feverishly cooking and stress-baking (because I am pretty sure we’re going to be OK if we have enough lentil soup frozen.) As a mindfulness teacher, my students are sharing their concerns about having strong emotions, like fear, as if they shouldn’t....

2. Acknowledge Moments of Kindness During the course of your day, notice any pleasant interaction or encounter the day offers you. It might be a “hello” from a passer-by, a compliment from a friend or acquaintance, having the person ahead of you hold the door open, a tender moment you observe between a father and his child, or a toddler squatting down to pet a dog. Once you notice this interaction, pay attention to the reaction it elicits within you, allowing the feelings and sensations to penetrate deep within your mind and body....

Real life is like improv: the script’s always changing, and saying yes keeps you in the flow, pulls for creativity, and makes it more fun. Try saying no out loud or in your mind. How’s that feel? Then say yes. Which one feels bet­ter, opens your heart more, and draws you more into the world? Saying yes to some part of life—to a condition or situ­ation, to a relationship, to your history or personality, or to something happening inside your own mind—does not necessarily mean that you like it....

For kids, however, I like to refer to the inner critic as “The Critical Critter” to take some of the weight off. Exploring self-critical thoughts can often feel like heavy, exhausting work, so using a playful approach can help children bring a certain amount of lightness to balance out the heavy work of noticing unhelpful habits and challenging them or approaching them differently. The character of the inner critic as “Critter” helps children understand when they are being too hard on themselves and also the crucial lesson that thoughts are not facts....

But after a few months of dating, Tom’s attitude and behavior began to shift. He became distant. Tom texted less often and seemed overly consumed by work. When Tracy confronted Tom he said the relationship was going too fast. Tom communicated that his current priority was work and he felt pressured and overwhelmed by her needs. Then he ended the relationship. Tracy was confused and heart-broken. The end came seemingly out of the blue for her....

Life can be so daunting—with both its hassles and its larger challenges and injustices—it can be tempting to try to find an escape, and many people imagine meditation to be just such a way out. The word “retreat” (i.e., a meditation intensive) can conjure the notion of running from “the real world” into a haven of private bliss. But nothing could be further from the truth. When you practice mindfulness, as many of you can attest, the real world comes with you....