Mindfulness

Mindfulness

A new study published in Mindfulness (June 2025) suggests that just two minutes of shared meditation can quickly increase emotional closeness. The research, led by psychologists from the University of Pennsylvania, shows even a brief interaction, like making eye contact or reflecting on shared human emotions, can promote deeper connection, empathy, and feelings of warmth. In the first experiment, 55 people (average age: 24) were paired in quick virtual sessions via Zoom. Most participants didn't know each other or have any meditation experience.

As a yoga teacher and retreat leader, I've spent years guiding groups at a boutique retreat center in the seaside village of Troncones, Mexico. In this space, I watch the same scene unfold over and over again: a woman arrives, alone, unsure, quiet, sometimes a bit emotional on the first night, not certain what drew her here, only that she needed to come. But by week's end, there is a marked change, a radiance, her eyes clear, her breath at ease.

I felt an inner devastation that caused so much emotional distress I could no longer hide it or hide from it through my work. I did not feel like doing anything except cry and share my suffering with anyone willing to listen. After Karla left me for the third time, I went to a meditation retreat in Estes Park, Colorado, led by Thich Nhat Hanh, the Vietnamese Buddhist monk who founded mindfulness and was nominated by Martin Luther King, Jr., for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Shame is an inhibitory emotion on the Change Triangle, the tool that teaches us about emotions. Shame is an emotion designed to keep us from acting in ways that get us banished from the people and groups we need, like our family, peer groups, religious groups, and communities. But when we grew up in environments that harshly punished us for our mistakes, shame tells us to keep our mistakes hidden, lest we "pay the price." That's how shame blocks accountability.

The pressure was electric. Hope and fear did a wild dance in my chest and no matter how hard I tried, my imagination kept racing ahead. This was the moment that could change the trajectory of my life and career - and I blew it. But the lessons I took from that failed audition turned out to be more valuable than any role.

About a month later, Ben received a call from an old colleague about a work opportunity at a pizza-and-wine bar in Tylösand, a beach town on Sweden's west coast. As a chef, the experience sounded exciting to him, and we also saw this as our opportunity to try somewhere new. That's why, weeks later, we found ourselves vacuum-sealing most of our clothes, giving away what we didn't need, and subletting our apartment - not knowing how long we'd be abroad.

Every year at this time, I think of a quote from the Bible, but which I know from Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson, in which seven-year-old Jeanette stitches a needlepoint sampler decorated withthe inscription: The summer is ended and we are not yet saved. We are not yet saved: no, not in this house, where I experience the back-to-school week in September far more urgently than New Year's Day as the time of year for a behavioural reset.

The Mahamudra Meditation Center sits atop a secluded mountain, about an hour from Kathmandu. It can be reached on foot or by an off-road vehicle during dry weather conditions. The center is a brainchild of a Chogyal Rinpoche, a young Tibetan Buddhist master, torchbearer of an esoteric lineage of Buddhism that dates back to the 12th century. He believes that the time has come for the common people to have access to the knowledge that was hitherto safeguarded by the Tibetan Masters.

Austin Curtis was a prominent Black scientist whose work had spectacularly practical applications. Among his successes: He developed many new uses for peanut byproducts, including rubbing oils for pain relief. His work exploited the untapped potential of materials that others neglected or discarded. I urge you to adopt a similar strategy in the coming weeks, Aries: Be imaginative as you repurpose scraps and leftovers. Convert afterthoughts into useful assets. Breakthroughs could come from compost heaps, forgotten files or half-forgotten ideas.

My grandmother passed away a few years ago after a long battle with cancer. Even as her health deteriorated, she never lost her spirit. She'd still get excited about whether the Pittsburgh Steelers might finally have a decent season after Ben Roethlisberger's retirement. She'd debate the Pirates' chances with the kind of passionate optimism that only comes from decades of loyal disappointment.

Reacting is what happens when you move through your day on autopilot. You're constantly fielding every ping, every request, every "got a minute?" as it comes in. It's like playing a never-ending game of whack-a-mole-emails, Slack messages, kid drop-offs, last-minute meeting invites-pop, pop, pop. You are so concerned with responding quickly to each one that you never stop to ask yourself whether it deserves your time or energy in the first place.

