Just a few weeks ago, I was having breakfast with my family. It was a rare opportunity to be together with both of my siblings, their spouses, and my parents – all of whom live out of state. As we got to talking, it turned out that both my sister Priscilla and my sister-in-law Susan […]
Meditation or Medication?
I heard Dan Siegel once say, “Why not try a ‘t’ instead of a ‘c’? Meditation instead of medication.” When I heard this, it got me thinking. . . is there another way? Could we use fewer side-effect laden prescriptions and find a solution that doesn’t involve so many pharmaceuticals? For instance, in some cases, […]
What’s Happening in the Brain During Meditation?
We’ve talked a lot about meditation for general health and even for neuroplasticity. And yet . . . . . . have you ever been curious about what is actually happening in the brain during meditation? This was addressed by a recent study published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Jim Lagopoulos, PhD, […]
Mindfulness and the Practitioner: How to bring our "best self" to our work
Some kids dream of being professional athletes or walking on the moon, but for many of us, it was the act of healing that motivated us entering the health and mental health professions. But this doesn’t mean there aren’t days when we wouldn’t rather be on the moon than treating a particularly challenging patient. Or […]
Mindfulness and Emotional Acceptance: The Power of Yes
Has anyone seen the Jim Carrey film “Yes Man”? In this film, he decides to change his unsatisfactory life by saying yes to everything. While he ends up modifying his yes stance somewhat, he may have been on to something. Mindfulness practitioners for many years have understood the effects that saying “no” can have on […]