I have to admit, I was kind of proud of my title. I thought it was subtle and literary, but not too flashy. The phrase “art of losing” is from a favorite poem of mine by Elizabeth Bishop, called “One Art.” It’s a sad, brave, beautiful poem about both death and writing, and I was happy because I could start my talk by reading it. Beginnings are important, and as a Buddhist woman writer, I like to pay tribute to my women ancestors....

First the researchers administered a survey that measured how well each participant could manage his or her emotions. Following this, the first experiment involved a game that pitted participants’ own self-interest against the common good, and found that those with good at regulating their emotions were significantly more considerate of the common good. In the second study, a different set of participants were assessed on their level of “Machiavellianism,” or how willing they are to manipulate others for their own personal gain....

Florence Williams spent the last three years writing about our relationship to the natural world—motivated in part by her own move away from a lush natural setting: a view of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado to Washington, DC. In her book, The Nature Fix, she explores the healing power of wild places. Here are three ways spending time in nature impacts our health: The Health Benefits of a Nature Break You don’t need to live in a cabin in the woods to soak in all the benefits nature has to offer....

Mindfulness is a big deal these days. Now that we’re hearing the word so often in so many contexts, some readers are telling us that it can confuse them. The meaning fuzzes out, and they have a hard time talking to others about it. It’s like breakfast, which covers everything from a granola bar to a Grand Slam at Denny’s. So it may be worth taking some time to consider what mindfulness conjures up in people’s minds when they hear it....

If that sounds hokey, consider recent reports on stress levels and lack of downtime in the workforce (not to mention lack of sleep). Daniel Goleman, a former New York Times reporter and bestselling author, lays out the four key skills of an emotionally intelligent leader in the New York Times: 1) Self-awareness: In a busy world, we don’t usually take the time to do in-depth self-examination, to really understand what our principles are—not what somebody told you, not what’s said in a book....

“Diana, you left the cabinets open again.” “No I didn’t.” “Yes you did.” “Maybe [my daughter] did it.” “Maybe.” Silence. “Okay, maybe not.” A few months later, after countless reminders, severe annoyance, and half-hearted attempts on my part, Grandma finally forced the issue. “Can I show you something?” “Sure.” Grandma whipped out her iPhone. (Of everyone in my house, Grandma is the most tech- savvy. My Waldorf-schooled nine-year-old comes next, and I am at the bottom....

“Our suffering is equal. Yet I’m treated with sympathy; she is treated with hostility.” – Rodriguez on el-Wafi About the video From Ted.com: Phyllis Rodriguez is an artist, a teacher and a social justice activist. On September 11, 2001, her son Greg died in the attacks on the World Trade Center. Rodriguez and her husband wrote an open letter, “Not in Our Son’s Name,” calling on President Bush to oppose a military response in Afghanistan....

Dacher Keltner: Adam Edwards is a competitive kayaker and member of Melanin Base Camp, an organization working to diversify outdoor adventure sports and experiences. He joins us today as our happiness guinea pig. In each episode of The Science of Happiness, we focus on different research-tested practices for increasing happiness, resilience, kindness, and connection. And we have a guest try out
that practice and tell us about their experience. Then we explore the science behind it....

By intentionally seeking to understand other perspectives that encourage empathy, compassion, and positive thinking for myself and others. —Megan W. I remember to stay in the moment and notice where I am and what I’m doing. I’m not in the past or future, I’m right where my feet are. —Kim W. Who do you reach out to when you feel worried? My partner. She is the calm in my life....

We start the new year full of vigor and enthusiasm, but unfortunately the statistics on resolutions look a little disheartening: Around 80% of positive habit-change resolutions will be given up again by February. It is much easier to imagine making a change than to actually implement it—which is why it’s important to bring some mindful, science-backed strategies to your goals for the year. Before we get into the details of how to do this, I would like to invite us to take a big step back and ask, “Why?...

Why do you think Brainstorm has become so popular? I’m guessing because it’s refreshing news. We’ve been dealing with this period of life in very negative ways, and it’s time to shift the conversation and make use of some helpful scientific understanding. What motivated you to write the book? When my children left their teenage years, I wanted to try to understand all the experiences we’d had as a family....

Begin to shift toward looking at self-care as a long-term pursuit, one in which taking care of our inner and outer selves are equal parts of the equation. With these easy steps, we’ll learn how to develop coping strategies that can help us and others in our community weather the struggles of self-care with grace and steadiness. Three Reasons You Need a Self-Care Plan A Self-Care Plan is an intervention tool that keeps you from being completely sucked into the vortex, saving you when you find yourself standing on the precipice gazing into the dark abyss....

Get all 10 tips at garrisoninstitute.org. Looking for more ways to get started with meditation? Check out Mindful’s Getting Started page.

Don’t feed your boredom. Thanksgiving can keep going and going—and going (sigh)—with food of every stripe arrayed in big piles and bowls. It’s been a long month, you’re tired, and maybe feeling out of sorts around in-laws and semi-distant relations. Stuff yourself to fill the gaping void? Don’t. It ends up hurting a lot. Breathe deep instead, and savor every bite you eat. Dodge the dogfights. Extended families make strange bedfellows—and tablemates....

You know how this looks for you. Maybe you become stoic and isolate yourself. Perhaps you bury yourself in work or your hobbies. If you’re in a fragile state, you might displace your anger and rage against someone innocent, or who’s an easy target. None of these things feel good, and it’s easy to feel ashamed if your actions have pushed people away. This limiting mindset doesn’t have to be a defining feature, however....

Notice your space—the colors, shapes, height, width, and depth of the room, the elements of nature. Rest the eyes—open, but with a soft gaze, looking down, or close them. Breathe, and feel into the moment. How is the mind? How is the body? How is the breath? And how is your heart? Feel into the posture of your body. Feel gravity pulling down, rooting this body, connecting it to the Earth....

It may be that your body tenses up as soon as the alarm goes off in the morning, or maybe it’s the morning commute, or it could be when you interact with specific people, or when you’re going to bed thinking about all the things that need to get done tomorrow. Mind bracing can be identified by a flurry of thoughts that are racing through your mind. Body bracing might feel like muscle contraction, like a tightening in the chest, shoulders, or jaw....

In this seven-minute practice, Elisha suggests a few phrases to follow along with. With time, you will be able to come up with your own loving-kindness phrases. A Loving-Kindness Practice for Beginners

Anne Alexander: Congratulations! You’re making a movie about mindfulness. Rob Beemer: Thank you, yes, this is a huge passion project. I’ve been practicing mindfulness for more than 10 years and it’s made such an important difference in my life. I felt like there were still misconceptions and people who would benefit but weren’t aware of mindfulness. I wanted to use my skills to help make the world a better place....

When we do this, we’re not only facing the pain of present difficulty, but the anticipation of pain, which is actually in our imagination. The first thing we can do to cultivate our resources for managing difficult emotions is to allow ourselves to feel the emotion, shift our attention to noticing the sensations present in our body, and forgive ourselves for what we feel. We’re human beings, and feeling this way is natural....