Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2019 i Mindful

When Twitter user Michael Beatty made a jab at comedian and actor Patton Oswalt in response to a politically charged tweet, Oswalt first responded with a lighthearted joke. He then checked out Beatty’s Twitter feed, only to discover the man was a Vietnam vet who had recently set up a crowd-funding campaign seeking $5,000 to pay medical bills resulting from sepsis, diabetic ketoacidosis, and a coma. Oswalt donated $2,000 and shared the campaign with his massive online following. Within 24 hours, the campaign had raised more than $35,000. Ron and Sharleen Gillies were driving to see Sharleen’s dying mother when they got into a minor car accident. A man named Dean Moore noticed the couple by the side of the road and stopped to help. Hearing their story, Moore drove…

Q Is it OK to count my breaths while I’m meditating? A Many people find breath-counting useful when they are still developing a personal practice of mindfulness meditation, because it provides a kind of anchor or rudder to keep them on task. Think of it as scaffolding around a building. It can serve a useful, supportive purpose at the beginning, but you may want to let go of it when the structure (practice) is more established and solid. The practice I have heard most often is a process of counting each breath at the completion of the outbreath and going until 10, and then starting again at one. (Any time that you lose track of which number you were on, you go back to one and start again.) Steve Hickman…

1 Put a hand over your heart, or elsewhere, and feel your body breathe. Now take a moment and allow your heart to open gently—to become receptive—like a flower opens in the warm sun. Ask yourself this question, allowing the answer to arise naturally within you: What do I need? What do I truly need? Let the answer be a universal human need, such as the need to be connected, loved, peaceful, free. If this need has not been fulfilled in a given day, your day does not feel complete. When you are ready, write down what arose for you. 2 Now consider a second question: What do I need to hear from others? What words do I long to hear? If I could, what words would I like to…

IF PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT MAKES (OR BREAKS) A DECENT APOLOGY, THEY MIGHT OFFER MORE OF THEM. Apologies are the Brussels sprouts of relationships. Research says they’re good for us, and, like a dinner of the green stuff after a lunch of burger and fries, they can erase or at least mitigate the ill effects of a transgression. But there’s something about both apologies and tiny bitter brassicas that makes us often choose something else on the menu, thank you very much. When psychologist Karina Schumann began studying apologies, she noticed something odd: Psychologists had barely investigated why they can be so hard to make. Studies have focused almost exclusively on the victim’s perspective, especially how apologies can trigger forgiveness and healing. “It’s been less about the transgressor,” said Schumann,…

Gardening gets us moving, fills our lungs with fresh air, is naturally meditative, and can be deeply nourishing, both literally and figuratively. But research also shows that in getting some dirt—with its bacteria and other microscopic denizens—under our fingernails, we may also boost our gut health. The gut has earned the nickname “second brain” among some experts. Much of that is thanks to the 300 to 500 different types of bacteria, along with other friendly microorganisms, that make up our intestinal microbiome. From breaking down dietary fiber to making vitamins K and B7, the microbiome does a lot of heavy lifting in maintaining our well-being. A 2013 study at Oregon State University also found that gut microbes communicate back and forth with the vast number of immune cells that live…

Did you know Mindful is a nonprofit? We are dedicated to inspiring and guiding anyone who wants to explore mindfulness to enjoy better health, more caring relationships, and a more compassionate society. By reading Mindful and sharing it with others, you’re helping to bring mindfulness practices into the world where the benefits can be enjoyed by all. Thank you! Print magazine & special topic publications 30 Day Mindfulness Challenge FREE! Guided meditations & podcasts Mindfulness video courses Visit online at mindful.org Get More Mindful…

MANAGING CHRONIC DISEASE People with chronic illnesses like diabetes, asthma, cancer, and heart disease often experience anxiety and depression. Both can interfere with self-regulation, which makes managing medications and maintaining healthy habits challenging. Researchers in Boston asked 92 adults with a chronic illness combined with anxiety and depression to participate in an 8-week program that included mindfulness, self-compassion, mindfulness-oriented behavior skills, and developing a self-management action plan. At the end of 8 weeks participants showed significant improvements in disease management compared to a wait-list control group. Even better, the program was covered by health insurance. MINDFUL PARENTING PAYS OFF For a study examining how mindful parenting affects teens, more than 400 families of 6th-and 7thgrade students either attended a mindfulness program designed for parents and families, or were asked to…

When Hurricane Maria bore down on Puerto Rico in September 2017, destroying the island’s infrastructure and claiming more than 3,000 lives, the world watched in horror. For Jana Kiser, living thousands of miles away in San Francisco, not being able to get news about her loved ones or help her community was excrutiating. “I felt so far away and powerless,” she says. In the aftermath, Kiser, who works in nonprofit aid and collective-impact organization, was moved to act. Reaching out to friends and colleagues, including fellow Puerto Rican Andres Gonzales of the Holistic Life Foundation (HLF), she launched Bajacu’ Boricua (baja-coo boor-ee-qua), a pilot project to offer free training in meditation, mindful movement, and music therapy, with the goal of supporting resiliency as Puerto Ricans “do the big work of…

