The Science of Meditation

While I listened to Rick Hanson‘s talk on The Science of Attention and Mind Training in the Science of Meditation Summit offered last month by Shambhala Mountain Center, I was happy to hear him speak about gamma waves and synchronized firing of neurons. As he answered a question about how does meditation practice or mindfulness […]

How to Use RAIN

These words of wisdom from Teah Strozer talk about how getting started on a spiritual path take courage. The main thrust of the Tricycle.com article, however, was how to use RAIN. RAIN is an acronym for a four part meditation procedure developed initially by Insight Meditation Society teacher Michele McDonald and more thoroughly discussed by […]

10 Big Ideas To Turn On Skinny Genes

Dr. Dean Ornish demonstrated that targeted lifestyle changes can turn on disease-fighting genes and turn off disease-promoting genes. I heard him speak about how lifestyle changes reversed heart disease at Dr. Marty Rossman‘s Academy for Guided Imagery convention in Hawaii many years ago. Now his work is going mainstream. One of the exceptional doctors to […]

Taking Refuge In Kindness

Taking refuge in kindness is coming home to yourself with a gesture of kindness when you are feeling anxious, lonely, depressed, and down on yourself. Tara Brach teaches us to have a little self-compassion: The way of healing and homecoming begins with what I call “a gesture of kindness.” You might for instance put your […]

The Heart Of Forgiveness

While we are on the subject of forgiveness, I’d like to present what the prominent teacher, Jack Kornfield has to say about the ancient heart of forgiveness. The talk was give at the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley. The center is run by Dacher Keltner, who was one of the […]

The Compassionate Instinct

The compassionate instinct is a term coined by the University of California, Berkeley professor of psychology, Dacher Keltner. He was one of the contributors to the Sounds True series on The Compassionate Brain hosted by Rick Hanson. His topic was The Evolution of Compassion: From Gene to Meme. According to Compassion: Our First Instinct, an […]

Rejoice In What We Do Have

Dr. Rick Hanson authors a weekly newsletter which I subscribe to called Just One Thing. His posting this week is titled, “Feed the Mouse.” If you got cheese, feed the mouse! Dr. Hanson was the host for the Sounds True series, The Compassionate Brain and the author of Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and […]

What Goes On In Your Brain When You Meditate

This video, which is part of The Science of Consciousness, Dr. Richie Davidson answers the question, “What goes on in your brain when you meditate?” Richie Davidson is a professor of psychology and psychiatry, and director of the Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He also was one of the presenters […]

The Mistress Of Self-Compassion

Dr. Kristen Neff is the master of self-compassion. She even wrote the book about it: Self-Compassion: Stop Beating Yourself Up and Leave Insecurity Behind. I first heard about Kristin Neff on the Sounds True production of The Compassionate Brain hosted by Dr. Rick Hanson. She has been called the mistress of self-compassion! When talking about self-compassion on […]

The Master Of Self Compassion

The master of self compassion is Dr. Kristin Neff. She is an innovator in the field of research in self compassion. Dr. Neff is an Associate Professor of Human Development and Culture in the Educational Psychology Department of the University of Texas at Austin. Kristin is also one of the contributors to the Sounds True series […]