by Ada Porat — Most of us know that too much stress is not good for our bodies because it triggers inflammation and suppresses the immune system. But did you know that too much stress actually hurts your brain? During high levels of stress, the brain does not grow new connections or new cells. Chronic […]
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Set solemn aside and focus on fun
February 26, 2012
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by Laura Orsini — Here is a little challenge for you. The next time you are out somewhere in public — the mall, the grocery store, the post office — look around at the people. How many of them are smiling? How many of them look like they have cracked a smile even once this […]
Important self-improvement tools
February 26, 2012
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by Irene Conlan — Someone asked me what I would consider the single most important tool for self-improvement. Yikes! What a question. “I will have to get back to you on that,” I responded, knowing that I would need to wrestle with it for a while before answering. Below are some of my ideas. Meditation […]
Seven shortcuts to daily bliss
February 24, 2012
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by Meryl Davids Landau — Sure, the ancient yogis found inner bliss by practicing their yoga poses and sitting on their cushions for hours on end. But we live in the real world — frequently too busy treading water to spare that kind of time. Fortunately, after digesting tons of spiritual books, attending myriad workshops […]
The disappearing button box exercise
February 24, 2012
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by Khayriyyah Savannah — We often hear that by changing our thinking we can change or learn to control our emotions. The phrase “he really knows how to push my buttons” is all too common. Most of us realize that our internal buttons can be pushed. The trick is getting rid of them by changing […]
Meditation, not medication
February 24, 2012
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by Dr. Nicholas Warner — For decades, antidepressants have been the mainstay treatment for depression, an approach that has garnered significant criticism over the years from those who believe the drugs are widely overprescribed and unsafe. For example, in some cases, antidepressants appear to actually increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and/or behaviors, certainly not […]
What type of meditation is best for you?
February 23, 2012
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by Patricia Monaghan — In 1902, the great American philosopher, William James, published a seminal book, Varieties of Religious Experience. Not being religious himself, he asked a number of people what the term “religion” meant to them. Not surprisingly, he found that this common word held many meanings, ranging from piety to mysticism to saintliness. […]
February 27, 2012
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