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Drawing on her life as an indigenous scientist, a mother, and a woman, Kimmerer shows how other living beings—asters and goldenrod, strawberries and squash, salamanders, algae, and sweetgrass—offer us gifts and lessons, even if we’ve forgotten how to hear their voices. In a rich braid of reflections that range from the creation of Turtle Island to the forces that threaten its flourishing today, she circles toward a central argument: that the awakening of a wider ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings will we be capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learn to give our own gifts in return.
Kids learn fundamental yoga techniques in an animated fantasy setting. Students are taught stretching, breathing, balance, and how to focus their energy.
ABSTRACTThe rapid aging of the U.S. population has brought with it the challenge of preparing effective leaders in aging services/policy. These leaders need a fresh cognitive and empathic understanding of the complex needs of older adults and those who work with them. With its experiential and integrative approach, contemplative pedagogies are ideally suited for preparing aging services leaders. Contemplative pedagogies help learners interact with course material in ways that deeply engage students, disrupt habitual ways of thinking, and encourage innovative approaches to aging services/policy issues. Given the increasing popularity of hybrid and online courses, contemplative pedagogies could enhance learners’ satisfaction with and the quality of learning in these courses. This article provides a description of contemplative pedagogies and embodied cognition research and theory as a theoretical framework for them. The article discusses the ways in that contemplative pedagogies have been incorporated in two undergraduate management of aging services courses. Student responses to the use of contemplative pedagogies and directions for future research are presented.
<p>Within the past few decades, there has been a surge of interest in the investigation of mindfulness as a psychological construct and as a form of clinical intervention. This article reviews the empirical literature on the effects of mindfulness on psychological health. We begin with a discussion of the construct of mindfulness, differences between Buddhist and Western psychological conceptualizations of mindfulness, and how mindfulness has been integrated into Western medicine and psychology, before reviewing three areas of empirical research: cross-sectional, correlational research on the associations between mindfulness and various indicators of psychological health; intervention research on the effects of mindfulness-oriented interventions on psychological health; and laboratory-based, experimental research on the immediate effects of mindfulness inductions on emotional and behavioral functioning. We conclude that mindfulness brings about various positive psychological effects, including increased subjective well-being, reduced psychological symptoms and emotional reactivity, and improved behavioral regulation. The review ends with a discussion on mechanisms of change of mindfulness interventions and suggested directions for future research.</p>
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Within the past few decades, there has been a surge of interest in the investigation of mindfulness as a psychological construct and as a form of clinical intervention. This article reviews the empirical literature on the effects of mindfulness on psychological health. We begin with a discussion of the construct of mindfulness, differences between Buddhist and Western psychological conceptualizations of mindfulness, and how mindfulness has been integrated into Western medicine and psychology, before reviewing three areas of empirical research: cross-sectional, correlational research on the associations between mindfulness and various indicators of psychological health; intervention research on the effects of mindfulness-oriented interventions on psychological health; and laboratory-based, experimental research on the immediate effects of mindfulness inductions on emotional and behavioral functioning. We conclude that mindfulness brings about various positive psychological effects, including increased subjective well-being, reduced psychological symptoms and emotional reactivity, and improved behavioral regulation. The review ends with a discussion on mechanisms of change of mindfulness interventions and suggested directions for future research.
Within the past few decades, there has been a surge of interest in the investigation of mindfulness as a psychological construct and as a form of clinical intervention. This article reviews the empirical literature on the effects of mindfulness on psychological health. We begin with a discussion of the construct of mindfulness, differences between Buddhist and Western psychological conceptualizations of mindfulness, and how mindfulness has been integrated into Western medicine and psychology, before reviewing three areas of empirical research: cross-sectional, correlational research on the associations between mindfulness and various indicators of psychological health; intervention research on the effects of mindfulness-oriented interventions on psychological health; and laboratory-based, experimental research on the immediate effects of mindfulness inductions on emotional and behavioral functioning. We conclude that mindfulness brings about various positive psychological effects, including increased subjective well-being, reduced psychological symptoms and emotional reactivity, and improved behavioral regulation. The review ends with a discussion on mechanisms of change of mindfulness interventions and suggested directions for future research.
Within the past few decades, there has been a surge of interest in the investigation of mindfulness as a psychological construct and as a form of clinical intervention. This article reviews the empirical literature on the effects of mindfulness on psychological health. We begin with a discussion of the construct of mindfulness, differences between Buddhist and Western psychological conceptualizations of mindfulness, and how mindfulness has been integrated into Western medicine and psychology, before reviewing three areas of empirical research: cross-sectional, correlational research on the associations between mindfulness and various indicators of psychological health; intervention research on the effects of mindfulness-oriented interventions on psychological health; and laboratory-based, experimental research on the immediate effects of mindfulness inductions on emotional and behavioral functioning. We conclude that mindfulness brings about various positive psychological effects, including increased subjective well-being, reduced psychological symptoms and emotional reactivity, and improved behavioral regulation. The review ends with a discussion on mechanisms of change of mindfulness interventions and suggested directions for future research.
