May 12, 2013
How mindfulness can mitigate the cognitive symptoms of depression
Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S., PsychCentral: Mindfulness, or paying full attention to the present moment, can be very helpful in improving the cognitive symptoms of depression. These debilitating symptoms include distorted thinking, difficulty concentrating and forgetfulness. Cognitive symptoms can impair all areas of a person’s life. For instance, poor concentration can interfere with your job or schoolwork. Negative thoughts can lead to negative emotions, deepening depression.
Focusing on the here and now helps individuals become aware of their negative thoughts, acknowledge them without judgment and realize they’re not accurate reflections of reality, writes author William Marchand, M.D., in his comprehensive book Depression and Bipolar Disorder:…
May 12, 2013
Buddhism’s big week: Dalai Lama’s visit shines light on its many flourishing forms
Like many Westerners, Mary Bennett turned to Buddhism when the faith of her childhood stopped working for her.
She still wanted a spiritual practice, but one that valued questioning.
“Buddhism encourages you to investigate every piece of information you’re given, and that really appealed to me,” said Bennett, who works in Madison in the field of health care advocacy. “All of us want to be good people, but how? Buddhism provides a path and instruction on how to gain wisdom and compassion.”
It’s a big week for Buddhism in Madison — one of many in the last four decades because of the…
May 10, 2013
Dalai Lama says environmental awakening came at 24
The Daily Star, Lebanon: The Dalai Lama kicked off his four-day visit to Portland, Oregon on Thursday by talking about his first understandings of pollution.
The 77-year-old Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader sold out two events at the University of Portland and was in the city for an interfaith discussion on spirituality and the environment.
“I was in Tibet until my age was 24. I think Tibet, some people call it the roof of the world, It was very clean, a small population, everything simple,” the Nobel Peace laureate said. “Only after I came to India (did) I first hear, ‘This water, you cannot drink.’…
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May 10, 2013
Dalai Lama packs UM Comcast Center for address on compassion
Jonathan Pitts, The Baltimore Sun: He pulled on a Terps visor, to the crowd’s delight. He rubbed noses with Gov. Martin O’Malley. And the Dalai Lama was met Tuesday with rounds of applause from a crowd of 15,000 at the University of Maryland, College Park’s Comcast Center.
“Sit down,” the 78-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader said in a firm but friendly voice when he approached the podium and the crowd rose to its feet. “No formality! We are [the] same. … The way we are born, the way we die: no formality.”
Clad in red robes and his trademark spectacles, the Dalai Lama appeared…
May 08, 2013
What makes Buddhism & Hinduism distinct from other religions?
Tiffany Andras, Opposing Views: As two of the oldest sustained world religions that both developed in and spread from India, Hinduism and Buddhism have many similarities in basic beliefs despite their large differences. Though Hinduism, like other major religions, ascribes to a belief in God, Buddhism does not — one of the biggest points of divergence between the two. However, because of their parallels in origination, there are tenets that form the basis of both religions that make them discrete from most others, with the exception in large part to Jainism and Sikhism which have their origins in Hindu and Buddhist philosophy themselves…
May 07, 2013
Dalai Lama visits the United States
Harold Mandel, Examiner.com: There is a lot of excitement among many Americans about the visit of the Dalai Lama to the United States. Phayul.com has reported on May 6, 2013, The Dalai Lama leaves for US visit. On Sunday His Holiness the Dalai Lama left his exile hometown of Dharamshala, north India, for a visit of the United States of America. He has been invited by various universities, colleges, and organizations to interact with students and give a series of lectures, public talks, discussions, and teachings on topics which range from compassion to global environment.
The Dalai Lama is scheduled to begin …
May 06, 2013
Are mindfulness benefits too good to be true?
Carole Carson, AARP blog: Is Mindfulness the Latest Fad? Are the Benefits Too Good to Be True?
Would you be skeptical if I told you that without taking a pill or seeing a therapist, you could lower your blood pressure, raise your self-esteem, experience equanimity in the face of stress, improve the quality of your sleep, reduce chronic pain, get greater enjoyment from eating even while eating less, increase your energy and make better decisions? That you could be happier and see the world around you more positively?
The practitioners of mindfulness make these and other remarkable claims—and their claims are not…
May 06, 2013
Patients add meditation to treatment plans
Rachel Weaver, TribLive: Nancy Dolan-Brady felt dreadful.
Weeks into a regime of intense chemotherapy to fight stage 3 colon cancer, she lay in bed, nauseous, aching, sweating, miserable. But then, a light breeze floated through her window carrying a much-needed moment of relief.
Normally, she wouldn’t have even noticed the breeze, which cooled and dried her skin, leaving her calm. But Dolan-Brady had been practicing mindful meditation, allowing her to pay closer attention to her body and environment.
“In the midst of misery, this simple thing became a bright spot when everything was tinged with ugliness and darkness,” says Dolan-Brady, 57, of Mt. Washington. “Something …
May 03, 2013
How meditation can influence gene activity
Lia Steakley,Scope, Stanford Medicine: A growing body of scientific evidence shows that mindful-based therapies, such as meditation, can lower psychological stress and boost both mental and physical health. Now findings recently published in PLoS One suggest that such practices may also change gene activity.
In the small study, researchers recruited individuals who had no prior meditation experience and examined participants’ genetic profile prior to their adoption of a basic daily relaxation practice. The 10- to 20-minute routine included reciting words, breathing exercises and attempts to exclude everyday thought. The New Scientist reports…
May 03, 2013
A mindful writer: An interview with Diana Gould
Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D., PsychCentral: It’s not often that I interview someone on the mindfulness and psychotherapy blog who has put out a novel. However, Diana Gould has had a long career in film and television and in her practice with mindfulness. She currently teaches at InsightLA in Santa Monica, California and has recently released her first novel Coldwater. She has also put out a special Coldwater Challenge contest: Find the Mindfulness! Nestled within the pages of this noir thriller are little nuggets of mindfulness teachings. How many can you find? Make a list, give your reasons, and submit to contest@insightla.org…