Mindful February 2020

As an old year ends and a new one begins, I like to find a few quiet moments for a simple practice that helps recognize this transition and honor all that has happened and all that awaits. I’d love to invite you to join me. You might want to have a tissue or a journal handy. I find this practice brings so many emotions to the surface, making me teary and grateful and excited to be alive all at once. Sit comfortably, relax your body, and close your eyes. Slowly, gently, breathe in through your nose, imagining that you are breathing in all of 2019 and what transpired for you, holding the whole year in your lungs for a couple of seconds. Survey your memories as they come in on…

How do you tend to respond to your inner critic? “I RECOGNIZE what is going on and WHY—am I tired, hungry, sad, angry?” “I WAIT for it to pass.” “I have a SHORT RANT, then look at what’s happening more holistically.” “I STOP COMPARING myself with others, and allow myself to forgive me.” “I WRITE DOWN what the inner critic says and respond to myself with the truth as I see it. It usually works well when I do it in the moment.” “I FOCUS on the good things I have done, and the things I did right.” “With a meditation practice, I am LISTENING more.” “I go to my art room and START PAINTING, drawing, or doing mixed media.” “With compassion. I pretend the inner critic is a dear…

EMOTIONAL LABOR If you’re caring and emotionally tuned in, you may adapt better to the evolving demands of the job market, a study finds. Researchers from the University of Maryland and National Taiwan University found that between 2006 and 2016, day-to-day tasks for US workers trended from “analytical and thinking”— increasingly handled by artificial intelligence—towards “interpersonal and empathetic”: Think a financial analyst who’s reassuring clients through stock-market dips, says lead author Roland Rust. In the shift to a “feeling economy,” says Rust, emotional intelligence will gain respect. WAVE BETTER Surf therapy has emerged as a recent alternative to traditional therapies for a number of groups, including children with autism, survivors of cancer, and veterans and emergency workers with PTSD. Hosted by organizations around the world, including in the United States,…

EASING PAIN AND CRAVINGS A new study from the University of Utah and Rutgers University finds that people who crave opioids and are in chronic pain may benefit from adding mindfulness to a traditional methadone treatment (MMT) program. Thirty adults with opioid use disorder and acute or chronic pain undergoing MMT were assigned to either a Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) group, or a treatment-as-usual control group. The MORE participants learned mindfulness, thought-reappraisal, and savoring skills, in two-hour weekly group sessions, in addition to receiving four hours of individual/group therapy per week. The control group received six hours weekly of individual/group therapy, and no mindfulness education. All participants used a smartphone app to rate their stress, pain intensity, mood, and opioid cravings. At the end of eight weeks, MORE group members…

Q I’ve been going through a hard time after my divorce, and I thought that meditation would help. But when I try, the quiet and stillness just makes me feel so alone and sad that I have to stop. What am I doing wrong? A You’re not doing anything wrong. When we turn inward as we do when meditating, it is not uncommon for many states to arise, both challenging and joyful. This is in part dependent upon what is going on for us in any given moment. When we experience any loss, such as divorce, we grieve. Grief has its own trajectory and often comes in waves. It also comes with attendant emotions, such as sadness and loneliness. Meditation can help us turn toward this and can assist us…

Here at Mindful, we believe practicing mindfulness can be as simple and unadorned as bringing attention to the breath, and returning to the breath when attention wanders. You don’t need much more than the intention to practice—and maybe a good teacher. That said, there is an ever-growing range of offerings on the market that incorporate mindfulness in some way, from apps, to focus-objects, to experiences. Will they make you any more mindful, at the end of the day? Send your thoughts to yourwords@mindful.org. Nailed it? To allow you to relax more deeply during your visit, some salons offer guided meditations you can zone out to, complete with earbuds, while getting your mani-pedi done. Worry Stone 2.0 Meet The Thinking Egg: basically a man-made pebble, either stone, metal, or wood. Available…