This CE article offers an overview of the research on mindfulness and discusses its implications for practice, research and training.
Brain plasticity (from the Greek word ‘plastos’ meaning molded) refers to the extraordinary ability of the brain to modify its own structure and function following changes within the body or in the external environment.
CONTEMPLATIVE EDUCATION IS AN EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY THAT INTEGRATES THREE CRITICAL ELEMENTS. Here’s how we practice those elements at Naropa University:Rigorous academics—Challenge yourself with the Naropa curriculum, which blends Eastern wisdom studies and traditional Western scholarship. Classes are small and thrilling. Understand that you will read and write a lot.
Contemplative Practice—Bend your body and your mind through the meditation, yoga, and other mindfulness practices.
Experiential Learning—Apply the wisdom and knowledge you’ve acquired and gain career insight and skills through global volunteerism, internships, and community-based learning.
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy is a form of therapy that used mindfulness to combat depression, anxiety and a broad range of negative emotions.
Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn developed the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. Since its inception, MBSR has evolved into a common form of complementary medicine addressing a variety of health problems. The National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has provided a number of grants to research the efficacy of the MBSR program in promoting healing (see "Studies" below for information on this research). Completed studies have found that pain-related drug utilization was decreased, and activity levels and feelings of self esteem increased, for a majority of participants.
Yoga therapy encompasses not only the body and the movements we do on the yoga mat, but how we live and treat others and ourselves off the mat, which is...
In this video, behavioral economist Colin Camerer, introduces game theory as a methodology to understand and predict social behavior, and explains the neuroscience behind two people cooperating and competing. Theory of Mind is introduced as an important feature in predicting the behavior of others and for engaging in optimal interpersonal behavior.
There is a prevailing conviction that if traditional medicine (TRM) or complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are integrated into healthcare systems, modern scientific medicine (MSM) should retain its principal status. This paper contends that this position is misguided in medical contexts where TRM is established and remains vibrant. By reflecting on the Chinese policy on three entrenched forms of TRM (Tibetan, Mongolian and Uighur medicines) in western regions of China, the paper challenges the ideology of science that lies behind the demand that all traditional forms of medicine be evaluated and reformed according to MSM standards. Tibetan medicine is used as a case study to indicate the falsity of a major premise of the scientific ideology. The conclusion is that the proper integrative system for TRM and MSM is a dual standard based system in which both TRM and MSM are free to operate according to their own medical standards.
Are human beings hard-wired to be perpetually dissatisfied? Author Robert Wright, who teaches about the interface of evolutionary biology and religion, thinks so.Wright points out that evolution rewards people for seeking out pleasure rather than pain, which helps ensure that human beings are frequently unsatisfied: "We are condemned to always want things to be a little different, always want a little more," he says. "We're not designed by natural selection to be happy."
You're listening to the 19th episode of the Humans 2.0 podcast, solo-series, FLOW! Today's episode is about the most impactful activity I participate in morning and night. Mindfulness meditation of course!A study from UCLA found that long-term meditators had better-preserved brains than non-meditators as they aged. Participants who’d been meditating for an average of 20 years had more grey matter volume throughout the brain — although older meditators still had some volume loss compared to younger meditators, it wasn’t as pronounced as the non-meditators. "We expected rather small and distinct effects located in some of the regions that had previously been associated with meditating," said study author Florian Kurth. "Instead, what we actually observed was a widespread effect of meditation that encompassed regions throughout the entire brain."
Solid scientific evidence suggests that mindfulness interventions improve attention, self-control, emotional resilience, recovery from addiction, memory and immune response. Here’s a summary of benefits particularly relevant to educators
In the face of natural disasters and disease, there are always people who step forward to help. Their brains may tell why. This story originally aired on Sept. 22 on Morning Edition.
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