1 It accepts responsibility for the wrong and doesn’t even hint that outside forces, or the victim, caused the offender to do what they did. What to say: I’m sorry I didn’t show up to help you move when I said I would. What not to say: You were asking too much of me and I just couldn’t do it, so I flaked. 2 It’s unqualified. If the apology contains a “but,” it fails. There’s time later—after the injury has had time to heal—to bring up any qualifications that might be relevant to future interactions. What to say: I broke your trust and was inconsiderate of your feelings. What not to say: I’m sorry I made you feel abandoned, but I didn’t realize how big a job it was and…

I’ve spent some happy moments in my own small garden, down on my knees, gently pressing the earth over a handful of seeds or nurturing a young plum tree to bear fruit. I’ve known for a long time that whatever effort I give to my garden, the gifts that I get back are nothing short of miraculous: food for body and soul. But today, as I tour the 55-acre San Francisco Botanical Garden with master landscaper Peter Good, I discover the gifts of gardening on a completely different scale. Soft-spoken and handsomely weathered, Good regards this urban oasis in the midst of Golden Gate Park as his spiritual home. “This garden is my touchstone,” says Good, who has spent decades working here. And no wonder. The botanical garden houses 8,500…

When you really pay attention to your breath, it’s astonishing how much you notice. As I follow the sensation of cool air flowing into my nose, I feel a gentle expansion, a widening through my nasal cavity, back into my skull, and down my throat. My collarbones rise and spread; my ribs separate and widen like a bellows. Exhaling, my diaphragm contracts into the cave of my abdomen, my spine curling ever so slightly around it. All the while, my body feels as if it’s sinking into the floor. My mind follows the gravitational pull, its perpetual whirl slowed to a pleasant hum. This single breath cycle takes less than 20 seconds, but an hour could easily have passed. It occurs to me that it’s like that movie Interstellar—as if…

Sit in a comfortable position on the floor or in a chair. Close your eyes, if you wish. Take a few long breaths, inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. Let your body land on the ground. Let your breath arrive in your body. As your breath flows in, feel it move down into your belly. As your breath flows out, let your belly be effortless. On your inhale, think, “soft,” allowing your belly to receive your breath. On the out breath, think, “belly,” letting go of any holding and resistance. Inhale, “soft.” Exhale, “belly.” Each inhale, imagine your belly being cared for by the breath. Each exhale, let the breath loosen any solidity. Let your breath make room. Let thoughts, emotions, sensations rise and fall in and…

Here’s an interesting psychological trick for you: Researchers have found that the vocabulary you use to describe a new habit has a strong effect on the likelihood that you’ll stick with it. To be specific, saying that you “do” or “don’t” do something—framing an action as part of your identity—is much more effective than saying that you “have to” or “can’t” do something. So when you feel the urge to open or reinstall one of the apps, don’t try to resist it by saying that you “can’t” or aren’t “allowed” to do so. Instead, simply describe your current reality: “I do not keep social media apps on my phone.” This simple shift can make a surprising difference.…

read…listen…stream FROM SUFFERING TO PEACE The True Promise of Mindfulness Mark Coleman • New World Library Longtime meditation teacher and naturalist Mark Coleman—author of Make Peace with Your Mind: How Mindfulness and Compassion Can Free You from Your Inner Critic and Awake in the Wild: Mindfulness in Nature as a Path of Self-Discovery, among others—is at pains to demonstrate in his new book that mindfulness is definitely, incontrovertibly not about finding an escape from the pain we find in the midst of everyday life. The book, in fact, is filled with poignant stories of students who have come to him in immense pain. One woman, for example, arrived at a retreat having, over a two-year period, lost her sister in a car accident, her brother to a heart attack, and…

3 MEDITATIONS TO TAKE OUTSIDE WITH YOU 1 A Daily Mindful Walking Practice from Mark Bertin Move. We spend so much of our time trying to get from Point A to Point B. Mindful walking meditation provides an opportunity to strengthen and focus your awareness, so you can break out of autopilot and begin to pay more attention to your movement. Whether you’re walking to work, taking the dog around the block, or just going for a stroll, this meditation encourages you to savor the journey. 2 Turning Sounds into a Meditation Practice from Bob Stahl Listen. We often think that meditation requires peace and quiet, but you can also use sounds as the object of your focus. This meditation helps you recognize sounds as they come and go, without…

Over the year-end holidays last year, my wife and I rented an apartment near where our children live, and our twin granddaughters had several sleepovers there. We decided to get them something to absorb their attention, and time, for several weeks: a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle. These have never been my thing. I’d look at one taking shape in a corner on a table, a profusion of tiny pieces lying higgledy-piggledy. Insanely tedious, I thought. Searching for yet another patch of sky-blue in an irregular jigsawed shape looked excruciating. My granddaughters, though, took to it with vigor and rigor. Starting first thing in the morning, patiently and gleefully piecing it together. With the whole family joining in, after several weeks, the picture began to reveal itself. So proud were they of…

