In only one hour, we found a key source of suffering. Tara Brach kicked off our mindfulness series this week, and her wise words about the agony of self-judgment resonated. She also told us why we need to show patients the goodness in themselves. You added to her ideas on the comment board by sharing […]
How Mindfulness Works to Regulate Emotion in Your Brain
If you’ve ever felt too depressed to solve a problem, it might be because your brain is having a hard time regulating your emotions. One solution? Mindfulness training. Zindel Segal, PhD and his colleagues at the University of Toronto were curious to see whether mindfulness training could alter the experience of emotions, particularly sadness. They […]
Mindfulness and Self-Compassion – How to Become Who You Want to Be
“I’m not as good as I should be.” It’s a common refrain from many of our patients. Helping them trade self-judgment for self-compassion is an essential first step in creating real change. Watch below as Tara Brach, PhD talks more about this and what needs to be in place before we can become truly free […]
Can self-compassion improve through mindfulness?
You shouldn’t kick yourself when you’re down . . . . . . but sometimes it’s hard not to. Even if we’re compassionate toward others, we can still be our own worst critics. Mindfulness meditation really works. And self-compassion is one of its key benefits. Kristen Neff, PhD, from the University of Texas-Austin, and Christopher […]
Could Mindfulness Reduce the Effect of Discrimination?
Many of us have seen the harmful effect of stereotypes. In fact, some stereotypes are so pernicious, they can actually hinder performance. When people are worried about being stereotyped – like “girls are bad at math” – they become more anxious, affecting results in school, on the job, or in other situations. This is stereotype […]
Does mindfulness meditation make you more compassionate?
Can mindfulness meditation training make you more compassionate? We’d all like to hope so . . . . . . but we’re biased. Most people probably think of themselves as compassionate, so it’s easy for us to believe that meditation training is working. A group of researchers at the University of California, San Francisco wanted […]
Could Mindfulness Meditation Help People Quit Smoking?
Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Despite years of treatment, research, and activism, we still don’t have a really effective program to help people quit smoking. The traditional behavioral treatments haven’t improved much over time. But what if mindfulness meditation could do what traditional programs don’t? Judson Brewer, […]
Could Mindfulness Meditation Increase Creativity?
Ever struggle for hours to solve a problem – only to find that the solution was right in front of your face? I’m not just talking about math problems – but about our work, too. Sometimes, a little clarity helps clients make the leap from struggle to growth. This is where mindfulness can really help. […]
Mindfulness Meditation: An Unlikely Flu Treatment
A lot of us dread the onset of flu season . . . . . . because nothing really helps when you’ve got the flu. There’s no magic pill – just bed rest and plenty of fluids . . . But here’s a provocative thought: Could mindfulness meditation actually prevent influenza (and other acute respiratory […]
How Mindfulness Works to Help the Brain Manage Pain
Can meditation help you feel less pain? What if one week of short meditation classes could change the way your brain perceives pain? Fadel Zeidan, PhD, and his colleagues at Wake Forest University wanted to find out how mindfulness meditation affects pain reception. Specifically, they looked the areas of the brain responsible for constructing the […]