Posts

Researchers define awe as the feeling we get in the presence of something larger than ourselves that challenges our usual way of seeing the world. A great work of art, a breathtaking vista, a moving speech, the first flowers of spring—these can all evoke awe. Central to the experience of awe is a sense of smallness, but not the kind associated with shame or self-doubt—rather, awe involves feeling interconnected with others and broadening our horizons, like a camera lens zooming out to reveal a more complex and inclusive picture....

That immediately led me to the understanding that if I was going to savor the unsavory I would have to be thankful somehow for whatever came my way. I would have to embrace the artificially sweetened (but still valuable) “attitude of gratitude.” It was a bit of a revelation. What I was prepared for was taking time to really enjoy things, in the present moment. What I wasn’t prepared for was how much it would challenge underlying attitudes and assumptions....

“You can’t just say a mean comment and walk down the hall and say, ‘See ya, loser.’ Oh no—now you have to cook dinner with the other person,” says Captain Zoe Nudell, one of the longtime sea school instructors. —Carsten Knox, Associate Editor See the full table of contents for Mindful‘s December 2013 issue.

Meng is a strong proponent of mindfulness and is quoted as saying that it could “change the world.” To get a full understanding of what he means by that, read Mindful.org’s article on “Meng’s Peace Plan” in which Meng expounds his “three easy steps to world peace” (spoiler alert: meditation is a key component). The book is slated for a May 2012 publication date. In the meantime, you can also read Mindful....

But just because we may have ignored the child doesn’t mean she or he isn’t there. The wounded child is always there, trying to get our attention. The child says, “I’m here. I’m here. You can’t avoid me. You can’t run away from me.” We want to end our suffering by sending the child to a deep place inside, and staying as far away as possible. But running away doesn’t end our suffering; it only prolongs it....

What is Mindful Speech? I was studying rhetoric and semantics around that time and something called mindful speech, and I remember thinking how valuable it could be to carry that kind of childlike mind with us, so we might better understand the fuzzy and squiggly relationship between words and meaning and our intentions. Our labels, names, words, and concepts can shed light, but they can also obscure. Like windows, they can be opaque, fuzzily translucent, or transparent....

Armed with an app guiding me through this meditation, I practiced dutifully for several months—but eventually I fell off the wagon. It just stopped feeling right for me. I didn’t know there were other types of meditation to try. That’s why a new study published in the journal Mindfulness is so encouraging: It compares four different types of meditation, and finds that they each have their own unique benefits. Mindful breathing isn’t the only place to start—and it’s not the end of meditation, either....

Taking a step back from the rush of activity held demonstrable value giving a bit of breathing room to make more deliberate and well-thought-out choices. This fit well as a counter to my misguided identification as a busy person when the realities of being constantly on the go had solidified into a self identification I was proud of, and even craved. It was something I noticed in others, too: with meetings booked back-to-back, four or five in a row, many of my co-workers opened meetings with a statement about having a hard stop or having to leave early for… another meeting....

One day while I was driving here I was cut off by a sports car that seemed to be speeding and weaving in and out of the lanes. My teeth locked together and my shoulders tensed and what went through my mind is only appropriate on HBO. In that moment I realized how tense I was and likely how out of control that driver was. It made me think of all the cars on the road and how many people were very likely tense in their cars....

Fuel, Calm, and Collected Sitting in traffic can be frustrating, raise cortisol levels, and even stoke the fires of road rage. But the Mindfulness Concept Car wants to put the calm back in highway calamity. Ford has presented a modified Kuga SUV complete with an array of stress-busting features. Need a power nap? Lie back in the reclining driver’s seat with neck support. Need a quick breather? Plug in to the infotainment center stocked with guided yoga and meditation sessions....

To read more about Mindful Schools, click here. Or watch the following video (about 8 minutes long), which shows the Mindful Schools in-class instruction program in action. For more information about the benefit and to purchase tickets, click here.

Mindfulness, yoga, meditation, and breathwork all became desired tools to get through each day of lockdowns. I continue to be inspired by the shift I have seen in so many of my clients—Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurs, soul seekers, and conscious leaders—during this period. And my own mindfulness path has taught me that challenges can always be a portal to growth if we can take a moment to pause, reflect, and develop practices to build inner strength and resilience that nothing outside of us can disrupt....

This is the set-up of the Ultimatum Game, a classic test of decision-making. Imagine that the stranger suggests that he keep $12, and offers you $8. Would you accept? What if the split were $15/$5? Or $19/$1? Rationally, any offer is better than no offer, so people should be motivated to accept any deal. But in reality, most people are offended by obviously unfair splits. If they deem the offer too stingy, they will reject the offer to punish their partner for being selfish....

Wake Up, Show Up, and Shine Cara Bradley (New World) A business coach, a basketball coach, and a congressman endorse this book, which gives you a good idea of whom it’s aimed for. Bradley is a former professional figure skater—think of many long cold mornings of practice and thousands of trips and falls—who now teaches yoga and mindfulness, to develop what athletes call “mental strength” or agility. Bradley’s upbeat spirit jumps off the page in a book that is both practical and inspirational for active people who want to synchronize their body and mind to perform at their best....

There are three critical skills that develop in early childhood: paying attention and remembering information, shifting back and forth between tasks, and behaving appropriately with others. These abilities are known as executive functions and they are essential for more advanced tasks like planning, reasoning, problem solving, and positive social relationships. Most of what we know about the effects of mindfulness practice on the mind, emotions, and behavior comes from studies with adults....

More: e! Science News Inviting Therapeutic Presence

But a new study found that when it comes to exerting self-restraint over our desires, it’s the conviction in the perceived payoff that matters. For the study “State Mindfulness and Self-Regulation,” researchers at Saarland University in Saarbruecken, Germany, and at the University of Cologne, Germany, tested how people experienced and dealt with their desires when in a self-reported mindful state. That last bit is an important distinction, says study author Malte Friese, Ph....