We are deeply saddened to hear that Sharon Begley, one of the most exemplary science journalist of our times, died on Saturday, January 16th.
She was always full of curiosity, high standards and excellent writing about all things science, with a longstanding interest in brain and mind research. May she rest in peace, and may her mindfulness remain with us all. [Read more…] about “Never stop wondering” — Sharon Begley, science journalist, RIP
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I’m a hiker—“born to hike,” as my husband likes to joke. It does my heart and soul good to strap on a pack and head out on a trail, especially when I’m alone and can let my mind wander where it will.
The experience of hiking is unique, research suggests, conveying benefits beyond [Read more…] about Four ways hiking promotes cognitive and emotional health
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As psychologist Chris Willard often says, our phones can be our greatest enemy or greatest friend. While they can save us time and energy, educate and entertain us, and keep us safe in emergencies, they can also distract us from the things we need in life to stay happy and healthy. [Read more…] about 3 ways to manage smartphone use and improve quality of life
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During the past two decades, more and more scientists have studied mindfulness—a Buddhist-inspired collection of practices aimed at helping us to cultivate moment-to-moment awareness of ourselves and our environment. Their early findings triggered an enormous amount of enthusiasm for meditation.
Sometimes, however, journalists and even scientists (who should know better) have overstated the physical and mental health benefits, which has fed growing skepticism about mindfulness. [Read more…] about The State of Mindfulness Science: 10 Key Research Findings to Encourage and Guide your Meditation Practice in 2018
If you believe most self-help books, pop-psychology articles, and television therapists, then you probably assume that how people respond to significant life events is pretty predictable. Most of us, according to the “experts,” are affected in just about the same way by a given experience—there is a grieving process that everyone goes through, there is a sequence of events that happens when we fall in love, there is a standard response to being jilted, and there are fairly standard ways almost every normal person reacts to the birth of a child, to being unappreciated at one’s job, to having an unbearable workload, to the challenges of raising teenagers, and to the inevitable changes that occur with aging.
[Read more…] about The Emotional Life of Your Brain: One Brain Does Not Fit All
