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 […]
Is There a Cost to Avoiding Conflict?
Dealing with conflict is seldom easy. That’s why, in the face of conflict, many people’s default mode is to try to minimize it or avoid it outright. But is there a cost involved when we shy away from confrontation? Tara Brach, PhD says that this kind of avoidance is actually a “false refuge.” She shares […]
The Brain on Long-Term Love
What activates the pleasure and reward centers of the brain, calms parts of the brain associated with fear and anxiety, and is available to anyone without a prescription? Long-term relationships. Researchers Bianca Acevedo, PhD and Arthur Aron, PhD took ten women and seven men who had been married an average of 21.4 years and did […]
Mindfulness and Self-Worth – What’s the Connection?
Feelings of unworthiness, shame, and self-hatred seem to show up all too often in daily life – we see it in our work, our families, and maybe even experience it ourselves. But there’s at least one person in the world who’s not especially familiar with such feelings. In fact, he didn’t even know the meaning […]
Thank You, You Saved My Life
What’s the most encouraging feedback you’ve ever received from a client you’ve worked with? My friend, Bill O’Hanlon, LMFT, remembers the day he received a powerful thank you message from someone he’d never even met. Bill is a psychotherapist, a dynamic, inspirational professional speaker (you might remember him from the Hilton Head conference,) and prolific […]
Uncovering Happiness: The Natural Anti-Depressant Effects of Mindfulness and Self-Compassion
When depression takes hold, it can become an insidious loop from which patients struggle to break free. But what if we could help them create an “anti-depressant brain”? Below, you’ll find out one way to help clients initiate brain change to alleviate depression, courtesy of my friend Elisha Goldstein, PhD. Elisha is a Clinical Psychologist […]
If you are an expert . . .
Okay, so maybe that wasn’t the best place to start because it seems many people don’t believe the word expert applies to them. But hear me out, because I think that’s a significant problem. I come across far too many gifted practitioners, people with important ideas – ideas that could change people’s lives – yet […]
The Power of Mindfulness in Schools
Despite our best intentions, the holidays can be demanding . . . . . . so it’s probably not surprising that levels of anxiety, stress, and depression tend to ramp up around this time of year. Now imagine living at a high level of stress year round (and trying to learn at the same time). […]
Giving as We’ve Received . . .
Beginning at a young age, I was taught to give as I had received . . . . . . so when I began NICABM, I made it a cornerstone of our organization that we would give back to those who are in need. I always like to take some time at the end of […]
Brain Change and Mindfulness . . . In 8 Weeks?
Could someone who has never before been exposed to mindfulness begin to see results in as little as 8 weeks? Eight weeks isn’t all that long. But it could be just enough to cause significant change in someone’s brain (and therefore in their life). A group of researchers out of the University of Siena, in […]