…and welcome to the June issue. I joined the Mindful team a few months ago and have been busily editing the magazine behind the scenes. I’m thrilled to introduce this issue’s cover person Shelly Tygielski—mindfulness teacher, self-care activist and heartfelt supporter of the Parkland community in Florida—because I think you’ll find her practice and passion both powerful and inspiring. I am also delighted to have Jillian Pransky sharing her insights about how we hold tension in our minds and bodies and her encouragement to pause, deeply listen, release and relax, and discover a deep, almost liquid, full-body peace. (I hope you will melt with one of her practices.) And, of course, I am honored that Mindful was invited on an intimate tour of the San Francisco Botanical Gardens with master…

QUIZ WHAT ARE THEY SELLING? We’ve noticed that the slogans marketers use to sell soft drinks, cars, medicines, and food are not all that different from what is used to sell mindfulness. Can you spot which of these is selling consumer products and which is peddling peace of mind? Answers: 1-Wonder Bread; 2-Omega Institute; 3-Everyday Mindfulness; 4-Pepsi; 5-Calm meditation app; 6-Jaguar; 7-Mindful magazine; 8-Allegra; 9-KIA Stonic; 10-Coca-Cola; 11-Kripalu; 12-Headspace; GERMANY GOES GREEN Countries around the world have set goals to switch to renewable energy sources. This past year in Germany, renewables outstripped coal as the country’s main source of electricity, accounting for a little over 40% of the nation’s power production. COAL MINES TO BEEHIVES The phasing out of coal bodes well for the environment, but in the US has…

MINDLESS In Wichita, a man at Home Depot commented to other customers that they should leave the building because he was “fixin’ to blow it up.” He meant that he needed the restroom badly, but someone took the joke as a bomb threat and called 911. An Oklahoma courthouse had to be evacuated when a lawyer sauntered in, blissfully unaware there were insects falling out of his clothes. The verdict? Bedbugs. A two-year-old deaf girl in Newton, Massachusetts, couldn’t communicate with most of her neighbors—until her whole neighborhood hired an ASL instructor and learned sign language. MINDFUL An astonishing (and highly illegal) stash of 1,529 turtles and tortoises were rescued from an airport in Manila, Philippines. Smugglers had wrapped the reptiles in duct tape and stowed them in suitcases, but…

Many of the traditional loving kindness phrases used in meditation (May I be happy, May I be free from suffering…) have been handed down over centuries, so it’s not surprising they can be a bit hard to connect with. For this reason, we believe that it is important to find phrases that resonate. This is especially true when we want to generate feelings of loving-kindness for ourselves: What we say must feel authentic to have impact. The aim is to find language that evokes the attitude of loving-kindness and compassion. Here are some guidelines: Phrases should be simple, clear, authentic, and kind. There should be no argument in the mind when we offer ourselves a loving-kindness phrase, only gratitude. You don’t need to use “may I.” Loving-kindness phrases are wishes.…

1 STOP and take note of your emotions. 2 BE in the moment, noticing the space around you and whatever is unfolding in your presence. You don’t have to fix or change anything. Simply noticing can accomplish so much. 3 CONNECT with your body. Take a few deep breaths and feel what physical sensations arise. Then, use your senses as tentacles to connect with your surroundings. You might see cars passing by, or hear birds chirping—things that link you to the world outside yourself. In this subtle way, you have found belonging.…

Imagine you could breathe directly through your heart. Imagine this is where the air flows in and out of you. Let your breath flow freely in and out through your heart. Let your breath soften you. Uncovering layers of you. Allowing room for you to unfurl. All of you. Your breath tenderly receiving everything it comes in contact with. Welcoming your deepest feelings openly, unwaveringly. Welcoming all your feelings. Your joys and your sorrows. Your breath is a gentle listening space. Your breath listens wholeheartedly to all that it meets, staying with you no matter what arises. Your breath is always present. Always listening. Listen to your infinite breath as it flows in and out of your heart. Your breath will teach you how to listen. Listen softly. Listen to…

Stand outside or in front of a window, or gaze at a photograph that features an expansive sky. Pause and sense where your body meets the ground. Soften excess gripping in your face, neck, and shoulders. Feel yourself landing completely. As you bring your attention to the flow of your breath, gaze into the openness of the sky. Follow your next three breaths as they come in from the space around you and expand into your body. Follow them as they move from the space inside you back out into the world around you. Notice the continuum of your breathing flowing from outside in and inside out. Feel how your breath connects you to the space around you. To finish, notice your feet on the floor and imagine your head—and…

INVISIBILIA Episode: The Fifth Vital Sign The more attention you give something, goes the aphorism, the bigger that thing becomes. In this episode of NPR’s Invisibilia, host Alex Spiegel explores the power our attention wields in the realm of the body. It introduces us to Devyn, an American 16-year-old who finds inexplicable chronic pain taking over her life. The narrative also lights on a medical system—within an oppressively stressful, pain-inducing society—that’s grown obsessed with “killing” pain (as in, taking “pain killers”). Plus, a pocket of the medical community claims that we’re understanding and treating physical pain in all the least helpful ways. Trying so hard to get rid of every trace of pain, says rheumatologist Dr. David Sherry, serves to amplify it rather than curing it: “There’s some suffering that…