The time has come for us to collectively reexamine—and ultimately move past—the concept of sustainability in environmental and natural resources law and management. The continued invocation of sustainability in policy discussions ignores the emerging reality of the Anthropocene, which is creating a world characterized by extreme complexity, radical uncertainty, and unprecedented change. From a legal and policy perspective, we must face the impossibility of even defining—let alone pursuing—a goal of “sustainability” in such a world.Melinda Harm Benson and Robin Kundis Craig propose resilience as a more realistic and workable communitarian approach to environmental governance. American environmental and natural resources laws date to the early 1970s, when the steady-state “Balance of Nature” model was in vogue—a model that ecologists have long since rejected, even before adding the complication of climate change. In the Anthropocene, a new era in which humans are the key agent of change on the planet, these laws (and American culture more generally) need to embrace new narratives of complex ecosystems and humans' role as part of them—narratives exemplified by cultural tricksters and resilience theory. Updating Aldo Leopold’s vision of nature and humanity as a single community for the Anthropocene, Benson and Craig argue that the narrative of resilience integrates humans back into the complex social and ecological system known as Earth. As such, it empowers humans to act for a better future through law and policy despite the very real challenges of climate changeMelinda Harm Benson is an associate professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of New Mexico.
BACKGROUND: The district of Manang (2000 - 6000 m) is located in the Central Himalayas, Nepal. The majority of local inhabitants of the area are Gurungs, of Tibetan origin. The remoteness of the region has resulted in continued use of plants as medicine in an area where the ethnobotany has sparsely been documented.METHODS: Interviews were conducted with amchi (Tibetan medicinal practitioners), local healers (including priests locally known as 'lamas'), plant traders, and knowledgeable villagers (including herders) regarding local plant names and their medicinal uses during several field visits (2002-2005). When convenient to the locals, a jungle or forest walk was done with the healers, allowing for both plant collection and detailed information gathering.
RESULTS: This present research documented 91 ethnomedicinal plant species, belonging to 40 families under 73 genera, and 45 new ethnomedicinal plant species are added. These 91 locally used medicinal plants are found to treat 93 ailments. This study provides information on 45 plant species previously unknown for their medicinal uses in Manang. The indication for use, mode of preparation, dose and administration of medicine are described in detail for each species.
CONCLUSION: This wealth of ethnobotanical knowledge persists, and is being transferred to the next generation in some areas in upper Manang, in a country where this is often not the case. The senior amchi of the area (Karma Sonam Lama), who has been practicing Tibetan medicine for three generations, feels that it is of utmost importance to conserve the traditional healing system and to pass his knowledge on to the local community about the importance of medicinal plants. He hopes that this will lead to the conservation and sustainable management of medicinal plants in the villages. Over the duration of this research, the prices of several rare medicinal plants of Manang increased dramatically, highlighting both the scarcity and the quick disappearance of the species. This is only one example of a worrying trend of over harvesting of medicinal plants, and highlights the need for conservation and management of medicinal plants of Manang district.
<i>The Evolving Mind</i>, written by practicing Buddhist and biologist Robin Cooper, looks at the question of the how life progressed over time through biological and eventually cultural evolution to yet more refined types of evolution involving the mind and consciousness. Specfically, the author draws on four concepts of evolution: biological, mental, cultural, and "higher" evolution. Buddhist practices, the author suggests, including practice ofthe Bodhisattva ideal and a range of meditative techniques that help develop the mind offer an avenue toward higher evolution. (Zach Rowinski 2005-03-12)
<p><em>The Evolving Mind</em>, written by practicing Buddhist and biologist Robin Cooper, looks at the question of the how life progressed over time through biological and eventually cultural evolution to yet more refined types of evolution involving the mind and consciousness. Specfically, the author draws on four concepts of evolution: biological, mental, cultural, and "higher" evolution. Buddhist practices, the author suggests, including practice ofthe Bodhisattva ideal and a range of meditative techniques that help develop the mind offer an avenue toward higher evolution. (Zach Rowinski 2005-03-12)</p>
Social work students experience stress, emotional exhaustion and vicarious trauma during their education; these reactions can negatively impact their ability to objectively practice and integrate course material. When social work students are mindful in the classroom, meaning they are present without internal or external filters, they are better able to regulate emotions and are more open to diverse perspectives. Teaching social work students to become mindful can improve self-care and is also the first step toward developing empathy. As such, mindful practice can help enhance practice skills, especially those related to tuning in to clients. This paper describes the elements of a mindful classroom, introduces a framework for teaching mindful practice, and presents the results of a research study that examined learning outcomes associated with this framework. Graduate students participated in a 16-week course that focused on enhancing self-care and professional development via the use of formal and informal mindful practice strategies. The Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Scale was administered before and after the course to assess changes in students' use of mindfulness skills. Four skill areas were tested: acting with awareness, observing, accepting without judgment, and describing; results indicate that students significantly increased their use of mindfulness in the first three areas.
Through personal stories, Kimmerer describes the biology of mosses and what these little beings have to teach us about relationships, love, death, and our place within a larger web of life.
