I just got back from a 10-day retreat in Kaufman, Texas, where I learned teachings passed down for centuries from the man himself, Gautama Buddha. If learning to meditate like Buddha isn’t a great marketing spin for a meditation retreat, I don’t know what is! The seminar was a mind-blowing experience with its share of ups and downs. This is my story, and my take on the meditation technique of vipassana. Seeking a Teacher, Not a Guru S.N. Goenka The retreat was posthumously hosted by S. N […]
I am a strong believer in understanding and trying many different meditation disciplines to find the one(s) that work for you. This guest blog written by Diamond over at eHealthInformer outlines four of them. Though meditation has been around for centuries, it’s still only just starting to take off in the Western world. It first gained popularity in the West during the 1960s as culture changed with music and narcotic experimentation. The Beatles learned Transcendent […]
Adolescents assigned to a mindfulness meditation program appeared to have improvements in memory in a recent study.”These results are consistent with a growing body of research in adults that has found mindfulness meditation to be a helpful tool for enhancing working memory capacity,” said Kristen E. Jastrowski Mano of the psychology department at the University of Cincinnati, who coauthored the new study. Read more… […]
I just did an interview today with Lewis Harrison from “That was Zen This is Tao” radio show broadcast on WIOX 91.3 FM Roxbury NY. Sorry for the sound quality, I didn’t get the recording setup in time, as I just got back from Alaska and was still on Alaska time! 3 hours behind Austin! Anyway, it’s still clear enough to get the points! Check out the interview below or you can find it on SoundCloud. […]
With evidence growing that training the mind or inducing specific modes of consciousness can have beneficial health effects, scientists have sought to understand how these practices physically affect the body. A new study by researchers in Wisconsin, Spain, and France reports the first evidence of specific molecular changes in the body following a period of intensive mindfulness practice. The study investigated the effects of a day of intensive mindfulness practice in a group of expe […]
Lucid dreaming is one category of dreams that many people experience. It occurs when the individual is dreaming and during that dream the individual is completely aware that they are dreaming. Some people report a low-level lucidity state where one is aware they are dreaming but not able to alter the content of the dream. Other people have experienced high-level lucidity where one is aware they are dreaming but are also able to alter the dream, and have the freedom to do whatever they des […]
At first glance, Quiet Time – a stress reduction strategy used in several San Francisco middle and high schools, as well as in scattered schools around the Bay Area – looks like something out of the om-chanting 1960s. Twice daily, a gong sounds in the classroom and rowdy adolescents, who normally can’t sit still for 10 seconds, shut their eyes and try to clear their minds. I’ve spent lots of time in urban schools and have never seen anything like it. This practice – meditation rebra […]
Our lives are filled with distractions — email, Twitter, texting we’re constantly connected to technology, rarely alone with just our thoughts. Which is probably why there’s a growing movement in America to train people to get around the stresses of daily life.It’s a practice called “mindfulness” and it basically means being aware of your thoughts, physical sensations, and surroundings. Tonight, we’ll introduce you to the man who’s largely responsible for mindfulness gaining traction. Hi […]