In my previous blog, I discussed how/why mindfulness is the “master” key to change. Mindfulness is being in the present moment nonjudgmentally. Mindfulness is a tool that can help us to focus our attention better. Improving any aspect of our behavior – being kinder, listening to others, modifying our forehand in tennis, remembering where…
Meditation has immeasurable benefits – decreasing stress, improving well-being, reducing cardiovascular disease, and so on. The society we live in seems so fast-paced sometimes that the idea of sitting down to meditate for 15-30 minutes a day seems out of reach. Ironically, many of the other things that keep us so busy that we…
I recently completed the audiobook version of Mindsight by Dr. Dan Siegel. He provided the reading and, fortunately, possesses a wonderfully soothing and engaging speaking voice. Dr. Siegel is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist, neurobiologist, researcher, lecturer, author, and professor at the UCLA School of Medicine. I’ve seen Dr. Siegel present a number of times and,…
So, I’ve been tracking my 5 New Year’s Resolutions here. I thought I’d do a little update to describe my experiences thus far. Well, as you can see, I’m going better on some than others. In brief, out of 13 days: 1. 5 Minutes of Meditation per day – I’ve hit all 13 days….
In this fascinating book, Sharon Begley (a science writer for Newsweek and previously for the Wall Street Journal) goes through some of the history of neuroscience and summarizes some of the latest findings in the field. There was a time when scientists viewed the adult brain as rather static and that no new neurons…
I’ve read and listened to a number of books and presentations by Jon Kabat-Zinn. He earned a Ph.D. from MIT in molecular biology in 1971. He is a Professor of Medicine Emeritus and founding director of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University…
Many people believe that, to meditate, one needs to be seated in lotus position for an hour with incense burning in the background. That’s one way to meditate but not THE way to meditate. If you believe that you have to sit quietly for an hour in order to meditate, then this can act…
So, I was doing a body scan meditation the other day by following a CD by Jon Kabat-Zinn, who is a renowned psychologist who has been doing work in mindfulness for many years. I do my own version with clients sometimes and most people find it quite relaxing and helpful. Basically, while keeping relaxed…
Our emotions are typically elicited by our thoughts. Situations, in a sense, are neither bad nor good…they just are. It is our thoughts about the situations that give rise to corresponding feelings. Often these thoughts are “automatic” and just below our conscious awareness. If we learn to become aware of them, we can learn…