<p>A look at the heath care situation of Jiri valley in Nepal with a focus on the hospital built there in 1957. The article starts with the inclusion of a case study of Naramaya from Kopche, a village of Jiri valley, which reveals the status of health care and heath care facilities in Jiri. Historically, indigenous folk healers provided almost all health care in Jiri. Later in 1957, the Jiri hospital was established through the combined efforts of the government of Switzerland and Nepal. The operation of the Jiri hospital remained primarily the responsibility of the Swiss government until 1975, when it was handed over to Nepal government. The article includes a table containing the number of allocated and vacant staff positions during the panchayat and multiparty system at the Jiri hospital and leading diseases in Jiri valley. (Rajeev Ranjan Singh 2006-10-12)</p>
Describes the basic tenets of social and emotional learning; discusses the emotional and social challenges that middle school children face; and provides suggestions for parents and teachers to help promote smooth sailing through these rocky middle school years. (SR)
Incarcerated women enter the prison setting with remarkable histories of trauma, mental health and substance abuse issues. Given the stress of incarceration and separation from their children, families, and significant others, it is not surprising that many women experience increased anxiety, depression, and problems with sleep. Due to these negative outcomes, it is imperative to find efficient non-pharmacological interventions. This pilot study examined the impact of a 12-week mindfulness based program on the stress, anxiety, depression and sleep of women with a total of 33 completing the study. In one group, women's perceived stress, anxiety and depression were all significantly lower following the intervention compared to prior to the intervention. Challenges with implementing the pilot study are addressed. Despite challenges and limitations, the low-cost non-pharmacological intervention has potential for a reducing the symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Recent psychological and neuropsychological research suggests that executive functions — the cognitive control processes that regulate thought and action — are multifaceted and that different types of executive functions are correlated but separable. The present multivariate twin study of three executive functions (inhibiting dominant responses, updating working memory representations, and shifting between task sets), measured as latent variables, examined why people vary in these executive control abilities and why these abilities are correlated but separable from a behavioral genetic perspective. Results indicated that executive functions are correlated because they are influenced by a highly heritable (99%) common factor that goes beyond general intelligence or perceptual speed, and they are separable because of additional genetic influences unique to particular executive functions. This combination of general and specific genetic influences places executive functions among the most heritable psychological traits. These results highlight the potential of genetic approaches for uncovering the biological underpinnings of executive functions and suggest a need for examining multiple types of executive functions to distinguish different levels of genetic influences.
<p>The article describes the rites and rituals of the Jirels of eastern Nepal. The Jirels practice Lamaistic Buddhism but also visit Hindu shrines according to Bista (1980:71). The Jirels are distributed among clans and every clan worships their kul devata. The assembly of clansmen to worship their kul devata is an overt expression of their common identity as members of their respective descent groups. The different clans worship different deities. The Devlinga and Meyokpa clans worship Nangy Laha, Garchiga worship Cheramjo, the Serba and Thurbido and Chungpate clans worship Chyomu. (Rajeev Ranjan Singh 2006-10-14)</p>
<p>The article discusses the traditional Jirel political structure. The Jirels are the indigenous population occupying the Jiri valley in the Dolakha district of eastern Nepal. The article attempts to describe the position of the Jirels within the local political structure and to determine some of the factors that continue to keep them at the bottom of the political and economic hierarchy. The article writes about the participation of Jiri in politics in the panchayat period and post multi-party period. (Rajeev Ranjan Singh 2006-10-11)</p>
"The Legacy of Menla is a fresh portrayal of Tibetan Medicine through the eyes of three Indian women who have been diagnosed with different stages of cancer. Often acting against their families’ wishes or the advice of Western doctors, they chose to put their faith in Tibetan doctors and change their lives. In the intersection of Buddhism and science, Tibetan Medicine has a peculiar place in the field of healing that speaks to both believers and nonbelievers. Apart from the patients’ perspectives, the film takes us through the process of medicine making in the Himalayas and shows us the education of upcoming doctors. With the help of established Tibetan healers we will see the past, present and future of this healing system."--Synopsis from Arrabona Studio: http://arrabonastudio.hu/portfolio/legacyofmenla/
The current study aimed to examine the mediation effects of self-esteem on the association between mindfulness and anxiety and depression. A sample of 417 undergraduate students completed a packet of questionnaires that assessed mindfulness, self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. Correlation results indicated that mindfulness was associated with self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), mediational analyses showed that mindfulness exerted its indirect effect on anxiety and depression through self-esteem. A multi-group analysis showed that the mediational model was not moderated by gender and thus provided a preliminary support for the robustness of the final meditational model. The findings corroborate an important role of self-esteem in mindfulness exerting its beneficial effects on anxiety and depression.
The current study aimed to examine the mediation effects of self-esteem on the association between mindfulness and anxiety and depression. A sample of 417 undergraduate students completed a packet of questionnaires that assessed mindfulness, self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. Correlation results indicated that mindfulness was associated with self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), mediational analyses showed that mindfulness exerted its indirect effect on anxiety and depression through self-esteem. A multi-group analysis showed that the mediational model was not moderated by gender and thus provided a preliminary support for the robustness of the final meditational model. The findings corroborate an important role of self-esteem in mindfulness exerting its beneficial effects on anxiety and depression.
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