As technology makes its way into what seems like every corner of life, it can feel rather challenging to strike that careful balance of knowing when it’s helpful and when it’s not. And frankly, the last place you might expect an electronic gadget to come in handy is front and center during your mindfulness practice. […]
Archives for November 2013
Changing the Brain with Meditation: What’s Sleep Got to do With It?
When a busy day is done, and you’re finally tucked in bed and fast asleep, your brain gets a break from that seemingly endless daily barrage of stimulation. For researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, that made for an ideal opportunity to take a look at brain waves in their most natural, uninfluenced state. They […]
Brain Change and Compassion: Using Mindfulness for Greater Empathy
All too often, we hear of people in need, of too many people going without. And as the holiday season fast approaches here in the United States, opportunities for kindness and helpfulness start to ramp up – a lot of people annually volunteer their time at local soup kitchens or set aside money, food, or […]
Mindfulness and Fiction – Is There a Connection?
Have you ever gotten lost in a good novel? The imagery so distinct, and the characters so well-described that it almost seems real . . . . . . and when you get to the last page you might feel sad that it’s come to an end. Fiction has a way of taking us […]
What Happens When Mindfulness Collides with Neuroscience?
When’s the last time you turned on the local news and heard a warm-hearted, uplifting story? Having trouble calling anything to mind? While it might be true that the media focuses mainly on hardship and tragedy, it’s also true that our brains are hardwired to remember the bad more often than the good. So how […]