Blog

By Rose Mina Munjee, guest contributor

Introduction  

The social justice issues of racism and oppression of racialized people and their intersectionality, including social location and gender are explored here through examining the lived experiences of racialized mindfulness practitioners (1). Certain skills and approaches grounded in mindfulness and compassion and characteristics of mindfulness teachers, programs, and practice spaces are suggested as potential resources to help alleviate the …

By Dave Potter, guest contributor

The concepts of “acceptance” and “non-striving" in mindfulness practice are difficult to understand because they seem to imply passivity and inaction. I don’t think I’ve ever taught a mindfulness class in which a student didn’t question mindful “acceptance” with concerns that it would lead to passivity:

“How does “acceptance” and “non-striving” apply when being attacked, verbally or physically?”

But “acceptance”, in the context of mindfulness, does not im…

View our Free Guide - What is MBSR?

By Janet Solyntjes, guest contributor

Several days ago I received a list of common questions that potential MBSR participants have voiced to the staff at Mindful Leader.  In looking over the list I thought I would address one, but found that three questions, when combined, strike the heart of what we could call the MBSR experiential journey.  These questions represent the beginning, middle, and end of any journey one might take: the view, practice, and r…

This Free Summit Talk has Expired.

Fleet Maull, PhD, CMT-P at the 2019 Mindful Leadership Summit. Given the serious social, economic, political and environmental challenges we face today, especially the potential for significant economic and social disruption caused by climate change, individual and collective resilience may become one of our highest priorities. In this session, you will learn the physiology and neurobiology underlying a deeply embodied approach to meditation called Neuro-Som…

View our Free Guide - What is MBSR?

By Anna Smyth, guest contributor

What exactly will I get out of an MBSR class? 

This is the most common question I hear from prospective students. While considering an MBSR course, you may have some assumptions about what a “class” might involve such as lectures, course materials, group discussions, etc. At the end of an 8-week MBSR course, many of my students express surprise at how much they experienced and learned—much more than anticipated. But what…

By Larissa Hall Carlson, guest contributor

Working as a professional musician is incredibly demanding. Common challenges like intense competition, performance stress, long tours, burnout, and repetitive-movement injuries can prevent musicians from performing at their best. In their study of 2,536 adult musicians, Gembris, Heye, and Seifert (1) discovered that in addition to stage fright, when consistent pressure to perform well triggers music performance anxiety (MPA) in orchestral musicians pe…

This Free Summit Talk has Expired.

Patti Coan at the 2019 Mindful Leadership Summit. Learn about Humana's evolution around embodying the wisdom needed to work authentically through the power of reflection and practice. Of over 40,000 employees, 10,000 have opted into the grass roots mindfulness culture at Humana. You will leave this session with ideas to create or enhance approaches to mindfulness at work.

By Joy Reichart, New Ventures West, guest contributor 

“Sorry, remind me how to pronounce your name?” I asked. 

I knew about her alcoholic mother, about her cancer scare. I knew how many children she had, their ages, and what they were up to. I knew that she hoped to help teens and young adults with her coaching, inspired by her own difficulties as a youth and the kinds of situations she’s been privy to as an adjunct college professor. I knew that a pervasive fear of scarcity ruled many of the…

View our Free Guide - What is MBSR?

By Dr. Gus Castellanos, guest contributor

Prisons are some of the most traumatic places to live. While the threat of violence, sexual victimization, and retaliation for grievances happen enough, it’s the simple things such as bad food, sleeping arrangements, and poor access to medical care that make daily life stressful. Inmates suffer from anxiety, depression, anger, hypervigilance, and difficulty with emotional regulation. Furthermore, witnessing viole…

By Dave Potter, guest contributor

“The data show that relationships may matter more than technique and suggest that meditating as part of a community or group would increase well-being.  So to increase effectiveness, meditation or mindfulness apps could consider expanding ways that members or users can interact with each other.”

- Corrie Pikul-Brown, in Mindfulness Benefits Hinge on Who’s Around, writing about Willoughby Britton’s study of mindfulness training 

Restrictions brought on by …