News has never been more accessible but for some, that's exactly the problem. Flooded with information and relentless updates, more and more people around the world are tuning out. The reasons vary: for some it's the sheer volume of news, for others the emotional toll of negative headlines or a distrust of the media itself. In online forums devoted to mindfulness and mental health, people discuss how to step back, from setting limits to cutting the news out entirely.

This means that your mind is flexible enough to stay calm and steady even in stressful and unpleasant situations. Here are a some suggestions for cultivating this sublime state of mind. Learn to live well despite your limitations. In 2001, I became chronically ill after contracting what appeared to be a routine viral infection. Today, my doctor calls me a "long hauler," a term that came into use when people didn't (for haven't) recovered fully from a bout with Covid.

Every grip of the evil consequences of the ancestral worship of my forefathers' god over my life and ministry, break by fire, in the name of Jesus. Every covenant with water spirits, desert spirits, witchcraft spirits, spirits in evil sacred trees, spirits inside sacred rocks, family gods, evil family guardian spirits, family village serpentine spirits, masquerade spirits, inherited spirit husbands and wives, be broken by the blood of Jesus.

Awakening is an experience that many people seek. Indeed, awakening can bring clarity, peace, and insight, but it can also be one of the most difficult experiences that we humans face. Most of us need support on the journey, and many of us have no idea where to go for that support. As someone who "woke up" by accident, I am now devoting a significant portion of my time to helping others navigate this miraculous, yet challenging, journey.

Eka Pada Koundinyasana I, or One-Legged Sage Pose, is a beautiful arm balance that weaves strength, flexibility, and focus into one empowering shape. This pose asks us to trust ourselves-to play at the edge of our balance and truly feel into the body. But we don't just leap into this peak pose. We prepare. We soften. We open the hips, twist the spine, engage the core, and connect breath to movement with mindfulness.

Emotions are not just fleeting reactions; they are essential guides for human connection and survival. Whether through the quiet ache of grief or the unexpected flood of tears in moments of joy, our emotional expressions reveal what matters most. Crying, in particular, speaks to this paradox: It can soothe inner tension, signal a need for support, or mark the overwhelming beauty of love and meaning. In this way, both sorrow and joy become invitations, reminders that feeling deeply is not a weakness,

Most entrepreneurs have a business plan. We write it, follow it... and slowly that business grows until it consumes our lives. Suddenly, the company dictates the calendar, family trips are canceled for "urgent" calls and personal decisions take a back seat. I've had countless closed-door conversations with entrepreneurs who, from the outside, seem to have it all, but in private admit that they hate their company and think they are a prisoner.

We made a conscious decision to build a life filled with adventure and presence while raising our children. We wanted our kids to experience the richness of life in the now, not in some distant "someday" that may never come. We turned travel sports into family adventures We explored local diners, quirky museums, vintage ice rinks, and small-town treasures. Each trip became a story. And somewhere between roadside doughnut shops and freezing-cold bleachers, we realized we weren't just watching games, we were building core memories.

I've spent the past two decades investigating how mindfulness can transform the brain and promote healing from addiction, chronic pain, and emotional distress-the diseases of despair. Today, I'm proud to share findings that reveal how MORE can help foster recovery in the brain in powerful and measurable ways. In this study, published in the top journal Science Advances, we examined data from four experiments involving 135 adults who were taking opioids daily for chronic pain.

After I found out I was pregnant with our first, I had a different idea for what I wanted my babymoon to look like . I knew becoming a mother would require some lifestyle sacrifices, and that might include fewer solo trips, at least in the beginning. So, during my second trimester, I decided to take a solo babymoon to Grindelwald in the Jungfrau Region of Switzerland, which is known for its stunning natural beauty, scenic alpine hikes, and endless outdoor activities.

I'm a sentimental collector - from trinkets passed down by my grandmother, to my first concert tickets at 13, I've always held onto memorable items. But over time, my home started to feel less like a sanctuary and more like a storage unit. Keepsakes filled every nook and cranny, and instead of bringing joy they made me feel tense. My small space felt even smaller, and the clutter became overwhelming.