Mindful August 2019

of electricity when someone tells you something—an amazing story or fact—that is so interesting, you can’t wait to share it? It’s like a bolt of energy and excitement that needs to make contact and keep spreading. That’s what I felt hearing neuroscientist Amishi Jha and Lieutenant General Walter Piatt of the US Army talk about the impact of introducing Jha’s mindfulness program to his soldiers prior to their deployment to Iraq. I was riveted as General Piatt told the story of a very young soldier who was able to “zero the mind” (military parlance for being in a state of hyper-focus) using his mindfulness training and make a series of lifesaving decisions under the extreme pressure of a dangerous, high-stakes mission. He also shared how mindfulness helps his troops transition…

What unusual things do you do to relax? ORGANIZING MY HOME and purging items I don’t need helps me when things feel chaotic. Also, sometimes just getting on the floor and letting my dogs shower me with attention is amazing! I GET UP BEFORE 6AM, light a candle, read the newspaper online, and have coffee: a peaceful hour to myself. Then I walk or work out or do yoga. CATCHING CRABS WITH MY NEPHEW. I watch him mindfully as he explores, and his innocent curiosity brings me quiet joy. “Single-tasking and immersing myself in my immediate experience. I’ve found this more calming than infrared saunas or sensory deprivation tanks.”—a Mindful reader FACEBOOK HELPS ME RELAX. I’ve realized it’s because I have few “friends” there—the ones I have are people who…

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…

MINDFULNESS IN TRANSIT New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority offers programs that teach mindfulness, meditation, and yoga to its employees across the transit system, from bus drivers and train operators to office workers, ticket-takers, and mechanics. The programs, run by a corporate wellness consulting firm called the Health Enhancement Company, have been offered for several years, and HEC’s president Donna DeFalco estimates they’ve reached 7,200 employees so far. Now, they are rolling out a large-scale daily program geared toward people working on transit vehicles every day, who face uncommon challenges and stressors in their work, such as isolation from their bosses and colleagues and a lack of flexibility while on the job. WELLNESS IN THE HOUSE This spring a program with potential to ease stress in the nation’s capitol launched at…

While out for dinner with friends in Oxford, Alabama, Jamario Howards noticed a woman eating alone and went over to speak with her. It turned out to be the day before her 60th anniversary with her late husband. He invited her to join him and his friends, and they’ve been meeting her regularly for dinner since. When 80-year-old elementary school janitor Haze Mabry in Zebulon, Georgia, showed up for work on his birthday, instead of finding a messy school to clean, he found nearly 800 students lined up to sing him a happy birthday, hand him buckets of cards, and give him hugs. In the German town of Bensheim, a chubby rat got stuck in a manhole cover, so a team of eight rescuers, comprised of firefighters and animal rescuers,…

SPORT PERFORMANCE GETS A BOOST FROM MINDFULNESS Being an elite athlete comes with its share of stress. Sixty-nine Swedish competitive athletes new to mindfulness completed either a Mindfulness-Acceptance and Commitment (MAC) intervention, or Psychological Skills Training (PST). Both were designed to increase athletic performance. Unlike PST, MAC training emphasizes present-moment awareness, attention, and acceptance. Seven weeks later MAC-trained athletes showed superior improvements in sport-related mindfulness, emotion regulation, and athletic performance compared to PST group members. The study’s authors attribute these results to MAC group athletes’ improved ability to focus, regulate emotion, and adapt to stress. MBCT: A TREATMENT FOR CHRONIC PAIN? Chronic low-back pain affects millions globally and can be debilitating and hard to treat. A study at the University of Queensland in Australia found Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) may…