Life can be so daunting—with both its hassles and its larger challenges and injustices—it can be tempting to try to find an escape, and many people imagine meditation to be just such a way out. The word “retreat” (i.e., a meditation intensive) can conjure the notion of running from “the real world” into a haven of private bliss. But nothing could be further from the truth. When you practice mindfulness, as many of you can attest, the real world comes with you....
The article discusses health studies as well: To read the entire article by neuroscience journalist Maia Szalavitz, click here. To read an excerpt from Jon Kabat-Zinn’s new book, Meditation for Beginners, click here. For more about Jon Kabat-Zinn himself, read Barry Boyce’s interview with him—“Toward a Mindful Society.” To see a video of Kabat-Zinn speaking at the groundbreaking Creating a Mindful Society conference, register here (it’s free). 01/18/12
If you want to go the same route, get to watching those YouTube tutorials to perfect your Halloween makeup and stick to this simple and spooky Halloween hair idea: ** With a face full of paint and a coordinating outfit to match, leaving your hair down in loose waves is a totally legitimate option. Alternatively, you can opt for an all-black outfit that blends into the night and really puts the focus on your face....
Oh tax season… how I both love and loathe you. Cons: Money stress Pros: Tax refunds! For the first 5 years of adulthood I owed the government every year! I don’t know how or why, but getting married changed my view on taxes. For the first time in my life I actually got a return… well WE got a return. Being the pragmatic person I am, I convinced the husband to put the large majority of the tax refund towards our car payment, instead of something fun…{though really, what’s more fun than paying down debt?...
Robert Booth, writing for The Guardian, spoke with Willem Kuyken, a professor of clinical psychology at Oxford University, who is leading the study. Booth summarizes a key point from Kuyken about the significance of this project: “the spread of mindfulness among children could do for the British population’s mental health what fluoride in the water did for its teeth.” Since the teenage years are so unique, there is a growing field of research on the brain science behind teens and stress....
